威利富特是公司创始人兼首席执行官根资本。他开始了他的职业生涯，在雷曼兄弟公司拉美企业融资集团的金融分析师。早在他的职业生涯中，他曾在墨西哥和阿根廷的记者，他发现所面临的合作社和小生产者谁无法获得信贷和市场的挑战。他于1999年（原生态金融）成立根资本。

Foote was named a Skoll Fellow in 2005, an Ashoka Global Fellow in 2007, a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2008, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) in 2009, and one of Forbes’ “Impact 30” in 2011. He is on the executive committee of the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Network for Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He currently serves on the boards of E&Co, LASPAU: Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas, and the Open Learning Exchange (OLE). Foote holds an M.S. in development economics from the London School of Economics and a B.A. from Yale University.