Fellows

Simbarashe holds a Bachelor of Business Science in Economics from Monash University. He has interests in finance, poverty and inequality studies, competition policy, informal economies, labour economics, agrarian transformation, and in grassroots, ground up – localised economic development.

Previously, he has worked as an analyst and consultant in economic transformation, impact investment and social business support where he gained extensive experience in data collection, data evaluation, and in structuring solutions for clients across various sectors of the economy. He fully subscribes to IA’s mission and mandate.

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Mila is a sophomore at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is an interdisciplinary artist and is passionate about the implementation of creative thinking in day to day interactions.

oy is an EdTech and education entrepreneur passionate about applying research to drive efficacy and impact in education and business. She has 5 years of experience working as a digital learning specialist. She holds a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt and a Diploma in Software Entrepreneurship from Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology. She co-founded a startup focused on making STEM resources and tools accessible and affordable to schools in low-income communities.

She is interested in expanding her knowledge and skills in subjects that involve a convergence of technology, policy, education, and business.

Lorryn has been working in the social science research field for the past 7 years. Her previous research experience lies in the higher education sector, financial services sector as well as the South African non-profit sector.Lorryn has been working in the social science research field for the past 7 years.  Her previous research  experience lies in the higher education sector, financial  services sector as well  as the South African non-profit sector. She has conducted institutional  transformation research at  Stellenbosch  University related to promoting a healthy institutional culture and the promotion of gender equality in the career progress of female staff. In 2017 she started her career as a research analyst in the financial services sector  where she worked as part of an in-house research team at  MMI Holdings (MomentumMetropolitan) studying financial advisor productivity, conducting product  landing evaluations and competitor research. She is currently conducting a doctoral research study on the emergence of the social  enterprise model in South  Africa with a strong focus on impact measurement for social  enterprises. She has a burning passion for the non-profit sector and  has been voluntarily serving  on the management committee of George Child and Family Welfare for the past  two years. Lorryn is a very  curious researcher who has accrued experience in a variety of research methods including both qualitative and quantitative analysis.  She also enjoys teaching social theory to university students who  are interested in pursuing a career in the social  sciences. She currently holds a MA (Sociology) from Stellenbosch  University.

Thato is an entrepreneur based in Sweden, he has strong expertise in technology-based businesses, Intellectual property, Innovation, and business development which he has gained from working in multiple roles. He holds a Masters’s from the Chalmers University of Technology and is passionate about entrepreneurship and technology. Thato is determined to use his knowledge to create a positive social impact.

In recent years, he has worked on entrepreneurial initiatives that support the best Impact startups in the world. He has also worked with space-tech startups to help them gain Investments by connecting them with Investors. Thato truly believes African entrepreneurs have the potential to solve many societal challenges and over the years has dedicated a lot of his time to working with early-stage entrepreneurs through Umnandi social enterprise.

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Alex has a master’s degree in Economics from Stellenbosch University, where he focused on econometric applications of machine learning algorithms to solve development-based problems. He has spent several years in academia and published in a variety of fields including economics, education, psychology, and health research. Alex is passionate about South African economic development and after several years of focusing on the education system, has turned his attention to local enterprise development eco-systems. He believes that this field has the most potential to change the development path of African economies. He has previous experience in the Impact Investing space with an engagement at Heart Capital in Stellenbosch where he focused on sustainable entrepreneurship training programs, and UNICEF where he worked on the Yoma project, a start-up eco-system that assists young Africans gain and apply the skills most desired in emerging industries.

Originally from Nigeria, Vera studied Political Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder and holds a Master’s Degree from University Francisco Vitoria and an MBA from IE Business School. Vera is passionate about impact investing and socioeconomic development, she has over 11 years of business development experience with social enterprises.

