Natasha Dinham

„I consider myself so lucky to have a front row seat to what is, undoubtedly, the future of finance. Impact enterprises shouldn’t have to choose between creating impact and realizing growth, and I get to build ways to ensure that they don’t have to.“

Natasha Dinham is the new Co-CEO of Roots of Impact. In her previous role as the Lead Advisory & Advocacy, – which she continues ad interim -, her work included offering inspiration, advocacy, and critical support to build the Impact-Linked Finance market through high-end programs, facilities, and partnerships. Before, she led the Innovative Finance Initiative at the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation, an organization using creative and disruptive tools to drive capital towards better social outcomes. Here, Natasha co-convened the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business’s ‘Impact Investing in Africa’ course. Prior to this, she managed technical assistance portfolios in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia at FMO, the Dutch Development Bank.

Natasha has served on multiple investment committees and/or TA advisory boards for SME funds, and is currently the Chair of the Green Outcomes Fund. She holds a master’s degree in Economic Science from the University of the Witwatersrand, where she was an associate lecturer in Economics, and a certificate from Harvard Kennedy School’s Rethinking Financial Inclusion Program.

Sanjir Ali

„I believe that impact at the core of market-oriented enterprises is not just an add-on but rather a prerequisite towards improved environment and society. I am passionate about transitioning profit-oriented entities towards a more responsible role through proper incentivization.“

Sanjir Ali is Research Analyst at Roots of Impact and directly supports Bjoern in his various projects. In addition, Sanjir is pursuing his master’s degree in international business and economics after having gathered seven years of professional experience in project management, development and management consulting across four different countries. His work revolved around the bridge between the public, private and development sectors and this has led him to working with government agencies, multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, multinational companies and local enterprises.

Sanjir specializes in research, market systems development, market landscaping, private sector development, market entry strategy, public private partnership and impact assessments across the development and private sectors. He brings work experience in 15+ private sectors and cross thematic concepts such as gender, WASH, financial inclusion, social inclusion, education and climate change.

Annelene Tonn

„What makes my work feel meaningful is being in an impact-driven environment and ensuring that our impact keeps growing.“

Annelene Tonn is the new COO of Roots of Impact and continues to lead the Finance & Business Operations team. In this role, she is responsible for optimizing internal processes and ensuring strong execution capabilities of our project teams. Annelene has a broad professional background, having worked in multinational as well as medium-sized companies both in Germany and abroad.

Before joining the Roots of Impact team, she worked in Costa Rica as a manager for investor relations, financial planning and reporting, having been responsible for the establishment and continual improvement of strategic and operational performance indicators. Annelene also brings extensive knowledge from the healthcare industry. She has lived in Germany, England, Spain, Costa Rica and Guatemala and speaks three languages fluently. She holds a master’s degree in Finance and Management, having graduated with distinction from University of Exeter, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from ESB Reutlingen.

Tina Ellstroem

„I am incredibly thankful to be part of a team who deeply cares about positive impact on people and the planet and to contribute making us fit for scale.” 

Tina Ellstroem is Associate Finance & Business Operations at Roots of Impact (currently on maternity leave). She ensures that the right processes and settings are in place for the organization to scale effectively. Tina brings her extensive experience in accounting and human resources from various industries, having worked in Germany, Australia, and Norway before.

Among others, she has been responsible for learning and development programs as well as for recruitment for international and medium-sized companies. In addition, she contributes several years of experience working with accounting, financial planning and reporting. Tina speaks three languages and has a master’s degree of Human Resource Management from the University of Technology Sydney and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the BI Norwegian Business School.

Luciana Di Giovambattista

„I’m happy to be part of the Roots of Impact team because I can make a small contribution to generating more social impact.“

Luciana Di Giovambattista is an Associate Finance & Business Operations at Roots of Impact. In her work, she ensures that the right processes are in place by tracking progress and providing timely reports on the business’s critical financial and operational aspects. Before, Luciana has managed and restructured a medium-sized company based in Argentina. She also brings valuable experience in planning, controlling, and reporting.

In addition, Luciana has taken on mentoring roles to guide entrepreneurs in identifying their business potential and making the necessary adjustments in order to pave their way for a sustainable future. She holds a „Licentiatura“ Degree (equivalent to Bachelor’s Degree) in Business Administration from the Catholic University of Córdoba.

