Brigit Helms ’83 has been named executive director of the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship. Leveraging location and Jesuit ambition to end poverty and protect the planet, Miller Center has accelerated more than 1,000 social enterprises since 2003. As executive director, Helms is responsible for the vision, strategy, fundraising, and leadership.
“Brigit is an established global thought leader working on innovative, inclusive ways to lift people out of poverty,” says SCU Provost Lisa Kloppenberg. “We are delighted to welcome her back to Santa Clara.”
Helms graduated summa cum laude from SCU with a B.S. in political science and went on to earn an M.A. in Latin American studies and international economics from Johns Hopkins, as well as a Ph.D. and M.A. in development and agricultural economics from Stanford. As VP for global development company DAI, Helms led a team of experts implementing solutions to complex problems around the world.
“I’ve admired Miller Center for many years—its leadership in combining global social entrepreneurs with Silicon Valley mentors and approaches…and its broader mission to bring people out of poverty,” says Helms. “It will be a pleasure to collaborate and build on those efforts, particularly now as underserved communities have been devastated by COVID-19, and Miller Center’s leadership is especially needed.”