Say hello to Luisa, one of Sefa's Social Finance Relationship Managers

What led you to working at Sefa?  

I never felt fulfilled working for finance organisations whilst seeing inequality of all kinds around me. I feel unsettled by inequality of opportunities, income and education. That led me to work for NGOs and B Corporates in Brazil before moving to Australia. Through a Social Impact course, I learnt about Sefa’s work and how it aims to change the finance system, creating opportunities for small purpose-driven organisations to access finance. That course brought me to Sefa and I have not been disappointed since.   

What is the most interesting project you have worked on/thing you’ve learned about since you started? 

There is a particular project I feel very lucky to be part of: Tender Funerals’ plan to open new sites around Australia. The idea is to provide affordable, meaningful and authentic funerals to Australians, replicating a successful model in Port Kembla (originally supported by Sefa in 2015). It has been fascinating to work with various groups around Australia, from the Mid North Coast region to Tasmania. 

Habitat for Humanity is another project that inspired me to think about supporting low-income families to acquire their own homes, by financing them through affordable interest-free loans. This provides a real shift of the home ownership system, enabling people not financed through traditional mortgage systems to be included in the real estate market.      

Can you share a ‘fun fact’ about yourself?  

I am an economist and have been working in finance for many years, but I am more interested in people than in numbers. I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to build long-term relationships with clients here at Sefa. Being part of their history and enabling them to deliver their impact is rewarding.   

Another fun fact is that I am fascinated by marine life, birds and all kinds of puppies. I am that crazy lady who will stop you and cuddle your puppy if you are walking past. I am also a coffee lover. That means I am not a coffee snob, I like all kinds of coffee. A cup of coffee reminds me of my loved ones that live far away from me, in Brazil. If that is accompanied by a piece of cake, even better.