Johannes Palm

„Knowing that I can contribute to solving humanity’s problems on a global scale is what really drives me in my daily work.“

Johannes Palm is Associate Finance & Business Operations at Roots of Impact. Together with the team, he works on the definition and improvement of the operational processes and projects across the entire company. Johannes brings his knowledge and experience of internal process adaptation for high-growth companies to the table. Before joining Roots of Impact, he gathered extensive work experience in the German startup scene as well as in sustainable finance.  

Johannes speaks three languages fluently and holds a M.A. from Aalen University, Germany, and a B.Sc. from the European School of Business in Reutlingen, Germany. During his studies, he was able to expand his cross-cultural skills through various exchange semesters and travels, among others in Argentina.  

Jeanette Franke

„I am very excited to be part of the Roots of Impact team to share my passion for having a positive impact on the world.” 

Jeanette is Associate Finance & Business Operations at Roots of Impact and responsible for administration, accounting and customer relationship management. After completing an apprenticeship as a bank clerk, she has trained as a professional in human resources management.

Before joining the Roots of Impact team, Jeanette gained relevant experience as an office manager across various industries in Germany and Africa. In these roles, she was handling tasks related to human resources, accounting, financial planning and reporting.

Leonessa Crisci

„I am passionate about engaging with inspiring entrepreneurs and identifying how best to support their economic and impact growth with Impact-Linked Finance.“

Leonessa Crisci is Lead Transaction Management & Consulting at Roots of Impact. The transactions she leads cover a variety of sectors including WASH, agriculture, healthcare and vocational skills development, and span various regions such as Central America, Asia and Africa. She is actively involved in Roots of Impact’s efforts to inspire actors to engage with and practice Impact-Linked Finance.

Her professional career started in the private equity space, but she soon moved on to working for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Leonessa entered the impact investing space in 2018 and has worked with different stakeholders ever since, including a venture capital firm in India and  a family office in Germany. She is an EFFAS-Certified ESG Analyst and is fluent in five languages. Leonessa holds degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science and from King’s College London – both focusing on the political economy of development.

Steve McCallum

„I am passionate about using innovative ways to optimally connect capital to sustainable business models with better terms and deeper impact.“

Steve McCallum is Manager Transaction Management & Consulting at Roots of Impact. He largely focuses on managing Impact-Linked Finance programs covering sectors such as education, as well as water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH).

Previously, Steve was Innovative Finance Project Manager at the UCT GSB Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and an independent consultant to various stakeholders in the impact investing ecosystem. In these roles, he was involved in implementing innovative impact fund structures, investigating impact investment decision-making frameworks, training impact professionals and helping organizations describe, measure and improve their impact. He holds an MCom Business Management degree from Stellenbosch University and was part of Oxford University’s first cohort for the Executive Education Programme on Impact Measurement.

Yevgeniya Bukshpun

„I am very passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to scale and deepen their impact and excited about having the opportunity to shape the practice of Impact-Linked Finance.“

Yevgeniya Bukshpun is Senior Associate Transaction Management & Consulting at Roots of Impact and focuses on implementing and scaling up Impact-Linked Finance. She joins Roots of Impact after having worked in the philanthropic sector with private foundations in California for over ten years. In her previous roles, she gained a deep understanding of organizational, structural and capital needs of social enterprises and helped non-profit organizations to scale their impact across a large variety of sectors.

Yevgeniya’s experience also includes working for New York City’s Independent Budget Office, where she monitored, analyzed and reported on municipal spending on environmental programs. She holds a master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, with a focus on international environmental policy and economics.

Kuhle Mnisi Masilo

„What gets me up in the morning is the opportunity to support entrepreneurs in reaching their goals and rewarding them for their positive impact. I would like to create sustainable solutions to economic problems globally.“

Kuhle Mnisi Masilo is Associate Transaction Management & Consulting at Roots of Impact. She focuses on implementing the Impact-Linked Finance programs and transactions, as well as providing guidelines, standards, and advisory to further develop the Impact Linked Finance practice.

