Denis Nyika is a results-driven development professional with three years of experience coordinating projects, monitoring grants, and cultivating strategic partnerships across organizations including MSI Reproductive Choices, Plan International, and UNIDO. His expertise spans end-to-end project implementation—from designing work plans and tracking budgets to delivering high-impact donor reports—ensuring initiatives stay on schedule, within scope, and aligned with compliance standards. He further excels in translating complex data into actionable insights using tools like Power BI and Excel, driving evidence-based decision-making for positive outcomes.
Known for his proactive nature and analytical mindset, Denis thrives in collaborative, fast-paced environments. Alongside teams, he has successfully developed winning concept notes and proposals for institutional donors, built robust partner engagement strategies through strategic mapping, and facilitated cross-functional coordination between programs, finance, procurement, and advocacy teams. His agility and problem-solving skills enable him to navigate challenges.
Beyond his technical prowess, Denis brings a passion for social impact, reflected in his volunteer work with social good initiatives. He possesses a Bachelor’s degree in Economics as well as certifications in data analytics and project management
Zanele Moloi was the Deputy General Counsel and Head of the Legal Department for the central bank of South Africa. In this role, she was responsible for legal risk management, financial sector regulations and legal compliance across the Central Bank, leading and managing the legal team and providing the strategic direction of the legal services department. At the Central Bank, Zanele led a team of 46 legal professionals across three divisions, namely Corporate and Commercial, Financial Sector Regulations and Financial Law, and International Finance. Zanele provided strategic legal advice to executives and boards within the SARB Group, managed the legal budget, set governance policies, and represented Legal in risk and assurance committees and worked closely with the compliance division to ensure legal compliance across the SARB Group. She also engaged with regulators, National Treasury, and external counsel on high stakes matters.
In addition, Zanele has knowledge and understanding of South African company law and commercial law, financial sector regulation, resolution framework and depositors’ insurance under the Financial Sector Regulations Act, modernisation of the payment system in South Africa and Africa, Digital Finance, central bank law, insolvency and restructuring, business rescue, litigation and employment law related work and English Law governed transactions.
Zanele is a South African admitted attorney with 15 years of post-qualification experience and a strong track record in the international financial and banking services industry gained from working for a leading Corporate and Investment Bank in Africa, one of the leading Development Finance Institution in Africa, a magic circle law firm in South Africa and New York and the South African renewable energy regulator.
Zanele Moloi holds the following qualifications and certificates:
- LLB Degree from the University of Witwatersrand.
- LLM from the University of Witwatersrand.
- Postgraduate Diploma in Finance and Financial Law from the University of London (SOAS).
- An Advanced Certificate in Digital Finance from Haward University.
- An Advanced Management and Leadership certificate from the University of Oxford in London (Saaid Business School).
- A certificate in Senior Management – from the Standard Bank of South Africa’s Senior Management Leadership programme.
- A certificate in Senior Management– from The South African Reserve Bank (facilitated by UCT, Gordon Institute of Business School).
- A certificate (to be conferred in June 2025) in Corporate Governance from the University of Johannesburg.
Joyce is a development and media professional whose career over the past ten years has navigated through grant management, strategic communications, mainstream media, and investor relations. She previously worked as FSD Kenya’s Communications Manager, where she spearheaded the overhaul of FSD Kenya’s branding and established the FSD Kenya Annual Lecture, driving industry dialogue on financial inclusion.
Joyce holds a Master of Science in International Development from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Integrated International Studies from Knox College in Illinois, USA. In September 2019, Joyce was invited to New York as a Goalkeeper under the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, alongside a selected number of new-generation leaders, to accelerate progress towards the global Sustainable Development Goals.
Outside of FSDAi, Joyce is a gospel music minister and songwriter, a renowned Kenyan television and event host, as well as the founder of a faith-based women’s community of over 12,000 registered members.
He is a seasoned investment professional with extensive experience in executing multi-million-pound development finance and private equity transactions across Sub-Saharan Africa. From 2012 to 2025, he held various investment execution and syndication roles at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), culminating in his position as Principal Syndication Officer/Acting Head of Syndication & Distribution. In this capacity, he played a key role in establishing the DBSA’s Syndication function. Prior to DBSA, he served as a Senior Investment Analyst at Krutham, focusing on both listed and unlisted investments across African capital markets.
Nes is a CFA® charterholder and holds an MBA from IE Business School (Spain), an MSc in Finance and Investment, and a BBus (Honours) degree.
Zee is joining as Investment Head – Venture & Early-Stage Financing Vehicles at FSDAi, with a focus on new and alternative solutions to finance SMEs.
Prior to joining FSDAi, she was a Director at the Collaborative for Frontier Finance, focusing on the Early Stage Capital Providers cluster. She has two decades of investment experience working in Africa, London and New York. Her career includes co-founding Victus Global Capital, an organisation focused on transforming agriculture and empowering women in Africa through impact investment, capacity building, and increased trade. She was the Managing Director of Momentum Africa Investments, South Africa’s third-largest life insurance company’s initiative to take Africa investments to international investors and the Chief Investment Officer of Momentum Investment Consulting.
