Leslie Harwell

Leslie has over a decade of experience working in financial institutions. Prior to Alante, Leslie was Vice President of Sustainable Finance at JPMorgan Chase & Co. where she developed & led the Capital Strategies Initiative for Sustainable Finance in the Americas, and was involved in the management of and value creation in the Sustainable Finance Principal Investing portfolio.

Leslie began her career at Credit Suisse, where she spent 7 years primarily focused on the evaluation of Debt Capital Markets in Emerging Markets, including coverage of sovereign and corporate clients. 

Alante combines Leslie’s lifelong passion for responsibly produced apparel, personal commitment to sustainable development and honed affinity for finding efficient solutions to complex challenges. The apparel industry is a passion of Leslie’s that is practically inherited. Her grandfather’s family owned the cotton gin, general store, and a clothing store in South Pittsburg, Tennessee and Bridgeport, Alabama. Leslie’s mother spent her career in the apparel industry and ingrained the importance of vintage, quality and sustainable sourcing…and also taught Leslie everything she knows about shopping in souks, bazaars, and markets around the world.

Alante Capital was founded by Karla Mora and Leslie Harwell

Karla brings 15 years of experience strengthening, scaling and investing in companies in emerging markets. She served most recently as Interim Investment Director at VilCap Investments where she led initial investments in early-stage companies in Mexico, Ghana, Kenya, and the US. She supported a portfolio of over 30 companies, cultivated new investor relationships and raised capital for the fund. She also prepared early-stage FinTech and HealthTech entrepreneurs to raise capital through Village Capital’s Mexico-based accelerator program.

Karla has dedicated her career to using business as a force for social good. Early on she developed a deep passion for reforming production practices across industries to improve working conditions and protect the environment. Her passion for supply chain reform, deep concern with the state of the apparel industry and her love of beautiful clothes, led her to create Alante Capital in an effort to spur innovations that can have lasting positive impacts on people and the planet.