Kristin Girvetz is an agricultural development professional with more than 18-years of experience working to transform the sector in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia.  She is the founder and director of AgThrive, a consulting firm that leverages partnerships, data, analytics and advisory to bridge the gaps and forge relationships between diverse partners in agriculture and livestock. Areas of expertise include agribusiness SME investment and advisory, livestock and crop market systems, digital agriculture, climate smart agriculture and donor and investor strategies. AgThrive is the owner and operator of the African Agribusiness Directory and is leading the Livestock Solutions Exchange on behalf of ILRI and GLAD. She has also recently partnered with the World Poultry Foundation on poultry sector assessments and business partner identification in 8 countries in Africa.  Kristin was formerly a Senior Program Officer for Agricultural Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where she managed a $100 M grant portfolio and co-led the development of the foundation’s livestock strategy, which resulted in a tripling of the budget and doubling of staff.  Kristin holds an MSc in International Agricultural Development from the University of California at Davis and a BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Grinnell College.