Natalia Realpe Carrillo

Dr.-Ing. Natalia Realpe Carrillo Natalia Realpe Carrillo, a Colombian based in Berlin, Germany, has more than ten years of experience in microfinance, with a particular focus on energy access in developing countries. She has a PhD in access to energy from the Energy Engineering Institute at the Technical University Berlin and a Master’s Degree in Industrial and Network Economics, with a master thesis on Family and Group Ties in Microfinance Activities. Natalia worked for over nine years in microfinance as a senior project manager and energy consultant at MicroEnergy International GmbH, before she launched her own entrepreneurship project, HEDERA, in October 2018, aimed at transferring her doctoral research results – the Progress out of Energy Poverty Index (PEPI) Toolkit for the microfinance sector - to the private sector. HEDERA has developed efficient software solutions for the microfinance sector for collection, analysis, visualization, and reporting of data on access to basic services, along with web-based platforms for training and networking. Natalia is currently co-head of the European Microfinance Platform Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Action Group, coordinating the activities along green microfinance of the European microfinance stakeholders. Prior to her work with MicroEnergy, she was an evaluations coordinator at IMIFAP (Mexican Institute for Research on Family and Population), where she supported the optimisation of loan disbursement processes for loan officers.