Alex Wise was appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Community Development Advisory Council on Jan. 1, 2025. Wise leads CEDS Finance, which provides small business loans to immigrants, refugees, and low-income entrepreneurs in Colorado. As executive director since 2016, Wise grew assets from $1 to $12 million and increased lending 12-fold.
Previously, Wise worked at Booz Allen Hamilton on IRS tax strategies and later transitioned to international finance, investing in Tunisia, Somalia, and Mongolia. Her work at CEDS Finance has earned Wise multiple awards, including Colorado Community Lender of the Year, twice. She was appointed to Colorado’s Circular Communities Enterprise board and boards of local nonprofits.
Wise graduated cum laude from Syracuse University and holds a master’s in international business from Tufts University, The Fletcher School.