Haley Burns is an Advisor at Trepwise, where she leverages 10+ years experience in entrepreneurship, nonprofits, and urban community development to support a variety of clients and internal projects.
Haley is passionate about advancing equitable outcomes in New Orleans and globally through data, systems, and organizational efficiency.
Haley’s diverse background spans various sectors and continents, having experience in mission-driven work in Ghana, Singapore, Colombia, France, as well as here in New Orleans. Prior to joining Trepwise, she worked as a Community and Economic Development Specialist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. There, she designed and managed state-wide curricula on entrepreneurship and workforce development, as well as co-led the Voices for Vaccines campaign to increase access to COVID-19 resources in vulnerable communities across Alabama.
As the Founder of the New Orleans nonprofit Fund 17, Haley oversaw the strategy, fundraising, and execution of a wide portfolio of programs including microfinancing, inclusive technical assistance, and a physical incubator space for informal and micro-scale entrepreneurs. Over the course of her seven years of leadership, Haley conducted multiple research projects to collect and communicate hard-to-find community data. Fund 17 has now successfully gone through two Executive Director transitions and continues to empower BIPOC entrepreneurs with transformative resources for their livelihoods.
Haley’s education includes a BA in History and International Development with a minor in Urban Studies from Tulane University. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship through the Franco-American Commission and obtained her Masters in Urban Planning from Université de Grenoble Alpes. Her time in France included workshops on urban resilience, the role of private companies in smart city planning, and a thesis on informal waste management systems in urbanizing West Africa.
Haley currently resides outside of her hometown, Huntsville, Alabama, where she enjoys small farm life with her two hound mixes and a backyard flock of chickens and ducks. She returns to New Orleans often to support her Trepwise clients.
