A Shared Goal
Acumen Fund's dedicated team works across its four global offices in New York, Hyderabad, Karachi and Nairobi to support our investees and their enterprises and improve access to markets for base-of-the-pyramid customers.
Management Team
Jacqueline Novogratz (Chief Executive Officer)
Prior to Acumen Fund, Jacqueline Novogratz founded and directed The Philanthropy Workshop and The Next Generation Leadership program at the Rockefeller Foundation. She also founded Duterimbere, a micro-finance institution in Rwanda. She began her career in international banking with Chase Manhattan Bank. Jacqueline is currently on the advisory boards of Stanford Graduate School of Business and Innovations Journal, published by MIT Press. She is an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow and a Synergos Institute Senior Fellow, as well as a frequent speaker at international conferences, including the World Economic Forum, the Clinton Global Initiative and TED. Jacqueline has an MBA from Stanford and a BA in Economics/International Relations from the University of Virginia.
Ann MacDougall (Chief Administrative Officer/General Counsel)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Ann MacDougall spent 17 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, in various senior roles. Most recently she lived in Paris and held the role of Global Deputy General Counsel. Prior to that, she was US General Counsel and a member of that firm’s ten person management committee. Before PwC, Ann worked at US West and the NYC law firm of Sage Gray Todd & Sims. Ann holds a JD from Brooklyn Law School and a BA from Tufts University.
Brian Trelstad (Chief Investment Officer)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Brian Trelstad spent four years at McKinsey & Company as a consultant in the healthcare and non-profit practices and as an editor of the McKinsey Quarterly. Prior to McKinsey, he worked as a case writer at Stanford University's Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and advised a number of early-stage technology companies. He was the lead environmental staffer for President Clinton's AmeriCorps program, and co-founded and directed the Center for Environmental Citizenship. Brian holds an MBA from Stanford University, an MA in City Planning from UC-Berkeley, and a BA from Harvard University.
Global Portfolio Team
Clara Barby (India Portfolio Associate)
Clara Barby came to Acumen Fund from Bogotá where she worked for a government incubator providing entrepreneurs with business and investment support, and for a collaborative of private sector firms - including Estrategias Corporativas, McKinsey & Co. Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase - promoting socially responsible investment. Prior to being an India Portfolio Associate, Clara worked in New York on Acumen's Capital Markets team. She earned her BA (Hons) in Classics and Philosophy from Oxford University.
Eric Cantor (Business Technology Manager)
Before joining Acumen Fund – where he works on technology issues both internally and with a number of our investees – Eric Cantor established, managed and advised startup Internet and technology companies; worked with non-governmental organizations in developing countries; and managed complex projects. In the mid-1990s, he started an Internet Service Provider in the Washington, DC area called Internet Interstate, which was acquired by Verio, Inc., and he later held a variety of positions in management and marketing for both large and small Internet companies. Eric has a BA in International Relations from Emory University and an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University, for which he completed a number of projects including analyzing the operations of a microfinance organization in Honduras.
Adrien Couton (Water Portfolio Manager)
Before becoming the Water Portfolio Manager, Adrien Couton was part of the inaugural class of the Acumen Fund Fellows Program. During his fellowship, he was seconded to International Development Enterprises India (IDEI), where he assisted the CEO and COO in scaling up the distribution of low-cost drip irrigation systems in India and Pakistan. Prior to joining Acumen Fund, Adrien worked at McKinsey & Co. for four years, focusing on the public and non-profit sectors. He also worked as a consultant for the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), to improve slum dwellers' access to the piped water supply in Delhi. Adrien received an MBA from HEC Paris, a Master in Political Science from La Sorbonne University, and an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Uma Hemachandran (India Portfolio Associate)
Uma Hemachandran comes to Acumen Fund with over 11 years of experience in marketing services. She started her working career with leading advertising agencies in India such as Grey Worldwide, J. Walter Thompson & Ogilvy. She subsequently went on to work with a dotcom startup to setup an auction portal. The experience of working for a startup led her to start a services business offering third party logistics and franchisee services for clients such as DuPont and Asian Paints. Uma holds a Masters in English Literature and has a Post Graduate diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
Katie Hill (India Portfolio Associate)
Katie Hill joined the Acumen Fund team through the John Gardner Fellowship for Leadership in Public Service. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, studying International Relations and Economics. Katie received the Firestone Medal of Excellence for her senior honors thesis on the commercialization of microfinance in Uganda, which involved six months of research in the field. In addition to her work in Uganda, she has significant volunteer and work experience in rural education in Nepal and urban poverty in Ecuador.