Zee is a CFA charterholder, has an Executive MBA from the University of Cape Town Business School and an MSc in Sustainable Development from the University of Sussex.
Kweku has over 6 years of experience in engineering, technology, and finance, with a track record of working with startups, sovereigns, and corporations across sub-Sahara Africa. He has extensive experience in deal origination, stakeholder management and execution of transactions within the region.
Most recently, Kweku was Vice President (Investment Banking), at IC Africa where he led various M&A, Equity Capital and Debt Capital Market transactions across the continent. Beyond traditional finance, Kweku has directly invested in multiple tech startups across the region, and has advised and spearheaded the implementation of innovative tech platforms in agric, fintech and insurance sectors across West Africa.
Kweku holds a BSc in Computer Engineering (Hons)
Hobbies include tennis, swimming, music curation and DJing
Sharon is an investment professional, passionate about the intersection of financial services, inclusivity, and technology, and their collective economic and social impact on individuals’ livelihoods.
Her extensive background spans across Corporate Finance, Investment Banking and Transaction Advisory, serving both the private and public sectors.
Prior to joining FSD Africa, she served as a Senior Financial Analyst at KPMG, where she led and supported Buy-side and Sell-side Financial Due Diligence, Valuations, Financial Modelling, Market Studies as well as Mergers & Acquisition (M&A) Transactions. She served clients across Sub-Saharan Africa in the Banking, Insurance, Fintech, Logistics, Manufacturing, Retail, Agriculture, and Pharmaceutical sectors, with a cumulative deal size of over USD 100 million. She also managed Financial Reporting, Quality Risk Management, and Knowledge Management within the Strategy and Deal Advisory unit at KPMG.
Sharon holds a BSc in Financial Engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and professional certification in Financial Modelling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA).
Moreover, she is also a data science enthusiast with a technical skill-set encompassing R, SQL, Advanced Excel and Power Bi.
Olasunkanmi is an ESG and Sustainability professional with over three years of experience supporting the integration of environmental and social lenses in investment processes, as well as facilitating cross-cutting corporate sustainability strategies.
Before joining FSD Africa, Olasunkanmi worked with Climate Horizons, a sustainability solutions consultancy in the United Kingdom. There, he successfully assisted clients across various sectors in facilitating compliance with mandatory and voluntary ESG disclosure frameworks such as TCFD, SBTi, SECR, among others. Prior to that, Olasunkanmi worked with Environmental Accord Limited, an environmental and sustainability risk management consulting firm in Sub-Saharan Africa, as an ESG Consultant. In this role, he provided advisory services (ESDD, ESMS, E&S Audit) across industries such as agriculture, energy, FMCG, financial services, and infrastructure. He has led and supported ESMS design and implementation, capacity building, and audits for financial institutions in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
Olasunkanmi holds a Master’s degree in Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Management from The University of York, United Kingdom, a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, and an ISO 14001:2015 Lead Auditor Certificate in Environmental Management. Also, he is an alumnus of the prestigious British Chevening Scholarship.
Olasunkanmi is an avid writer and poet, passionate about translating ESG principles into value-creation drivers. He publishes articles and poems on various thematic areas on his Medium page. In his free time, you will find him playing/watching football, exploring new places, and listening to music.
Nicolas Kirui has 3 years’ experience working in management consulting and financial advisory with a proven track record in finance and business analysis.
In his most recent role as a Carbon Investment Officer at BURN Manufacturing, Nicolas has been instrumental in facilitating fundraising for carbon projects through developing financial models, tracking global carbon market industry trends and facilitating due diligence between prospective investors and internal teams.
Prior to this, Nicolas worked as a Senior Analyst at Open Capital playing a pivotal role in raising capital for various projects across SSA. His contributions included financial modelling, investor outreach, and support for capital raises that had a significant impact on the livelihoods of farmers and the growth of businesses.
Nicolas Kirui holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Statistics from The University of Nairobi. He also holds certifications in Business and Financial Modeling from Wharton and a Financial Modeling Diploma from Kubicle. Additionally, Nicolas achieved a top 90th percentile ranking in the CFA Level I examination, showcasing his dedication to advancing his financial expertise and skills.
Waithera finds purpose in driving positive change through responsible investing and is committed to contributing to inclusive, impactful growth through the integration of ESG and gender in investment decision-making.
She has over ten years of experience in ESG and gender risk management and project management. In her current role, Waithera conducts ESG and gender assessments across a portfolio of high-impact investments. Her work focuses on embedding best practices to strengthen investment performance and enhance stakeholder value. She also supports the implementation of ESG and gender action plans, working closely with investees to ensure meaningful progress and alignment with impact objectives.
Before transitioning to the investment space, Waithera led large-scale youth-focused programs in Kenya, where she advocated for adolescent reproductive health. Through this work, she mentored over 1,200 young people and supported more informed, healthier life choices among adolescents by working closely with local leaders and institutions to strengthen community support systems.
Waithera holds a degree in Mathematics from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and is pursuing a Master of Science in Management and Organisational Development. She continues to develop her skills in sustainable investing and impact strategy with the goal of becoming a leader in sustainable finance.