Previously, Kuhle was a Principal at Secha Capital, an early-stage impact private equity firm. She joined Secha to combine her skills in finance with her passion for impact and worked in supporting small businesses in South Africa with both financial and on-the-ground support. Kuhle has work experience in investment banking from Goldman Sachs and auditing from PwC. She also interned with Act in Africa, a design thinking and entrepreneurship development program based in Harare. Kuhle holds a Master’s degree in Development Finance from the University of Cape Town, where she was an assistant lecturer in management studies.

Laura Marras

„I’m very passionate about helping social enterprises to unlock their full impact potential. It’s exciting to be at the forefront of innovative finance and enable maximum impact by making the most effective use of catalytic capital.“

As an Advisor at Roots of Impact, Laura is working with funders and impact enterprises on Impact-Linked Finance transactions, advisory and advocacy mandates. She brings extensive international experience in finance, from corporate finance deal structuring to strategic business planning in the private and impact sectors, and across a variety of industries and geographies.

Laura is very passionate about working with innovative high-potential impact organizations, shaping their strategies, and building their capacity to create systemic change and achieve lasting impact. She believes in evidence-based actions and in the catalytic potential of concessional capital. Her vision is that „better terms for better impact“ will be embedded into any financial instrument and result in a lower cost of capital for the value creators.

Laura holds a M.Sc. in Physics, an MBA from the LUISS Business School and a certificate from MITx on Evaluating Social Programs. She speaks 3 languages and has lived in Italy, the UK, South Africa and Spain.

Janine Rutsch

„I am eager to walk the journey with impact enterprises towards our shared social and ecological goals – and to collaborate on systems change for a financial system that does the same.„

Janine Rutsch is  Analyst in the Transaction Management & Consulting team of Roots of Impact. As a qualified Chartered Accountant (South Africa), she is currently pursuing her master’s degree in development finance at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. Previously, she worked for a UK-based alternative debt provider as well as for Deloitte, gaining experience in venture debt for high-growth SMEs and audit of financial institutions.

Janine was part of the first African team to win the University of Oxford’s Map the System competition, where she researched financial exclusion in South African housing finance. She loves to combine her knowledge of systems thinking, her development studies and her experience with working with SMEs in South Africa and the UK to understand how to best support underserved market segments and effect positive change. 

Maxime Cheng

„I am most excited when I can help impact entrepreneurs identify the metrics that highlight how their impact and business models intersect.“

Maxime Cheng is the Lead Impact Intelligence & Education at Roots of Impact, which includes managing the B-Briddhi program in Bangladesh and the Social Finance Academy as an education platform that curates both online and onsite education in the field of impact measurement & management, impact investment readiness, and Impact-Linked Finance.

Before joining the team, Maxime built an impact measurement and evaluation database at Impact Hub (Global) and advised mission-driven organizations and policymakers on the subject. She also worked with start-ups creating digital content on business model design and leadership training, and established data analysis processes to drive UX and product development.

Maxime holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance and investigated the design process of impact indicators of social impact bonds in Europe in her final thesis. She also worked as a marketing officer at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in International Politics and History from Jacobs University Bremen.

Melanie Siow

„The most rewarding aspect of my job is successfully enabling a paradigm shift in impact measurement: from resource-intensive, box-ticking exercises, to insightful, lean data decision-making“

Melanie Siow is Technical Asistance Portfolio Manager at Roots of Impact, bringing more than 10 years of experience in environmental sustainability and social impact development sectors to the team. Upon graduation with a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Hochschule Mannheim, Germany, she was involved in the monitoring and evaluation of environmental engineering projects with multinational consultancy firms in Malaysia.

At the Foundation of Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, she spearheaded Malaysia’s first Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) initiative, a sustainable financing mechanism for management of natural resources. She also gained extensive experience in Pay-for-Success methodologies and cost-effective and customer-centric impact measurement. Melanie holds a M.Sc. in International Development Management from the University of Nottingham, UK, where her dissertation specialized in impact measurement practices in the impact investing industry.

