TEAM
LISBETH STAUSHOLM ZACHO
FOUNDER/MANAGING PARTNER
Experienced finance and development leader with a background from the Danish Central Bank, IMF, World Bank and international humanitarian and development organisations.
Lisbeth has strong expertise in investments, innovative finance for development and social entrepreneurship, combined with a solid toolbox of governance, compliance and financial management.
MSc Economics, MBA
HUMPHREY WATTANGA
CO-FOUNDER/PARTNER
25 years experience in private equity and impact investment structuring across Africa.
Expert in innovative social finance and public private partnerships.
Structured social impact bond on early childhood education.
Developed a pioneering government mobile-only bond platform MAkiba. Investment Committee of Kenya Climate Ventures. BSc Harvard, MBA Wharton
DUNCAN ONYANGO
VENTURE PARTNER
A pioneer in impact investments with strong track record. Duncan has been engaged in approx 35 impact investments and 12 exits in East Africa with a solid average return. CEO of Trade Catalyst Africa with experience from Pharo Ventures, Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) and as Director of Acumen East Africa. Board member of Trademark East Africa and Kenya Innovative Finance Facility for Water. Previous Group Chief Finance Officer of Rift Valley Railways.
FEDERICO DOTTO
INVESTMENT ANALYST
Background as investment analyst with World Start-up and sourcing bankable nature projects for the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development. MSc in Development Economics from Maastrict University.
BENJAMIN JONAS NGUYEN SELASSIE
INVESTMENT ANALYST
Background as investment analyst with Kukula Capital in Zambia and Pareto Securities.
Copenhagen Business School.
OLIVIA BYANYIMA
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, EAST AFRICA
International finance and investment specialist with 17+ years’ experience across the financial services industry. Founder of a financial advisory firm and a social enterprise. Senior Transaction Advisor on Manufacturing Africa. Independent investment committee member of United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and IC member for The Hi-innovator program at Uganda’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Olivia holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a master’s in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences from Columbia University.
ADVISORS
CHRISTIAN FRIIS BACH
CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY BOARD
Former Danish Minister for Development Cooperation.
Experience from Africa and with innovative partnerships from being chairman of the Danish Association for International Cooperation, International Director of DanChurchAid and Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council.
UN experience from position as UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary for UNECE.
RIKKE SCHIØTT PETERSEN
LEGAL ADVISOR
Expert in capital markets, M&A, IPOs, corporate law and mutual funds.
Partner at Gorrissen Federspiel.
Member of the Committee for Good Corporate Governance.
Council member of European Forum, IBA.
TANJA HAVEMANN
SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENTS ENTREPRENEUR
Director and Founder of Clarmondial. Expert in blended finance and innovative social finance. Development of Food Securities Fund.
CARSTEN BJERG
EXPERIENCED BUSINESS LEADER AND BOARD MEMBER
Former CEO of Grundfos
Board member in a number of large engineering companies
Strong commercial expertise in scaling and adding value to companies
HENRIK KÄHLER
INVESTER AND BOARD MEMBER
Impact investor helping startups solve global challenges in Africa.
Henrik has joined our fund and board and brings in valuable experience as board member, founder and investor in several start-ups focused on solving challenges in Africa.
MICHELINE NTIRU
FINANCE AND INVESTMENT EXPERT, KENYA
Micheline is an investment expert and small business advisor with 23 years of global, professional experience. She is currently a member of the Investment Committee for Kenya Climate Ventures (KCV) as well as a non-executive director of the boards of a gender lens fund ATGSamata and I&M Bank Uganda. She serves as head of business development and executive coach at Intogreat. She previously served as senior advisor at Convergence, Manager at IFC and advisor to Stanford Seed, working with hundreds of growth stage companies across Africa. In addition, she led mobile innovation and technology access initiatives with Nokia. Micheline holds an MBA from University of Cambridge, UK.
KIRSTINE DAMKJAER
INVESTMENT EXPERT
Significant emerging market experience.
20 years investment expertise from IFC.
Former CEO of EKF, the Danish Export Credit Agency.
Board member of African Finance Corporation.
DAVID JENSEN
ASSET MANAGEMENT EXPERT
Strong african experience.
Head of Asset Management at AIP Management and investor in East Africa.