S. Umair Hussain (Pakistan Finance and Administration Associate)
Before joining Acumen Fund, S. Umair Hussain worked as an Accounts Officer at Interglobe Commerce Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, a large oil storage facilities and pipeline construction company, where he was responsible for various accounting and finance matters, including costing of oil refineries projects. He has also worked in Accounts at CallMate Telips (Pvt) Ltd, a private telecom company in Pakistan. Umair holds an MBA in Finance and Accounts from Preston Institute of Science and Technology and is currently pursuing his ACMA from the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan.
Omer Imtiazuddin (Health Portfolio Manager)
Prior to joining Acumen Fund, Omer Imtiazuddin worked as a consultant for the International Finance Corporation leading the design of the Global Youth and Informal Enterprise Initiative for the Grassroots Business Initiative group. He also has experience in private equity having worked as an associate at Barnard & Co. LLC, a venture capital fund focusing on the communications, information technology and internet industries. Prior to that, he worked in investment banking at Morgan Stanley’s Global Industrial Group. Omer also has an extensive background in micro enterprise and small business development, having worked with ACCION, Women’s World Banking, Trickle Up and the Business Outreach Center Network. Omer received his BA from Yale University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert Katz (Knowledge & Communications Associate)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Rob Katz was an Associate with the Markets and Enterprise Program of the World Resources Institute. Rob researches, writes and speaks about "base of the pyramid" business approaches to poverty alleviation and environmental degradation. He is the co-founder and co-Managing Editor of www.NextBillion.net, a web site and blog about enterprise and development. As a principal analyst of household survey data and co-author for The Next 4 Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid (March, 2007), he studied BOP market structure and spending patterns extensively. Rob has consulted with a number of Fortune 500 corporations on BOP strategy, spoken to conferences around the world, and done scenario work for institutions such as the XPRIZE Foundation and the Institute for the Future, among others. Rob holds a B.A. in Political Economy from Georgetown University.
Raj Kundra (Director of Capital Markets and Energy Portfolio)
Raj Kundra was previously Senior Vice President at Lehman Brothers, New York. In his latest role at Lehman, Raj worked in the Energy Division, where he focused on understanding investment opportunities and creating innovative financing/risk management solutions in this sector. Raj also worked in Lehman's Emerging Markets and Capital Markets groups in various trading and structuring roles. Prior to joining Lehman, Raj was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan, where he oversaw the marketing and structuring of interest rate hedging products for U.S. corporations. Raj has a BS in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Marc Manara (Portfolio Associate)
Marc Manara came to Acumen Fund from the technology sector. He worked previously at Appian Corporation in the DC metro area, serving as a technical consultant on engagements with the World Bank, the Institute for Defense Analyses, the Department of Homeland Security and Archstone-Smith, among others. Marc holds a BA in computer science from Harvard University and has completed graduate-level coursework in public health at George Washington University.
Biju Mohandas (India Business Manager)
Before joining Acumen Fund, where he manages the compliance and financial responsibilities of the India office and assists the country director in management across portfolios, Biju Mohandas served for five years as an officer in the Indian Army's Medical and Dental Corps. This included tenures in rural and tribal locations in Northeastern India and Nepal. His responsibilities included operational management, healthcare administration and clinical care during counter insurgency operations. Biju completed his Post Graduate Program in Management with a dual major in analytical finance and strategic marketing from the Indian School of Business.