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Sandra has an in-depth understanding of challenges faced by entrepreneurs and SMMEs given her extensive experience in Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment “B-BBEE” and Corporate Social Investment “CSI” consulting. She engaged with entrepreneurs/SMMEs, evaluated various SMME programmes, and advised clients on how best to grow and develop their beneficiaries. As part of her MBA programme, Sandra did a consultancy project whereby she helped devise an appropriate strategy for a UK firm seeking to support SMMEs in South Africa. She is also currently enrolled in the final level of the CFA programme (i.e. level 3 CFA candidate) and looking to facilitate impactful SMME investments and support  by leveraging learnings from her consulting and academic experiences; particularly critical, technical, and economic thinking in a way that adds value to entrepreneurs & SMMEs.

Patricia Chirwa holds a masters degree in Applied Economics from the University of Cape Town and is currently enrolled as a PhD student within the School of Economics. Her research focus is on understanding the role of social and psychological dynamics in affecting progress of land reform programmes. Other research interests are in development microeconomics, social network analysis and behavioral economics.  

Patricia has worked as a research and data consultant on several projects, including working for the Commission on Restitution of Land Rights. She has held positions in various technical and advisory committees from her time working on the Land Restitution Impact Evaluation study since 2016. Patricia has experience in developing and designing administrative data processes and survey instruments. Through her extensive work with large datasets, she has become highly skilled in various data analysis and visualization tools.

She is motivated by ideas of inclusive, sustainable and home-grown African development.

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Masego is an investment professional with five years of experience in investment analysis, market research, and portfolio management. Prior to joining the fellowship, she worked at Imara Asset Management in Zimbabwe where she was a Junior Portfolio and Investment Manager. Masego is a CFA® charterholder, and holds a B.Com Honours degree in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management from the University of Cape Town. She is currently completing a Masters in Development Finance at the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Masego is passionate about finding and applying solutions for sustainable and inclusive growth in Africa, particularly through private sector and social enterprise development.

Anna is a current MBA candidate at HEC Paris specializing in Sustainability and Disruptive Innovation. She is the current president of the HEC Impact Club, a student-led organization that is responsible for organizing events that empower students to pursue a career with a positive impact on society. Before her MBA, Anna has spent five years in Johnson and Johnson, in UK and Belgium, working in various roles in Finance in commercial, supply chain, and financial planning departments.

At Impact Amplifier, she works on social enterprises acceleration projects and on companies’ impact assessments.

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Rakan is pursuing an MS in Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, where he is involved in entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and social innovation spaces. At Impact Amplifier, Rakan is working on an initiative designed to create pathways for youth employment in South Africa’s digital economy.

Nnamdi is an entrepreneur and early stage investment professional who is passionate about creating viable business solutions in Africa. He has an MBA from IE Business School, Madrid, and is a novelist in his spare time.

Nora obtained a MSc in International Management at IESEG in Paris, which she concluded with a consulting project for a sustainable fashion brand in Vietnam. Prior to joining Impact Amplifier, she worked as a management consultant within the Strategy and Regulatory practice for Deloitte in Luxembourg, where she focused on the Private Equity industry. Originally from Austria, she has gained extensive international experience and is now fluent in German, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

At Impact Amplifier, Nora has been working on the development of impact measurement & management frameworks and is focusing on leading entrepreneurs through the investment readiness process and preparation of investment cases for investment committees.

Molly has several years of experience across product management, go-to-market, social and brand strategy at Microsoft Corporation. She enjoys diving into new methods, ambiguous problems, and experimental projects that are grounded in solving problems for the world’s most vulnerable populations. To her, creating meaningful work is grounded in diversity & inclusion, good design, and a vision to improve individual’s lives. She is currently working on research & strategy for the Google Get-Set 4IR project and working on content and value proposition evaluation for Impact OS.

