Kelly Ifill
Founder and CEO, Guava
Biography
Kelly Ifill is the founder and CEO of Guava, a neo-bank and community platform designed to serve Black entrepreneurs and small business owners. Kelly works to close the racial wealth gap by providing equitable financial products to these entrepreneurs. This aligns with her longstanding mission is to equip Black and Latinx founders with access to capital and networking opportunities.
Prior to founding Guava, Kelly co-founded Seneca Network, a nonprofit organization that connects Black and Latinx founders at the earliest stages of their businesses with angel investors, mentors, and industry experts. She previously held roles in EdTech investing, where she saw firsthand the challenges Black founders face in securing funding.
Kelly began her career in education, on the founding team of a public high school in central Brooklyn. She has also led math departments in Brazil and Dubai. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Baruch College, an MA of education in mathematics from St. John’s University, and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
As a first-generation American, raised in an immigrant family of entrepreneurs in Brooklyn, NY, Kelly’s personal and professional journeys have informed her passion to help create wealth for our communities.
About Guava
Guava offers digital banking and a community, designed to serve Black entrepreneurs and small business owners.
We're here for you as a community—here to help you exchange knowledge, honor your journey, celebrate your successes, promote your products and services, and grow your networks.
Learn more about Guava at https://www.joinguava.com/