Karoline Rodriguez Rivera

„Let the evidence speak: I am enthusiastic about exploring how exactly Impact-Linked Finance contributes to empowering impact entrepreneurs and helps them create additional impact.“

Karoline Rodriguez Rivera is Senior Associate Impact Intelligence & Education at Roots of Impact, where she specializes in strategic consulting and impact measurement with a focus on social and technological innovations. Before joining the Roots of Impact team, she gathered relevant experience as a research coordinator and successfully implemented large-scale impact evaluations for the World Bank and Innovations for Poverty Action in the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Karoline has served as a consultant for developing effective innovation policies and programs in Germany. Her role primarily involved conducting evaluation studies for government-funded initiatives in the research and innovation sector.

She also gained valuable insights while working at a circular economy start-up, where she immersed herself in the impact-focused business perspective. Karoline holds a master’s degree in economics from Nova School of Business and Economics, complemented by a bachelor’s degree in Global Management.

Jordan Wolken

„What drives me most is accelerating the diffusion of impact capital and community to empower impact enterprises in emerging markets.” 

Jordan Wolken is Associate Impact Intelligence & Education at Roots of Impact. He supports the company’s research agenda and the implementation of the B-Briddhi program in Bangladesh, in addition to assisting with impact measurement and management and investment readiness practices for Impact-Linked Finance transactions.

Jordan has supported social entrepreneurs in emerging markets for over five years through Bridges for Enterprise, a volunteer-led UK non-profit that he leads. Jordan’s prior domestic and international work experience spans venture capital, consulting, government, non-profits, and startups. He holds a bachelor’s degree from NYU Stern in Business and Political Economy and a master’s degree from HEC Paris in Sustainability and Social Innovation, where his thesis focused on the perceived utility of impact measurement among early-stage African startups. Outside of Roots of Impact, Jordan actively supports startup ecosystems across Africa and serves on the Advisory Board of Amenuveve, a Ghanaian social enterprise.

Adrija Das

„I am most excited about being able to contribute to the journey of entrepreneurs, who are working to better the lives of people in innovative ways.“

Adrija Das is Associate Impact Intelligence & Education at Roots of Impact. In the past several months, she has supported the team as an analyst alongside her studies at the Hertie School in Berlin. Previously, Adrija worked in the Asia Berlin program of the Berlin Senate, where she was involved in stakeholder research for fostering exchange between the start-up hubs of Asia and Berlin. Her work experiences include practicing competition, mergers and acquisitions law and running an impact enterprise that worked on access to quality primary education in northern India.

Adrija has also worked as a researcher with a member of the Indian parliament and political parties, where she focused on gender and minority inclusion-related policies. She is a law graduate from India and finished her master’s degree in Public Policy at the Hertie School, Berlin.

Fannely Mbewe

„I believe passion drives the achievement of social impact. I feel privileged to join that passion and use my skills to contribute to what impact entrepreneurs are working towards: creating a better future for all.”

Fannely Mbewe is Team Assistant at Roots of Impact and supports the entire Impact Intelligence & Education team in various tasks and programs. Prior to joining the Roots of Impact, Fannely was one of the few selected applicants for the AFRIKA KOMMT! fellowship program. As a fellow, she enjoyed working for technology corporate player Robert Bosch in Karlsruhe (Germany) within the automotive aftermarket sector, as part of their marketing and business coordination digital team.

Fannely always had a passion for social entrepreneurship, which developed during her work as a project assistant with the Chamber of Skilled Crafts, a project in her home country Zambia funded by BMZ, as well as a volunteer tutor at a Zambian NGO. Fannely speaks four languages and holds a bachelor’s degree of Commerce in Economics from Mulungushi University in Zambia and a master’s degree in Business Management from Shenyang Aerospace University in China.

Natasha Dinham

„I consider myself so lucky to have a front row seat to what is, undoubtedly, the future of finance. Impact enterprises shouldn’t have to choose between creating impact and realizing growth, and I get to build ways to ensure that they don’t have to.“

After taking on the role of Co-CEO in September 2023, Natasha Dinham continues to lead the Advisory & Advocacy team at Roots of Impact ad interim. Her work in this team includes offering inspiration, advocacy, and critical support to build the Impact-Linked Finance market through high-end programs, facilities, and partnerships. Before, she led the Innovative Finance Initiative at the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation, an organization using creative and disruptive tools to drive capital towards better social outcomes. Here, Natasha co-convened the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business’s ‘Impact Investing in Africa’ course. Prior to this, she managed technical assistance portfolios in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia at FMO, the Dutch Development Bank.

