Ms. Dakin believed that providing access to capital directly to poor women enabled them to improve their own economic well-being and consequently that of their families. The choice of Africa was the culmination of a college thesis on Pan-Africanism and a lifelong interest in the continent. Today, WomensTrust is a 501(c)(3) organization showing seven years of success. With microfinance at the heart of its activities, and the essential additional components of education and healthcare integrated into the program, WomensTrust is a model that brings resources and community-based support directly to the developing world.
Dana’s career is in the investment business, where she has been a pioneer in marketing consulting to institutional investment firms, both on the trading side as well as for leading money management organizations. Her experience began on Wall Street with a research project at the NYSE that led to negotiated commissions. In 1971, she joined what became Callan Associates, a top pension consulting firm. With a five-year inside perspective on evaluating money managers, she formed Dakin Partners in 1976, the first firm to creatively package institutional investment organizations. She has worked on some of the great launches in the business, and has authored a summary of the essentials of investment marketing in Five for the Road. She also co-produced the eight-part PBS series “Beyond Wall Street: The Art of Investing” with a companion book published by John Wiley.
She was educated at Scripps College, where she graduated with a B.A. in 1964. Her concentration was in international relations, with an honor’s thesis on Pan-Africanism. She was a member of the college’s Board of Trustees for nine years. Other board commitments over the years include Alumnae Resources in San Francisco, NH Writers’ Project and the Women’s Fund of New Hampshire.
