Elitza Barden is a managin director at ACDI/VOCA, where she provides management oversight and leadership on projects in Laos and Guinea as well as business development efforts. Elitza is passionate about identifying growth opportunities for the private sector in emerging markets. Prior to joining ACDI/VOCA in 2019, Elitza was a management consultant for Deloitte and Kaiser Associates, helping Fortune 500 companies in the consumer goods and retail sectors to develop growth strategies and improve business operations. Elitza began her career in international development as a sector lead and market linkages manager for USAID’s West Africa Trade Hub, connecting international buyers and investors to West African exporters, and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali. She has an MBA from the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan and a BA from Washington University in St. Louis. She is fluent in English, French, and Bulgarian.
