
Elisabeth DeFreest
PSE Officer
USAID
About me
Elizabeth is a Private Sector Engagement Officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). With over 10 years of experience in supporting entrepreneurs, regenerative agriculture, supply chain management, partnership development and marketing, she holds a deep passion for improving the lives and livelihoods of global communities both abroad and at home.
Prior to USAID, Elizabeth was an Entrepreneurship Officer and Special Assistant at the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), where she supported the growth of relationships with corporations, foundations, host countries, Congress, and interagency partners. Before USADF she worked with the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, completed a Princeton in Africa Fellowship in Kenya, supported sustainable tourism policy at Solimar International, and empowered entrepreneurs at Global Giving and Ashoka.
Elizabeth has lived and worked in Mexico, Rwanda, Italy, Cuba, India, Kenya and Tanzania. As a native Vermonter, she is proud to have grown up on a fourth generation dairy farm. This continually impacted the way she works with farmers and supply chains globally, given her deep connection to and understanding of farmers and their love for the land.
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is attending
DCED 2024 Global Seminar launch: commence, inspire and connect
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 5:30 AM to 6:45 AM
Allamanda + Frangipani
Melina Heinrich-Fernandes · DCED Secretariat
Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie · Invest Salone
Merten Sievers · ILO
Justin Highstead · Gatsby Africa
Coffee / Tea Break
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 6:45 AM to 7:15 AM
Plenary 1: Language matters! Talking meaningfully about systemic approaches
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 7:15 AM to 8:30 AM
Allamanda + Frangipani
Mike Albu · DCED Secretariat
Rory Tews · Independent Consultant
James Gichuhi · Gatsby Africa
Dhita Larasati · ILO
John Rachkara · Mercy Corps
Coffee / Tea Break
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM
Breakout 1A: Reaching scale in job creation: convenient theory & inconvenient practice
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 9:00 AM to 10:15 AM
Allamanda
Mike Klassen · DCED Secretariat
Muaz Jalil · Independent Consultant
Justin van Rhyn · Independent Consultant