Rachel is a first-year MBA student at MIT Sloan. Her passion for small businesses stems from her first job at her neighborhood farmers’ market on the central coast of California, where she spent six years working with local producers. She has spent the past few years in emerging market impact investing, helping small businesses obtain affordable, high quality financial services. Prior to MIT she worked with Small Business Administration officers at multiple financial institutions to analyze the equitable distribution of loans through the Paycheck Protection Program. At MIT, she is exploring the intersection of many issues related to strong local economies – including fiscal policy, climate change, and monetary policy – to understand how to create a stronger, more sustainable future.