Olivia Watkins is a social entrepreneur and impact investor. For the past eight years, she has financed, developed, and operated environmental and social impact projects across the US. She currently serves as a co-founder and President of Black Farmer Fund. She also serves as a board member for Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT, which has invested over $100M into transitioning conventional farmland to organic farmland. Prior to founding Black Farmer Fund in 2017, Olivia worked in several farm production roles at Soul Fire Farm Institute and Kahumana Organic Farms and financial research analysis positions at Croatan Institute and NC Idea, leveraging her environmental biology background to manage and grow environmentally regenerative and socially impactful business operations.

Olivia has an MBA from North Carolina State University in Financial Management, and a BA from Barnard College, Columbia University in Environmental Biology. She is a recipient of the 2023 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Award. Additionally, she was also recognized on the 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 Social Impact list and The Grist 50.