Ivy is an early stage venture and impact investor with over ten years’ experience across venture capital, impact funds and advisory in Africa. As Manager, ESF Catalytic Investments at FSD Africa, she works to widen the range of capital reaching the businesses building Africa’s future, driven by a conviction that African businesses deserve capital that fits what they actually need, rather than reverse-engineering themselves to suit the capital that happens to be available. Over her career she has invested in 16 ventures, deploying more than $6.9m across nine markets in sub-Saharan Africa, sourcing high-potential companies, structuring catalytic capital and supporting founders hands-on from pre-seed to Series A.
Before FSD Africa, Ivy was Head of Portfolio at Gather Ventures, backing ventures that create climate resilience and drive asset creation for women and girls across Africa. Earlier she invested at Enza Capital, a $60m pan-African venture fund, and at Acumen, where she focused on energy access in East Africa. She began her career in advisory and enterprise support at I-DEV International in Nairobi and at Shona in Uganda, where she helped a cohort of social enterprises raise $1m. Ivy holds a Bachelor of Business Science in Actuarial Science from Strathmore University and is an active angel investor. Outside work, she enjoys travelling with her husband and singing along to made-up tunes with her daughter.
Maryanne has twenty years of experience spanning commercial banking, venture capital, ecosystem development, non-profit management and youth entrepreneurship.
Prior to joining FSDA, she was the Regional Managing Director for Endeavor in Sub-Saharan Africa where she worked with high-growth tech founders in building local networks, accessing growth capital and market expansion. While at Endeavor she led the design and implementation of ecosystem deepening programs covering emerging tech founders, female founders and research and policy advocacy for high-growth entrepreneurship.
Maryanne has also held senior leadership roles at Shujaaz Inc working on youth entrepreneurship programming and at ANDE where she led the East Africa Chapter, a network of over 140 organizations dedicated to supporting small and growing businesses across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. Earlier in her career, Maryanne worked on Access to Capital for Rural Entreprises (ACRE), a technical assistance facility covering 12 countries for SGBs in agriculture and renewable energy. She also spent 9 years at Barclays Bank of Kenya in various capacities, including in the turnaround of a distressed local corporate portfolio.
Maryanne holds an MBA from IE Business School, an MA in Media Studies from Daystar University and a BA in Psychology from Moi University.
Kevin Simmons was a General Partner of the $75m Alpha Fund, a pan-African late-seed venture capital fund for LoftyInc Capital, a pioneer and leading VC firm in Africa which has included notable early investments in some of Africa’s unicorns such as Andela, Flutterwave, Moove, and Wave, amidst other notable exits.
Prior to raising the Alpha Fund, Kevin ran the UNDP Accelerator Lab for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean focused on providing innovative grants to small and growing businesses. Kevin spent 1519 years managing major oil and gas projects across Asia and Africa for global oil supermajor Chevron, including 8 years living in Nigeria and Angola.
Kevin is a former start-up founder and operator, and he has helped launch and build several start-ups in the energy and mobility space, including founding roles at UK-based lithium battery company Aceleron (Series B), and UK-based EV SaaS company Electric Miles which was acquired in 2022 under Kevin’s leadership as CEO. Kevin holds management and business degrees from Stanford University, Rice University, and the University of Oxford and advises several technology startups in Africa, Canada, and UK.
Alvin has experience in early-stage finance, impact investing, and private equity across Sub-Saharan Africa. His previous roles integrate market research, financial evaluation, programme support, and portfolio oversight to shape investment decisions and support effective engagement with stakeholders across both donor funded and impact investments.
In his previous role as an Investment Analyst at Powered by People, he managed the access to finance portfolio providing affordable capital to MSMEs and SMEs in Kenya. In addition, leading monitoring and evaluation activities, carrying out impact assessments to measure social, economic, and environmental outcomes. He supported risk management, contributed to investor and donor reporting to inform capital allocation and programme design.
Previously, Alvin worked as a Private Equity Analyst at Incofin Investment Management where he supported investments through deal analysis, financial modelling, market research and portfolio monitoring across Sub Saharan Africa. He assessed potential investments, market trends in the water sector and contributed to fundraising with institutional investors, helping secure capital for initiatives that expand water access.