Justin graduated from Arizona State University with degrees in Genetics (BS) and Sustainability (BS) and went on to pursue an MS in Global Technology and Development. Prior to arriving at Impact Amplifier, Justin was conducting fieldwork in Masiphumelele as a USAID Research and Innovation Fellow in Cape Town from July-November of 2019. Justin developed and implemented a research project that sought to operationalize resilience to climate change through generous support from The University of Cape Town and residents of the township community. The findings were used to inform Justin’s graduate thesis titled, “Understanding Resilience in an Informal Settlement: A Township Case Study in Masiphumelele, South Africa”.

Justin comes to us with six years of experience working in university admissions based in Seattle, Washington. He has worked on sustainable energy, education, and public health-related projects in Nepal and Mexico and will be supporting the rollout of Tech Tribe Accelerator during his time at IA. Justin is passionate about the role of entrepreneurship in sustaining positive social and environmental change to encourage economic development within an African context.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in India, Karina worked in the valuation team at PwC and an early-stage VC, both in Bangalore, India. At PwC, Karina worked on valuation engagements for startups, investment funds, and large listed public companies. While at the early-stage VC, Karina worked closely with startups including deal sourcing and screening, potential investment due-diligence and portfolio management.

Additionally, Karina was also a Fellow at Digital Desh, an initiative that aims to uncover how the Internet is changing the way the “next billion” in India live and do business. Insights from her recent journey to Orissa will be published as a coffee table book. Karina is also a Fellow at The Good Food Institute tasked with the creation of a Startup Manual for India. The Good Food Institute focusses on the promotion of the ecosystem around clean meat and plant-based alternatives to animal products.

After completing his MBA at the University of Chicago, Eric worked at Wells Fargo Securities for seven years where he was a Vice President of corporate high yield bond research on a top ranked team focused on the U.S. telecom, media and cable sectors. Prior to his MBA, Eric worked at Morgan Stanley where he managed a middle office equity group and developed a new team in Mumbai, India. Eric also has a MA in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in Finance from the University of Maryland. He has been to more than 50 countries and volunteered for a microfinance organization in Argentina as part of a more than year long backpacking trip around the globe.

Joseph graduated from Santa Clara University with a double major in Political Science and History. Before arriving at Impact Amplifier, Joseph was a Global Social Benefit Fellow with Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship. As a fellow he worked with Tugende, a social enterprise that finances income generating assets for entrepreneurs in East Africa.

He developed a research plan to measure Tugende’s social impact, conducted research in Uganda for 7 weeks with an interdisciplinary and intercultural team, analyzed the data, and composed a report for its investors and a set of recommendations for the enterprise. Joseph built upon his research with Tugende to write a thesis entitled “Microcredit 3.0: The Potential of Financing Business Assets for Financially Excluded Entrepreneurs.

Having recently finished a masters in Sustainable Business and Innovation, Julian is looking to apply her knowledge and experience in the South African context where she is originally from. Julian is passionate about the intersection between human-centered design, innovation and private sector solutions to address the many socio-economic issues that we face today. She believes in empathy as a driver for social innovation and this really feeds her curiosity around anthropology and sustainable international development.

Julian has a background in business, design and education and looks forward to combining all of these backgrounds in her work at Impact Amplifier.

Folu holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to joining Impact Amplifier as a fellow, Folu worked as a management and technology consultant across 3 countries, primarily focused on large scale process improvement solutions within the financial services and banking sector. Folu’s interests lie at the intersect of macroeconomic growth, entrepreneur empowerment, business development, impact investing, and technology-led social innovations.

Ashley holds a Masters of Commerce in Finance from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in Cape Town and also Masters of Arts in Economics from Fordham University in New York. While he was at Fordham, he participated in the Wharton Business School Total Impact Portfolio Challenge, inaugural competition of creating a 100% impact portfolio for an institutional client across asset classes, and the risk-return spectrum. He worked previously at Sanlam Investments as an investment research analyst primarily in understanding and explaining collective investment schemes performance, positioning and mandates.

At Impact Amplifier, he is directly involved in LEAD Impact Capital as well as the Google Online Safety Fund. Ashley is passionate about  sustainable investing firmly believes that Financial Returns + Social Returns = Shared Value for all stakeholders.

