Michael MacHarg

Michael brings 15+ years of executive experience applying entrepreneurial and investment approaches to build profitable companies improving global health, human nutrition, agricultural livelihoods, and energy access. Michael most recently served as a Special Advisor to Babylon Health, building the market entry strategy for the AI-enabled digital health platform in sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, Michael led the Social Ventures team at Mercy Corps, building one of the first and most active impact investment funds in the international development sector. The Social Venture Fund invests across the fintech, agriculture, logistics, and employment sectors in east Africa, Indonesia, and Colombia. Michael co-founded Simpa Networks, one of India’s leading rural rooftop solar leasing companies. The company was backed by global high-impact investors including the Asian Development Bank, Schneider Electric, OPIC, Proparco, and Developing World Markets. Simpa was acquired by ENGIE in India in 2018. Prior to Simpa, Michael led Arc Finance’s research into micropayment approaches for financing pro-poor clean energy and water enterprises in developing countries. Michael also served as a strategic consultant to a solar energy provider targeting off-grid health facilities globally. Prior to Arc, Michael consulted to the social venture capital fund, Acumen Fund, mapping private sector investments across east Africa. Michael was a founding staff member of the first nonprofit pharmaceutical company, the Institute for OneWorld Health, whose goal is clinical development and distribution of affordable new medicines for diseases of poverty in the developing world. Michael spent his early career with the Social Development Department of the World BanMichael holds an MBA from Duke University (CASE Scholar), a BA from Vanderbilt University (Ingram Scholar), and has studied at the Universidad de la Habana in Cuba.