Mario Avila

Biography

Mario serves as the founding Director of the Turner Family Center for Social Ventures (TFC) at Vanderbilt University, a new center that serves as a resource and thought leader for people across the university interested in combining revenue-generating businesses with social impact objectives. The TFC is focused on serving as a hub for graduate student resources, fellowship, collaboration, and partnership—across multiple graduate schools—further promoting responsible business practices and shaping future leaders of our domestic and international communities. Most recently, Mario was the CEO of Emerge and founder of Contigo Financial, a socially-responsible consumer lender headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. His management experience includes finance, education and consulting in three different countries. He was a Fellow of Vanderbilt’s Cal Turner program for Moral Leadership in the Professions and helped develop a hybrid housing-microfinance model to finance mortgage needs of people at the base of the pyramid in Central America.

Mario serves on various boards including Conéxion Americas, is the Chairman of the Nashville Social Enterprise Alliance, and serves as an advisor for the Mayor’s Office “Children’s Champions” council as they work to create a social impact bond to fund early childhood education. He was recently selected to represent Nashville as one of Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders which brings together some of the country’s top leaders who are working across sectors to help their communities prosper.

Mario earned his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College where he was a member of the football team. He received his MBA from Vanderbilt University and served as the President of the student government.

Education

MBA, Vanderbilt, 2012

A.B., Spanish Language, Culture & Society, Dartmouth College, 2004