Ignites are short, powerful talks by inspirational leaders in gender finance and adjacent fields, designed to kickstart action and new ideas. They set the tone for the Summit, creating an electric atmosphere and empowering the audience. For an idea of what to expect, you can watch some Ignite talks from previous programming here

Our second Ignite speaker is Marla Blow, President and COO of the Skoll Foundation where she leads Skoll’s program work, grants, investments, and financial management, including operations, endowment, and portfolio partnerships. Previously, she was North America lead at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and before Mastercard, she was Founder and CEO of FS Card Inc., a subprime credit card venture (sold to strategic acquirer).

Ms. Blow won the EY Mid Atlantic Emerging Company Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2018, and she is a Henry Crown Fellow as part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Marla sits on the Board of Directors of Etsy, and on the Board of Square Financial Services, an independent subsidiary of Block Inc.

Previously, she was part of the Implementation Team to stand up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and prior to joining the CFPB, Marla spent seven years in a variety of functions at Capital One in the credit card business. Marla holds an MBA from Stanford University and an undergraduate degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.