Director
Strategic Partnerships
Stephanie Vak-Stephens is Director, Strategic Partnerships at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. In this role, Stephanie manages key partnerships and continues to build new relationships and networks that can scale the Center’s global work to support inclusive growth.
Prior to joining Mastercard, Stephanie was a Global Lead for Gender and Economic Inclusion at the International Finance Corporation (IFC). At the IFC, she led blended finance investments, capacity-building programs and partnerships for Women Entrepreneurs’ Opportunity Fund, a collaboration between IFC, the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Initiative and multi-government funded Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative.
Before the IFC, Stephanie worked for Standard Chartered Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
She is a passionate advocate for gender equality and economic inclusion for underserved populations and has significant global experience across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
She has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a Masters in Finance from the University of Strathclyde.
Originally from Ghana, she is currently based in the Washington D.C area with her family.
Before the IFC, Stephanie worked for Standard Chartered Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
She is a passionate advocate for gender equality and economic inclusion for underserved populations and has significant global experience across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
She has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a Masters in Finance from the University of Strathclyde.
Originally from Ghana, she is currently based in the Washington D.C area with her family.