Last October, UNCDF named the investment management industry leader and philanthropist Sonia Gardner as Goodwill Ambassador for Gender Equality in Access to Finance—making her the first goodwill ambassador in the 50+ year history of UNCDF.

In her role, Ms. Gardner will focus on advocating for ways to give women access to economic resources, including the capital they need to start and grow businesses, lift their families out of poverty, and in doing so, help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNCDF's Esther Pan Sloane interviewed Sonia about her professional journey as a pioneer of alternative investments, the challenges women face in reaching leadership positions in the financial sector, and her motivations for joining UNCDF as Goodwill Ambassador.