TechnoServe Connection: A Conversation with Laura Harwig

In this conversation, TechnoServe's Chief Advancement Officer John Keightley sits down with Laura Harwig, TechnoServe's new Chief Operating Officer, to explore what makes the organization's approach to fighting poverty distinct — and to hear an outsider's first impressions eight months into the role.

Drawing on 25 years in international development, Laura explains TechnoServe’s “presence-based” model: rather than entering a country for a single project and leaving when it ends, TechnoServe builds lasting platforms by layering projects and funders on top of one another to work more deeply, adapt faster, and stay locally led. She also shares what she saw firsthand on a recent trip to India, from a dairy program connecting smallholder farmers to a high-quality supply chain to a horticulture project helping farmer cooperatives reach export markets.