In the Brussels region, there are close to 60,000 long-term (more than 24 months) unemployed people. This can have devastating effects. Long-term unemployment causes persistent poverty and reduces self-esteem. In addition, it comes at a high societal cost.
In 2017, Actiris (the Brussels Employment Office), selected KOIS to investigate the feasibility of another Social Impact Bond. This time the bond should benefit the long-term unemployed.
Growing demand for food and energy is putting increasing pressure on land, threatening our planet’s natural resources. There is an urgent need to shift towards more sustainable practices when it comes to agriculture, forestry and land use in general. In 2017, the Blended Finance Taskforce commissioned KOIS to develop a study on financing sustainable land use (SLU). KOIS also demonstrated the essential role of blended finance in this shift.
The world’s most pressing challenges, from addressing climate change to ensuring decent work for people, are too great for single institutions to solve alone. In response to this, KOIS, Kite and Sattva spoke to experts across the range of social impact partnerships. We created a framework to help understand what makes a successful impacta partnership.
The 9-year Syrian conflict has created a huge humanitarian crisis. It displaced more than 11 million Syrians from their homes. And three neighbouring countries are hosting nearly 80% of them: Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.
With the help of the IKEA foundation anNear East Foundation, we supported the scale-up of a vocational training and start-up grants programme. The project aims to target up to 9,000 refugees in Jordan and Lebanon through a Development Impact Bond.
Menstruation is a key component of a woman’s life. Yet, menstrual hygiene management (MHM) remains a taboo in many cultures. Together with WSCCC, KOIS conducted a feasibility study to explore the relevance of a Development Impact Bond in India. Based on this work, KOIS then also partnered with AFD to structure a second DIB on the same topic, this time in Ethiopia and Niger. The objective of the DIBs is to empower adolescent girls by implementing a holistic MHM programme, comprised of three interventions.
Florian Kemmerich is a seasoned expert in impact investing, capital advisory, and innovative finance solutions. With over two decades of experience, Florian has a proven track record in driving growth, structuring high-impact finance strategies, and scaling businesses globally. His expertise spans leadership roles in impact investing and the healthcare sector, with a particular focus on blended finance, growth-stage investments, and capital mobilization to drive sustainable outcomes.
Prior to joining KOIS, Florian held key leadership positions where he successfully mobilized capital to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. His deep understanding of global markets and commitment to leveraging finance as a tool for positive change aligns with KOIS’ mission to scale impact through collaboration between the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
Junior Analyst, Brussels office
Milena is passionate about nature-positive finance and has previously worked at the United Nations Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative as a Programme Assistant Intern. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from Leiden University and a Master’s Degree in International Development with concentrations in environment and agriculture from Sciences Po. During her studies, Milena also gained professional experience in the fields of academic research, event management and diplomacy.
Junior Analyst, Brussels office
Marco joins KOIS with a robust background in finance, having graduated from Bocconi University with a Bachelor’s in Economics and Finance and an international Master’s Degree in Business Management from ESCP, through which he had the possibility of studying at the University of Southern California. His studies culminated in a paper on the Next Generation EU and its impact on European fiscal integration. Marco brings valuable experience from investment banking and corporate finance, using his skill set in complex financial environments.
At KOIS, he is dedicated to helping impactful change through blended finance projects, focusing on humanitarian initiatives. He is passionate about utilising blended finance to mobilise private sector involvement in development goals, believing private market incentives to be crucial for resolving global challenges.
Junior Analyst, Brussels office
Silke is passionate about impact finance and social projects in emerging markets. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business Economics with a specialisation in Emerging Markets at Maastricht University. Prior to joining KOIS, her work experience was primarily in banking. She is currently finalising her Master’s degree in Business and Development Studies with a minor in ESG at Copenhagen Business School..
Junior Analyst, Mumbai office
Sadhana is an economics graduate and has extensive experience in the international development sector. She has previously worked on impact evaluations and policy assessments across several sectors particularly financial inclusion and livelihoods. At KOIS, Sadhana supports blended finance projects focused on health, education and livelihoods.