PARTNERS
LISBETH STAUSHOLM ZACHO
FOUNDER/MANAGING PARTNER
Leader in finance and development with a background from the Danish Central Bank, IMF, World Bank and international humanitarian and development organisations.
Lisbeth has strong expertise in investments, innovative finance for development and social entrepreneurship, combined with a solid toolbox of governance, compliance and financial management.
MSc Economics, MBA
HUMPHREY WATTANGA
CO-FOUNDER/PARTNER
20 years experience in private equity and impact investment structuring in East Africa.
Expert in innovative social finance and public private partnerships
Has structured a social impact bond on early childhood education.
Has developed a pioneering government retail bond mobile platform, MAkiba. Member of Investment Committee of Kenya Climate Ventures.
BSc Harvard, MBA Wharton.
MSc Economics, MBA.
DUNCAN ONYANGO
VENTURE PARTNER
A pioneer in impact investments in East Africa with a solid track record. Duncan has been engaged in more than 35 impact investments and 12 exits in East Africa with a solid average return. CEO of Trade Catalyst Africa with experience from Pharo Ventures, Sustainable Urban Economic Development, SUED and as Former Director of Acumen East Africa. Board member of African Enterprise Challenge Fund, Trademark East Africa and Kenya Innovative Finance Facility for Water.
Previous Group Chief Finance Officer of Rift Valley Railways.
BENJAMIN JONAS NGUYEN SELASSIE
INVESTMENT ANALYST
Background as investment analyst with Kukula Capital in Zambia and Pareto Securities.
Copenhagen Business School.
FEDERICO DOTTO
INVESTMENT ANALYST
Background as investment analyst with World Start-up and sourcing bankable nature projects for the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development. MSc in Development Economics from Maastrict University.
OLIVIA BYANYIMA
REGIONAL DIRECTOR, EAST AFRICA
International finance and investment specialist with 17+ years’ experience across the financial services industry. Founder of a financial advisory firm and a social enterprise. Senior Transaction Advisor on Manufacturing Africa. Independent investment committee member of United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and IC member for The Hi-innovator program at Uganda’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Olivia holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a master’s in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences from Columbia University.
ADVISORS
CHRISTIAN FRIIS BACH
CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY BOARD
Former Danish Minister for Development Cooperation.
Experience from Africa and with innovative partnerships from being chairman of the Danish Association for International Cooperation, International Director of DanChurchAid and Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council.
UN experience from position as UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary for UNECE.
RIKKE SCHIØTT PETERSEN
LEGAL ADVISOR
Expert in capital markets, M&A, IPOs, corporate law and mutual funds.
Partner at Gorrissen Federspiel.
Member of the Committee for Good Corporate Governance.
Council member of European Forum, IBA.
TANJA HAVEMANN
SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENTS ENTREPRENEUR
Director and Founder of Clarmondial. Expert in blended finance and innovative social finance. Development of Food Securities Fund.
CARSTEN BJERG
EXPERIENCED BUSINESS LEADER AND BOARD MEMBER
Former CEO of Grundfos
Board member in a number of large engineering companies
Strong commercial expertise in scaling and adding value to companies
MICHELINE NTIRU
FINANCE AND INVESTMENT EXPERT, KENYA
Micheline is an investment expert and small business advisor with 23 years of global, professional experience. She is currently a member of the Investment Committee for Kenya Climate Ventures (KCV) as well as a non-executive director of the boards of a gender lens fund ATGSamata and I&M Bank Uganda. She serves as head of business development and executive coach at Intogreat. She previously served as senior advisor at Convergence, Manager at IFC and advisor to Stanford Seed, working with hundreds of growth stage companies across Africa. In addition, she led mobile innovation and technology access initiatives with Nokia. Micheline holds an MBA from University of Cambridge, UK.
KIRSTINE DAMKJAER
INVESTMENT EXPERT
Significant emerging market experience.
20 years investment expertise from IFC.
Former CEO of EKF, the Danish Export Credit Agency.
Board member of African Finance Corporation.
DAVID JENSEN
ASSET MANAGEMENT EXPERT
Strong african experience.
Head of Asset Management at AIP Management and investor in East Africa.
HENRIK KÄHLER
INVESTER AND BOARD MEMBER
Impact investor helping startups solve global challenges in Africa.
Henrik has joined our fund and board and brings in valuable experience as board member, founder and investor in several start-ups focused on solving challenges in Africa.