Built for this work
Our team has over 20+ years of experience managing investments and delivering technical assistance to SMEs, and has deployed over USD 140 million across funds and programs.
Management Committee
HAROLD ROSEN
Chief Executive Officer, Global
Washington DC, USA
LILIAN MRAMBA
Chief Executive Officer, Africa
Nairobi, Kenya
Our Team
The people behind the portfolio.
DARSHAN DHAKAN
Investment Director
Nairobi, Kenya
BRIGID KAMAU
Finance Director
Nairobi, Kenya
ROSE GALAMGAM
Finance Officer
Washington DC, USA
VICTORIA GARZON
Legal, Risk and Compliance Lead
Nairobi, Kenya
LAILA KASSAM
Investment and Program Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
NOELINA WADAKI
Head of Operations
Nairobi, Kenya
MERCY IRERI
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Lead
Nairobi, Kenya
DAVID SANDIMBA
Head of Internal Audit
Nairobi, Kenya
KEZIA MACHUKI
Senior Accountant
Nairobi, Kenya
LEAH MBURU
Senior Advisor
Nairobi, Kenya
TITUS MUEMA
Senior Investment Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
ANTONY MURIKI
Senior Investment Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
FAITH MAKENA
Senior Investment Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
REGINA NTHENGE
Investment Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
CHERYL ONYANGO
Investment Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
SAKINA ORWA
Investment Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
STEPHEN SAMBU
Investment Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
BETHROSE CHEGE
Investment Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
LEONE MUYALE
Investment Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
MELLANIE WANGARE
Program Manager
Nairobi, Kenya
STERCY MAKORI
Internal Audit/Safeguarding Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
JILL MALKIAH
Human Resources Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
IAN MATI
Chief of Staff
Nairobi, Kenya
JAMES NYANGA
Data Analyst
Nairobi, Kenya
VINCENT OMONDI
Program Accountant
Nairobi, Kenya
TERRY ACHOLA
Administrative Assistant
Nairobi, Kenya
Governing Board
Our advisors bring 50+ years of combined leadership across finance, development, and social enterprise, spanning East Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
Mary Houghton
Chairman of the Board/Co-Founder, Shorebank Corporation
Mary co-founded ShoreBank Corporation, a commercial bank holding company focused on community development and environmental protection. She is a Director of three financial institutions: Basix and BSFL in Hyderabad, India, and Citizens Bank in Vancouver, Canada, as well as two U.S. non-profit, small-business, loan funds.
Andrew Adelson
GBF Advisor
Andy retired from Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., Inc. (now Alliance Capital), where he served as Chief Investment Officer managing over $100 billion in client assets and developing global and local equity products in the UK, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia and emerging markets. Andy also serves as Treasurer on the Board of the Hastings Center for Bioethics Research.
Guillermo Ferreyros
Chief Executive Officer, President and Executive Director, Maple Energy Plc
Rafael Guillermo Ferreyros Cannock has more than 20 years’ experience in the energy and agro-industrial related areas, including in developing greenfield projects: from conceiving ideas and project plans to implementation, operation and financing, in Peru. Mr. Ferreyros serves as Chief Executive Officer, President and Executive Director of Maple Energy PLC in Peru.
Zoë Dean-Smith
Senior Director of Global Programs, Vital Voices
Between 2007 and 2011, Zoë was based in her home country of Swaziland and assumed the role of Senior Director of Vital Voices’ Global Entrepreneurs in Handcrafts Program. During this time, she also worked with TechnoServe Swaziland, mentoring a number of emerging handicraft export organizations and helping to develop the country’s handicraft sector. Her activities have also included working with IFC’s Grassroots Business Initiatives on handicraft development across Africa and in South-East Asia.
Holly Wise
Senior Director of Global Programs/Founder, Wise Solutions LLC
Through her consultancy practice, Wise Solutions LLC, Holly brings international development and public-private alliance expertise to corporations, foundations and non-for-profits. She serves as a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Jaime Ramirez
GBF Advisor
Jaime has over 25 years of experience in finance, project management, risk analysis and operations consulting in developing countries. Jaime became familiar with high-impact businesses as a Business Associate for Gone Rural in the Kingdom of Swaziland, where he supported the management team through an assignment with MBAs Without Border. Jaime worked for GBF for over 15 years.
Harold Rosen
Chief Executive Officer, Global
Harold, GBF’s founder and Global CEO, is considered one of the development field’s leading innovators and entrepreneurs. He holds an MBA from Harvard University, a Bachelors and Masters in Regional Science from University of Pennsylvania. In 1978 Harold joined the World Bank Group through the Young Professional Program and in 2004, he founded and led the International Finance Corporation’s Grassroots Business Initiative, which spun off into the Grassroots Business Fund (“GBF”) in 2008. After working for 30 years at IFC, he led the restructuring of GBF and its establishment as an independent non-profit organization. In his spare time he enjoys sports, swimming and Tennis
Lilian Mramba
Chief Executive Officer, Africa
Lilian, GBF’s CEO Africa, has over 17 years of expertise in supporting businesses across Africa. Lilian also serves on various boards globally and regionally, sits on the Investment Committee at The Farmfit Fund, and holds a board position in a media company in Tanzania. Prior to GBF, Lilian worked as a Business Assurance Manager at Moss Adams LLP in the US and as an Associate at African Development Bank in Tunisia. She holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of Idaho. In her spare time, she enjoys running, cooking meals, and traveling.
Our Partners
With support from our partners, we have managed over $100 Million to create impact in projects around the world.
