Our Team
Jacob Zikusooka
Africa Regional Director
Jacob has, for the last 20 years, been actively involved in the Shipping and Logistics industry besides other entrepreneurial pursuits in Real Estate, Commercial Forestry, Media, and more recently eCommerce. For the last 10 years he has also served on the board of Hiinga Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit and faith-driven impact investing fund.
He is a graduate of the Stanford Institute of Innovation in Developing Economies, Stanford Graduate School of Business’ initiative for high-potential entrepreneurs in the developing world.
Derrick Waiswa
Chief Operations Officer
Derrick is highly skilled in Operation Management, Business Development, Business Analysis, Investment Analysis, Leadership, Strategic Consulting, Entrepreneurship Training and Support. He has over 10 years’ experience starting, managing, and sustaining enterprises. He is a graduate of the Universiteit Leiden – Political Economy of Institutions and Development.
Joy Wanyoike
Human Resource and Operations Assistant
Joy is highly skilled in Human Resources and operations.
She is a graduate of the Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) University with a Bachelor of Commerce, Human Resources.
Mellanie Ng’ang’a
Portfolio Manager
Mellanie has a wealth of experience in entrepreneurial programs, banking and client management. She also has over 7 years of professional experience in different capacities and organizations in Kenya. She is a graduate of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Ivan Tumuhimbise
Portfolio Manager
Ivan is has 8+ years of experience in banking. He is also highly skilled in portfolio management, credit & risk management, sales, customer service, financial literacy and relationship management, he also has over 7 years of professional experience in different capacities and organisations in Kenya. He is a graduate of the Makerere University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Irene Namalwa
Portfolio Manager
Irene, for over 10 years, has a wealth of professional experience in different capacities and organisations in Uganda and Kazakhstan. She is a graduate of the Makerere University with a Bachelor’s degree in Development Economics.
Jason N. Gichero
Investment Lead
Jason has 6+ years work experience having worked in Investment and Commercial Banking. He is instrumental in handling resource mobilisation, creating investor readiness, deals & product structuring while at the same time creating and maintaining investor - investee relationships.
Jason is a Masters Graduate from LSBF, Bachelor's Graduate from USIU-A and a member of CISI.
Adrian Muli
Portfolio Manager
Adrian is part of the portfolio management team. He is interested in helping entrepreneurs to build their businesses and manage sustainable enterprises in the developing world.
He is pursuing a Bachelor of Laws at Strathmore University.
Chebet Kemboi
Marketing and Community Engagement Lead
Chebet is a highly skilled Corporate Communications Specialist and Digital Strategist with 5+ years of experience. She possesses excellent communication and leadership skills, having led cross-functional teams in developing and executing marketing strategies that align with business objectives.
She is adept at using data driven insights to identify market trends and consumer behavior that enables her to craft compelling messages and create impactful content.
She is a graduate of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology with a Bachelor's Degree in Business and IT.
Natasha A. Omori
Marketing and Community Engagement Associate
Natasha is part of the communication department. She is passionate about digital media and has over 2 years' experience in creating content and managing the online presence of brands.
She is a graduate of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Social Communication.