Wendy Mukuru (East Africa Portfolio Associate)
Prior to joining Acumen Fund, Wendy Mukuru spent over seventeen years in a variety of positions within the financial services industry, most recently as Country Sales & Service Manager, Stanbic Kenya, where her responsibilities included developing and implementing country sales and service strategies, and driving the organization's expansion into target markets. Wendy also worked in Stanbic's Treasury and Corporate Banking Divisions dealing with Professional Relationship Management. Before that, Wendy worked for Standard Chartered Bank as Head, Corporate Trader and Assistant Head of Treasury, advising corporate entities on foreign exchange and money market deal structuring. She holds a B.Sc. Business Administration, Finance Option from California State University, Los Angeles.
Nthenya Mule (East Africa Manager)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Nthenya Mule spent seven years working a consultant, most recently with the International Finance Corporation’s Grassroots Business Initiative Department. She has worked extensively in the microfinance and enterprise development sectors in East and Central Africa, providing technical and strategic support to a range of organizations, and carrying out project design and evaluation work. She has also been engaged in designing and evaluating donor-funded national projects in Kenya, Uganda and Mauritius. Nthenya holds an MA in International Economics and International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a BA in Economics from Grinnell College.
Raman Nanda (Director of Portfolio Management)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Raman Nanda worked at McKinsey & Co. for four years in the finance and healthcare sectors. Previously, Raman worked on tribal housing in North India and led an emergency medical relief team for earthquake victims. His academic work was based out of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar.
Misbah Naqvi (Pakistan Business Development Manager)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Misbah Naqvi spent eight years in a variety of positions at Citibank N.A., most recently as Public Affairs Officer, Citibank Pakistan, where her responsibilities included managing external and internal communications, community affairs and public affairs activities. Misbah also worked as a Relationship Manager in Citibank's Corporate Banking Group and held various positions in Cash Management. She holds an MBA and a BA (Honors) in Business Administration from Institute of Business Administration, University of Karachi.
Helen Ng (Housing Portfolio Manager)
Prior to joining Acumen Fund, Helen Ng, P.E. was the Principal and Founder of Domus A.D., a consulting firm providing economic and financial advisory services for global urban planning and infrastructure projects that improve sustainable habitation. Previously, she engaged in project financing – in telecommunications, transportation and water – at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson and Barclays Capital. Helen ’s Board affiliations currently include Domus A.D. (Chairperson), City College Architecture Center and New Housing New York (steering committee). She has a BS in Civil Engineering and an AB in International Relations from Stanford University, as well as an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Aun Rahman (Pakistan Director)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Aun Rahman worked for five years in economic and strategy consulting at Charles River Associates in Boston, specializing in financial modeling and quantitative analysis. Aun joined Acumen Fund in 2003 as a Fellow, working for 18 months with Acumen Fund’s investee Saiban to structure and incubate an affordable commercial housing project in Lahore and to develop the organization's management information systems. In 2005, he became Acumen Fund’s Country Manager in Pakistan. Originally from Karachi, Aun came to the United States to attend the University of Chicago, where he earned a BA in Economics.
Vikram Raman (India Portfolio Associate)
Vikram Raman previously served as an auditor in the Muscat office of BDO International, a global audit and consulting firm. During his tenure, he handled projects involving feasibility studies and financial projection analyses, as well as performing external and internal audits of publicly listed companies. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Madras. Vikram recently completed a post-graduate program in management (equivalent to an MBA) at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad.
Varun Sahni (India Director)
Varun
Sahni has focused on
building, managing and investing in businesses for low income communities for
the past ten years. Prior to joining Acumen Fund, he worked with both
for-profit and not-for-profit organizations focusing on enterprise creation
across India. He has also been
involved as an angel investor in a number of companies in the Hospitality
Services, Food and Beverage sectors across India. He
received an MA from Columbia University in Political Economy.
Shuaib Siddiqui (Pakistan Portfolio Associate)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Shuaib Siddiqui worked for two years in the Quantitative Alpha Generation Group at Citadel Investment Group, ea hedge fund based in Chicago, where he focused on developing trading strategies utilizing fundamental company data. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Vice President at Merrill Lynch working on The Global Analytic and Thematic Research team. He holds a BA in Economics from New York University.