Alvin holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Daystar University. He has completed professional certificates in financial modelling, ESG specialization and data analytics, reflecting his strong commitment to building expertise in early stage and impact driven finance.
Njambi Maina is a programs and projects specialist with over four years of experience in program development, donor relations, and community engagement. She has worked with non-profit organizations and consulting firms to drive meaningful change in sustainable development, climate resilience, and inclusive governance.
As a Programs Associate at Lusoma Advisory Services, Njambi contributed to program design, strategy development, and capacity building for non-profits across East Africa. She supported the delivery of initiatives such as the Change the Game Academy (CtGA), hosted by the Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF), where she provided technical support. She also contributed to the Women Gaining Ground (WGG) project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), by assisting in strengthening the capacity of implementing partners in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and ensuring compliance with international aid frameworks such as the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). She also supported the USAID Ubora Mashinani program, whose aim was to enhance citizen participation under Kenya’s devolved system.
At Public Space Network (PSN), Njambi played a pivotal role in advocating for inclusive, green public spaces. She coordinated the Changing Faces Competition (CFC), Edition 5, which brought together community groups and experts from organizations such as UN-Habitat, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) from Kenya’s Informal Settlement Improvement Projects (KISIP), and Women in Real Estate (WIRE) to reimagine and improve public spaces.
Njambi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nairobi and a specialized certification in International Project Management from GIZ, facilitated by Atingi. In January 2025, she participated in the Afrobarometer English Language Summer School at the University of Cape Town, where she developed a dispatch paper exploring how economic constraints shape public support for climate policies.
Outside work, Njambi enjoys reading in nature and playing board and card games where her playful side always shines through.
Antony is a dynamic Mechatronics Engineer with 7 years of experience in Information Technology and Project Management. He has a proven track record in delivering efficient IT solutions and managing projects across diverse environments. Antony has served as an Information Technology Consultant at FSD Africa under Define Africa, providing Tier 1 and Tier 2 technical support and overseeing administrative support for the IT team. Previously, Antony worked as a Project Assistant for Smart Apps London, where he successfully managed the development and deployment of Android and iOs applications.
Antony holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechatronics Engineering from Dedan Kimathi University of Technology. He is proficient in cybersecurity protocols and project management. Outside of his professional life, Antony is an avid climate champion, passionate about sustainability and environmental conservation. He enjoys hiking and crafting DIY projects, which reflect his love for exploration and hands-on creativity.
Juliet is Director – Digital Economy at FSD Africa with 20 years’ experience in development in Africa, 15 of which have focused on financial sector development. Before her current role, Juliet held several other positions at FSD Africa since 2013, overseeing initiatives that cut across a variety of financial sectors and themes.
Prior to FSD Africa, Juliet managed FinMark Trust’s financial sector work in Zambia for eight years and, before that, led the Zambia office of a regional private sector development consulting firm.
Juliet holds an MA from the University of Cheltenham and Gloucester and a BSc from the University of Liverpool. She is married with two children and is based in Zambia, where she has lived since 1996.
Mary leads initiatives that strengthen the ecosystem for early-stage capital providers and entrepreneurs across the continent. Her work focuses on designing and managing catalytic programmes, supporting fund managers, and advancing innovative financing solutions, particularly in climate resilience, gender-smart investing, and sustainable development.
Mary brings a strong track record of designing and managing high-impact programmes across Africa. Prior to joining FSD Africa, she was the Global Program Coordinator at Living Goods, a leading community health organisation operating in Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Burkina Faso. She has also worked in Kenya’s financial markets, and across a range of development programmes focused on inclusive finance, SME growth, and ecosystem-building.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Science in Financial Economics from Strathmore University and a Master’s in International Development Studies from Université Grenoble Alpes in France. She is also a certified PRINCE2 Practitioner as well as a Certified Expert in Sustainable Finance and a Certified Digital Finance Practitioner.
Mary is passionate about expanding access to opportunity and shaping systems that work better for people and the planet. Outside of work, she enjoys organising meaningful gatherings for loved ones and spending time in nature.
Kuria Wanjau is a Certified Public Accountant, with a degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi. He is currently working part-time for FSD Africas Forcibly Displaced People (FDP) Theme as the manager. Kuria is overseeing FSD Africas work to grow the supply of effective financial services for FDPs and refugees.