I am an economic researcher and social entrepreneur dedicated to improving agricultural systems and creating input markets in West Africa. Currently a Visiting Researcher at Northwestern University, I recently completed a PhD in Development Economics at the University of Florence. My academic work focuses on market creation, auction design, and diversity in management practices.
I co-founded the Village Input Fairs Fund and Sene Sugu Folo to scale agricultural innovations, securing funding from partners like USAID, FID, JPAL, and the Livelihood Impact Fund. This work is informed by my experience as Country Director for Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) in Burkina Faso and Mali, where I managed a $10M multi-country research hub and a portfolio of more than 15 experimental studies.
I am fluent in English, French, Spanish, and my native Italian. Outside of my professional work, I am a music lover who enjoys photography, skiing, hiking, swimming, and traveling with my family.
villageinputfairs.org
VIFF
The Village Input Fairs Fund creates markets for smallholder farmers in some of the poorest areas in the world. VIF one-day village markets provide farmers access to seed, fertilizer, and other agricultural inputs. Farmers use these to increase their productivity and feed their families.
senesugufolo.com
SSF
Sene Sugu Folo is a Mali-based social enterprise launched in 2025 to scale the evidence-based Village Input Fair model. Built on research demonstrating significant increases in agricultural productivity and farmer sales, SSF is currently preparing for its next agricultural season.
GlobalPovertyResearchLab.EDU
GPRL
Northwestern University’s Global Poverty Research Lab leverages empirical, interdisciplinary research to address global poverty and drive evidence-based policy. The core mission involves groundbreaking knowledge frontier research by graduate students and faculty.
https://global-poverty-research-lab