Mariko Tada (Knowledge & Communications Manager)
Prior to joining Acumen Fund, Mariko Tada spent ten years at Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management, creating marketing and communication programs targeted to the needs of high-net-worth clients. She was instrumental in developing and managing Deutsche Bank’s “Wealth with Responsibility” program, an advisory service focused on family, philanthropy and social investing issues. Mariko has also worked as an English-language reporter for NHK television. She is a graduate of the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Noor Ullah (Pakistan Portfolio Associate)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Noor Ullah served as a consultant for the World Bank, where he studied the socio-economic impact of environmental degradation in the province of Punjab. Previously, he worked as a business development consultant for a number of multinationals and private enterprises. He handled projects involving feasibility studies and financial projection analyses. He also worked as Manager Business Development and Manager Projects at Microtech Industries, an engineering and telecom company. Prior to that, he had worked as a Research Analyst with Dr. Salman Shah (Pakistan's Finance Minister) on a number of research papers for PILDAT (Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency). He holds a Bachelor degree with Honors, in Economics and Computer Sciences from Lahore University of Management Sciences.
Yasmina Zaidman (Director of Knowledge & Communications)
Yasmina Zaidman works with diverse audiences and strategic partners in the international development, philanthropic, academic and corporate sectors to share insights and replicable models from Acumen Fund’s investment portfolio. Prior to joining Acumen Fund, Yasmina worked in the arena of international environmental protection and social entrepreneurship for seven years. She led the Environmental Innovations Initiative at Ashoka, where, as Acting Director, she headed an effort to capture and disseminate the best practices of leading environmental innovators throughout the developing world. Yasmina received a BA from Vassar College and an MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, with a certificate in Public Management.
Business Development Team
Sasha Dichter (Director of Business Development)
Before joining Acumen Fund, Sasha Dichter was Global Manager of Corporate Citizenship for GE Money, helping expand their financial offerings to underserved communities. Prior to joining GE, he spent three years as the Senior Program Manager for Corporate Citizenship at IBM, where he advised senior management on global corporate social responsibility issues and led a global program to support improved leadership skills in public schools. Sasha also worked as a management consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, working primarily for Latin American and European clients in the telecommunications industry, and for the Harvard Institute for International Development as a consultant to the microfinance group at Bank Rakyat Indonesia. He holds a BA from Harvard College, a Masters in Public Administration in International Development from Harvard’s Kennedy School and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Lalita Advani (Institutional Relations Manager)
Lalita Advani first worked with Acumen Fund in 2004 as part of the Portfolio Team, after serving in Goldman Sachs' Investment Banking division as an Associate in their Technology, Media and Telecom group. She then consulted for several non-profit organizations and foundations in New York and Mumbai. Her most recent work involved conducting detailed due diligence resulting in the effective disbursement of Credit Suisse's $4 million Katrina Relief Fund as well as designing the Katrina Volunteer Initiative. Earlier in her career, Lalita worked with Credit Suisse First Boston, Commerzbank and Loan Pricing Corporation. Lalita holds an MBA from the University of Chicago with a concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship, and a B Sc. from Ithaca College with a focus on Marketing and Corporate Communications.
Molly Alexander (Business Development Manager)
Molly Alexander has worked at Acumen Fund since September 2004. She has extensive experience living and working overseas, and prior to moving to New York managed a small business in Sydney, Australia creating market-based distribution channels for cottage industry products from remote areas of Tasmania. Molly holds a Bachelor of Asian Studies Degree with a double major in international relations and Korean studies from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney. One of five national recipients of a prestigious UNSW Business School scholarship, Molly completed her degree while living in Seoul, South Korea, where she also taught English as a Second Language.
Farzad Kapadia (Business Development Associate)
Prior to joining Acumen Fund, Farzad Kapadia worked for the Food Bank for New York City, where he conducted grant research, managed the Raiser's Edge database and gift processing, and supported the Special Events team. In addition, Farzad has worked at other non-profits, including Cause Effective, which provides management consulting services to non-profits, and the Japan Society. He holds a B.S. in International Business, with a minor in International Affairs, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Michele Malter (Business Development Associate)
Michele Malter came to Acumen Fund from Amnesty International USA, where she first served as the women's human rights intern and then worked in the development department, assisting in the Comprehensive Campaign. Michele is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in history and archaeology. She holds an M.A. in South Asian History from Tufts University, where she did her thesis on birth control in pre-independence India and where she was awarded the Graduate Student Research Award.
