Investor, economist and entrepreneur, Barbara Clarke enjoys working with professionals who believe in creating diverse teams to drive innovation and business success. She fuels change in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, stimulates growth in early stage tech startups and boosts organizational excellence with her investment expertise and global insights. Barbara has been investing in emerging technologies, for over a decade. To date, she has invested in more than 60 companies and 12 venture capital funds in North America and Europe. She has been creating opportunities for under-represented entrepreneurs by investing in companies that are either led by women of color or have women on their founding teams – even before it became fashionable to do so. As a key member of the investment community, she also advises entrepreneurs and innovators on launching companies, accessing capital, and leveraging the international network of investors. Barbara serves on several boards and recently wrote "Build Your Board, Build Your Business" to capture what she has learned over the years serving on boards. Prior to launching The Impact Seat, Clarke spent more than a decade in management consulting firms, including KPMG and PwC and launched a nationwide nonprofit to support grieving children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics from Tufts University and master’s in international economics and finance from Brandeis University. A polyglot, she speaks several languages, including German, French and Italian.When she is not scoping out promising startups to invest in, Clarke enjoys exploring new cities, supporting local artists and listening to alternative/indie rock.