Natasha has served on multiple investment committees and/or TA advisory boards for SME funds, and is currently the Chair of the Green Outcomes Fund. She holds a master’s degree in Economic Science from the University of the Witwatersrand, where she was an associate lecturer in Economics, and a certificate from Harvard Kennedy School’s Rethinking Financial Inclusion Program.

Anieke de Villiers

„I’m passionate about finding the most effective way to do good for people and the planet. I believe Impact-Linked Finance is the highway for driving optimal positive impact in the world.“

Anieke de Villiers is Senior Associate Advisory & Advocacy at Roots of Impact. Her work includes designing, structuring and implementing the Impact-Linked Fund for Gender-Inclusive Fintech and supporting on advisory mandates for donors, impact investors and impact enterprises.

Prior to joining the Roots of Impact team, Anieke worked for a UK-based alternative debt provider specializing in growth capital and venture debt to high-growth potential SMEs in the UK. Before, she spent time with TechnoServe India in Mumbai, developing an assessment tool to evaluate the performance of the farmer producer companies in their programs. She also has experience in investment banking and corporate finance in South Africa and is a qualified Chartered Accountant (South Africa).

RickyJesse Daudi

„My motivation is to meaningfully contribute to a holistic vision of a more equitable and sustainable world. I can’t wait to see how Impact-Linked Finance becomes an additional gear in my toolkit, helping me drive and achieve this.”

RickyJesse Daudi is Associate Advisory and Advocacy at Roots of Impact. He provides strategic Impact-Linked Finance advisory as well as advocacy to build the Impact-Linked Finance market through high-end programs, facilities, and partnerships.

Jesse formerly served as an Investment Analyst at Samawati Capital Partners. In this role, he supported research assignments, performed investment and financial analysis, structured deals, contributed to business development, and implemented impact advisory projects. His prior experience includes positions at a commercial bank and a community development institution, where he developed his financial and business analysis skills and passion for creating impact. Jesse holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Science: Financial Economics from Strathmore University.

Christina Moehrle

„My passion and profession is knowledge dissemination. If I can move hearts, minds and pockets of money towards more positive impact, I am all smiles.“

Christina Moehrle is the Lead Communications & Community Management at Roots of Impact and has been with the company since its inception. Her main role is to lead the communication and branding activities for multiple initiatives and programs in which Roots of Impact is involved. In addition, she is supporting the company’s impact investment readiness and blended finance education program offerings for various impact stakeholders.

Since 2012, Christina is active as an independent advisor specializing in impact finance and impact entrepreneurship. Besides Roots of Impact, she is working with several impact pioneers in Europe, such as the Financing Agency for Social Entrepreneurship (FASE), the Initiative for Blended Finance at the University of Zurich, the Impact-Linked Finance Fund, and Ananda Impact Ventures. Her previous career spans management roles such as partner and investor relations manager at the international venture capital firm Star Ventures as well as director of structured products at Deutsche Bank Trust AG, where she was responsible for venture capital, private equity and other alternative fund placements to Deutsche Bank’s high net worth clients across Germany.

Besides work, Christina enjoys being a pro bono advisor and mentor to impact entrepreneurs. She holds a master’s degree with honours in Business Administration from the University of Mannheim and is a member of the German journalist association DFJV.

Daniela Bolivar

„Good communications are key to make the impact sector professional and avant-garde and to mobilize resources to where it matters most. I am truly excited about being able to contribute to the journey of innovative impact entrepreneurs, who are working to better the lives of people.“

Daniela Bolivar is Associate Communications & Community Management at Roots of Impact and supports the team in creating high-quality strategies and materials to reach out to external stakeholders about the company’s programs and projects. For more than 15 years, Daniela has been working as a graphic design and communications expert. Since 2013, she focuses exclusively on impact-driven organizations and is actively involved in the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Latin America, where she developed strong partnerships.

Daniela is passionate about Sketchnotes and visual facilitation that translate complex content in impact finance into user-friendly and accessible visual pieces. As an independent senior consultant in design and strategic communications, she also works with other impact actors in Europe and Latin America, for example, with the ES2 Latam platform.