Blair Miller (Business Development Manager)
Blair Miller joined Acumen as the manager of business development. Blair's experience in pro-poor market-based solutions is drawn from both business and policy. She has helped develop a social impact assessment framework for base of the pyramid (BOP) business ventures like Scojo Foundation and Hindustan Lever's project Shakti, spearheaded youth-centered policies and education programs at the United Nations, and worked on a micro health insurance project with Ashoka's Full Economic Citizenship Initiative in India. Most recently, Blair worked with CARE in El Salvador to develop the business plan for an investment vehicle aimed at scaling small and medium-sized BOP enterprises. Blair holds an MBA from the University of MIchigan and a BA from the University of Virginia.
Operations Team
Devon Allison (Executive Assistant to CAO & CIO)
Devon Allison came to Acumen Fund from Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center where she assisted uninsured low income patients gain access to needed medical care. Prior to Good Samaritan Hospital, Devon interned at WITNESS, Inc in Brooklyn, NY with the Outreach Department, and Caritas - Europa in Brussels, Belgium as their Communications Intern. She earned a B.A. in History from American University.
Anand Attavane (Director of Finance)
Anand Attavane joined Acumen Fund with more than 10 years of experience in non-profit organizations, working first as Controller for Big Apple Circus and as Director of Finance for National Arts Stabilization. Before joining Acumen Fund, Anand spent seven years at The Economist as Financial Systems Analyst/Manager. Anand has had hands-on experience in designing and setting up financial accounting systems, managing budget and audit, managing cash and investments and strengthening internal controls. Anand received a Master's degree in accounting from Long Island University and he is Certified Public Accountant.
Deepti Doshi (Talent Manager)
Prior to joining Acumen Fund, Deepti Doshi worked at Katzenbach Partners LLC, a management consulting firm that focuses on strategic problem solving to improve organizational performance, and at Marshall Goldsmith Partners LLC, a leadership development firm that delivers executive coaching as well as other leadership development services to their global clients. She has also spent time working on various programs at an orphanage in India that serves victims of the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat. Deepti graduated from a dual degree program at the University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Economics (The Wharton School) and a BA in Psychology (The College of Arts and Sciences).
Aryeh Greenberg (Controller)
Aryeh Greenberg has extensive knowledge of accounting best practices, gathered from more than 10 years in the accounting field. He has held numerous positions, primarily in the manufacturing sector, where he developed timely and cost-effective methods for preparing financial information. Prior to joining Acumen Fund, Aryeh worked for four years at LLJ Inc., where he computerized accounting systems for both the company and its subsidiaries. He holds a BS in accounting from Brooklyn College.
Nadege Joseph (Administration Manager)
Nadege Joseph has been with Acumen Fund since 2001. She spent the first three years as Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this, Nadege worked as Office Manager at New Valley Realty, a commercial real estate company in New York, and spent a year at Venator Group, formerly known as Woolworth Corporation, as Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Training. Nadege also worked at advertising agency McCann-Erickson Worldwide for five years, first as an assistant and later as New Business Coordinator; in the latter role, she was involved in the planning process for all New Business presentations. Nadege attended SUNY at Buffalo for four years, majoring in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.
James Wu (Executive Assistant to CEO)
Prior to joining Acumen Fund, James Wu served as Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Planning and Development at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), responsible for coordination across various fundraising and development initiatives including grants, corporate sponsorships, individual giving, board relations, endowment, patron services, and special events. Previously, James served as the Director of Business Development at Exemplum, an interactive design and advertising agency, managing the consumer goods, telecommunications, and healthcare verticals. James was one of six original employees assisting in the early stages of incorporation and the acquisition of seed capital. James received a BS (Hons) in Economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a minor in Communication Studies and Public Relations.