Charlie joins Impact Amplifier whilst simultaneously pursuing a master’s in Development Finance at the University of Cape Town Graduate Business School. Prior to this, Charlie spent five years at a chartered accountancy firm in London working with UK SMEs in both a compliance and advisory capacity. In addition to being a chartered accountant (ICAEW), he holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance from Newcastle University.

Charlie is passionate about solutions that help MSMEs overcome growth constraints, which are disproportionally large in low-income economies. He believes addressing the missing middle is central to supporting sustainable economic growth and driving innovation, and that this can be achieved whilst generating social and environmental impact.

Ari graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences. He has also spent time at the University of Cape Town and London School of Economics studying sustainable development and environmental economics. Before joining Impact Amplifier, Ari interned for FS Investors, a private equity group where he gained exposure to impact oriented deals across multiple sectors and geographies. At Impact Amplifier He will be conducting impact assessments for Nando’s and helping early-stage impact startups make their investment case.

Yasmin graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a BSC in Economics and a BSC in International Relations and Politics. Prior to joining Impact Amplifier, Yasmin worked as an Analyst on the Global Securitized Products desk at Citigroup where she underwrote and executed over $15bn in ABS bond issuances, and structured over $10bn in secured warehouse facilities. At Impact Amplifier, Yasmin has been focused on conducting due diligence and investment readiness assessments on social enterprises across various industries as part of the Google Impact Challenge South Africa.

After graduating from Stanford University in 2015, with a degree in Human Biology, where his main focus was Global Health and Infectious Disease, Will worked as a management consultant for Bain & Company in San Francisco. At Bain, Will performed analyses and project management for Fortune 50 clients in healthcare, tech, retail, and media industries. Functionally, he worked primarily in strategy, performance improvement, and organization redesign. Additionally, he has launched and scaled clinics and led international business development for a dialysis start up, Africa Healthcare Network, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Rory graduated from Georgetown University where he received his BSBA in Finance and Management from the McDonough School of Business. At Impact Amplifier, Rory focuses on structuring investment cases and implementing growth strategies for early-stage, high-impact companies across the energy, sustainable transport and health sectors. Prior to Impact Amplifier, Rory spent three years as an Analyst in the Global Power, Energy & Infrastructure group at Lazard, where he advised on over $35 billion of transactions across the regulated utility, merchant generation and renewable energy verticals.

Katie graduated with BSc in Environmental Science with a concentration in Applied Ecology from the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University. Prior to joining Impact Amplifier, Katie worked with the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship as a Global Social Benefit Fellow. As a fellow, she assisted Sistema Biobolsa, a social enterprise based in Mexico City, in scaling their operations to serve new markets overseas. At Impact Amplifier, Katie has taken a hands-on role in Nando’s PERi Farms Impact Assessment, and is helping to create growth strategies and investment cases for early-stage high-impact social enterprises of various impact sectors.

Ben holds dual master’s degrees in economics and international relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Prior to joining Impact Amplifier, Ben worked for Pencils of Promise as operations manager of the organization’s office in Laos. He now works for the Jefferson Awards Foundation in New York City.

Trace completed his MBA at Columbia Business School in 2017. He began his career in Investment Management, focusing on due diligence across asset classes, portfolio construction, and security valuation; he is also a CFA and CAIA Charterholder. Before joining Impact Amplifier, Trace led a consulting project for an international nonprofit mapping innovation ecosystems in Emerging Markets, served as a Fellow at the Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism, and advised a mobile startup based in Kenya as it raised venture capital funding.

Tiago’s career began as a financial planning analyst in the medical industry in Brazil. He then worked for Standard Charted Bank for five years, primarily in project finance specialising in the oil, gas and infrastructure sectors across America, Asia and Africa. His expertise lies in risk analysis, financial analysis and financial modelling. In 2017, he began his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.