Sarah Burns
Honours in Economics at Dal
Sarah Burns concluded her PhD at the University of Oxford studying as a 2016 Rhodes Scholar. Her research focused on how to contribute to private sector development ethically and sustainably in frontier and fragile markets. She specialized in both the contributions of FDI as well as local SMEs/ventures to this process. Throughout her PhD, Sarah lived and worked in Liberia and Sierra Leone, two of the most challenging countries in the world to conduct business in. Her research required collaboration and in-depth knowledge from local entrepreneurs, impact/commercial investors, policymakers, international institutions and aid organisations, which she gained through qualitative and quantitative methods. Her studies include a great deal of work on innovative financial tools like carbon credits, using investment for peacebuilding, gender equality in investment processes and skills and leadership development for entrepreneurs in these markets.
Since 2018, Sarah has also consulted for impact investors to help develop a theory of change and impact measurement systems. In Winter 2020, Sarah advised CDC (now BII) on the effectiveness of their financial inclusion portfolio. Sarah has also advised large public institutions like the World Bank. In 2021, she advised the tech innovation team in building an accelerator and financing program for 20 ventures in the Maghreb region. She also advised on a World Bank loan for agriculture projects in Liberia. She recently concluded advising and evaluating the results of a DFAT program that specialized in gender-lens investing in Southeast Asia. Sarah has also developed a just green energy strategy for a natural gas and geothermal company in Kenya.
Since 2021, Sarah now collaborates closely with African private sector projects, focusing on their impact and ESG strategies, particularly in the energy sector. She also has expertise in community engagement and research, aiming to maximize the positive effects of projects on local economic development. She works closely with networks and opportunities across 17 different African countries. At Dalhousie, Sarah completed an honours in economics and a minor in Political Science.