Welcoming Elisabeth Zeller: Craft3's Next CEO

We are thrilled to announce Elisabeth Zeller as Craft3’s new Chief Executive Officer. As Board Co-Chairs, we couldn't be more excited to welcome Elisabeth and have her lead this incredible organization into its next chapter. She is the first female to serve as CEO of Craft3.

"I'm incredibly honored to join an organization that has shown what's possible when finance serves community," Elisabeth shared. "I look forward to building on Craft3's strong foundation and working together to expand our impact in the communities we serve."

The Board is confident that her leadership will strengthen our operations, deepen our community partnerships, and accelerate our mission. We also want to express our gratitude to Bruce Brooks, whose steadfast leadership and wise counsel as Interim CEO has been invaluable.

Experience in Driving Change

Elisabeth’s remarkable career positions her well to lead Craft3 in its next chapter. Over more than 20 years at Intel, she held senior finance and operations roles – including leading risk management for Intel’s $35+ billion supply chain and serving as CFO and COO of Intel Federal, its U.S. Government division. In these roles she navigated complex government regulations and built robust, compliant operational systems. As CFO of the Oregon Child Development Coalition, she led financial strategy for a $90 million organization serving 4,000 children across 30 sites. Her track record demonstrates an uncommon ability to balance sophisticated financial management with social impact.

What stood out to us and the rest of the Board was Elisabeth's rare combination of financial expertise and her unwavering commitment to mission-driven work. As she noted in her introductory remarks to the Craft3 team, she sees what's possible "when capital is used as a tool for social good." And she believes in "making capital work for people, rather than people working for capital."

Elisabeth’s understanding that finance can and must be a tool for social good aligns with Craft3's values and approach. Our organization has never been about business as usual; we’re committed to a fundamentally different way of thinking about finance and community development. We are confident that Elisabeth will carry on and evolve this focus that has served the organization so well since its founding in 1994.  

Meeting the Moment

Elisabeth joins Craft3 at a critical moment. Expanding access to capital by serving individuals and communities who otherwise can’t secure financing is more urgent than ever. At the same time, federal actions threaten the stability of community development financial institutions (CDFI) across the country.

While we do not pretend to know what the future holds, Elisabeth's experience building resilient systems and managing through complexity makes her uniquely equipped to navigate whatever may lie ahead. Craft3 is also in an unusually strong position due to our diversified funding base, committed partners, and dedicated team. This year’s significant headwinds and uncertainty haven't kept Craft3 from its essential work – delivering capital to communities and customers that traditional finance does not serve. We are confident that Elisabeth will help us remain focused on our core mission and respond effectively to changing circumstances and conditions.

Reflecting on the current moment, Elisabeth observes that "periods of uncertainty, as challenging as they might be, can also create space for reimagination – for new ideas, new partnerships, and new ways of doing the work." The strategic discipline and innovative thinking that Elisabeth brings to Craft3 will help the organization continue to reimagine how capital can be used for social good.

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We invite you to follow along as Elisabeth settles into her new role over the coming months. Sign up to receive email updates.

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The First 90 Days

Before Elisabeth's first day, she created a thoughtful and flexible plan for her first 90 days. Not surprisingly, she is committed to listening and learning in her first weeks by visiting our offices, speaking with staff, and meeting key partners and collaborators.

As she learns and settles in, she will also be focusing on asking questions and following her curiosity and instincts about where and how Craft3 can have the greatest impact. In a few weeks, Craft3 will share more on Elisabeth's approach to leadership and management, and how that approach has been shaped by her unique experiences. In early 2026, Elisabeth will begin sharing her emerging vision.

If you know anyone who would be interested in following this next chapter, please share this announcement with them. Together, we're building something powerful – and we're just getting started.

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