Prior to KOIS, Sadhana was a Research Associate at J-PAL South Asia where she worked on a project to design a targeted and flexible microcredit tool that would foster entrepreneurship.
She completed her Integrated Masters in Development Studies from IIT Madras with a minor in International Relations in 2023.
Senior Analyst, Mumbai office
Renuka has worked with multilateral organisations, governments, CSR advisories, donors and non-profits across domains including maternal and child health and nutrition, early childhood education, skilling and empowerment of women self-help groups.
Previously, Renuka worked as a Program Officer at the UNICEF supported think-tank of the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Maharashtra- the Rajmata Jijau Mother-Child Health and Nutrition Mission. She also worked with Deloitte’s Social Impact team, managing the financial performance of grants valuing over $10mn.
She is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Management from the University of Mumbai along with international diplomas in Spanish and French.
Manager, Mumbai office
Tracy has over 9 years of experience spanning corporate finance, risk management, and strategy & operations, having worked across start ups, incubators, debt providers, and multinational banks. At KOIS, Tracy supports the Global CFO while actively contributing to the firm’s advisory and asset management business.
Tracy became a CFA charterholder, from the CFA Institute, Virginia, USA in 2018, and she has a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media (Journalism) from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
Junior Analyst, Brussels office
Aman has experience working with multilateral organisation, NGOs, and startups across various projects. These projects varied from policy drafting, monitoring and evaluation, and circular economy. At KOIS, he is committed to creating an impact through blended finance projects focused on the climate change.
Previously, Aman has interned with UNDP, Indian Parliamentarians, and Water Aid India. In addition, he co-founded a startup called Toytoon which focused on the circular economy by offering toys on subscription.
He is studying Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree (EMJMD) in Models and Methods of Quantitative Economics (QEM) from Université Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and the University of Venice. He did his bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Delhi.
Associate, Nairobi office
Enock brings 7 years of experience in innovative finance, venture building and market research with exposure to multiple sectors including livelihoods, agriculture, education and energy.
Prior to KOIS, Enock worked as a Venture Building Manager at Mercy Corps’ Jobtech Alliance, deploying capital and technical assistance through multiple impact vehicles, designed as results-based financing instruments, to catalyze private sector innovations for scale and livelihoods.
Enock holds a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science from Strathmore University.
Junior Analyst, Brussels office
Maximilien, driven by passion and commitment, actively supports health-focused blended finance projects at KOIS.
Before joining KOIS, he navigated a diverse professional journey with an internship in private financial markets at Accenture and showcased his strategic prowess in other tech-savvy startups.
Maximilien’s academic background underscores his strategic focus on positive impact, holding an MSc in Management with a specialization in Strategy, Impact, and Entrepreneurship from Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, complemented by a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Solvay Brussels School.
Parag holds a Masters in Corporate Finance & Banking with a major in Financial Intermediation (Private Equity, M&A and Project Finance) from EDHEC Business School, France. He is also a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Parag has over 5+ years of experience in Investment & Portfolio Management, Infrastructure & Public Finance, Treasury & Accounts while working with CXOs at Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Power and IBM. Before joining KOIS, Parag led the Finance & Due Diligence teams at Guild Capital (a venture capital firm based in USA).
He joined KOIS in 2020 as the Chief Financial Officer to head the finance & compliance function across investments, asset management & advisory.
Juliette Averseng
Associate Partner, Brussels office
Juliette holds a Master Degree in Management from HEC Business School in Paris and spent 6 months at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore.
She since built 3 years of experience in social business and sustainable development consulting, in New Delhi and Paris, working both for social entrepreneurs and large corporations.
Juliette joined KOIS in 2018 and has been working on developing innovative finance mechanisms on topics such as accessibility to eye care & improving the livelihood of young women in Africa.
Salma Badr
Manager, Paris office
Salma holds a double degree in management and business law from ESSEC Business School and La Sorbonne University. Salma has 4 years of experience in innovative finance and impact investing. She has joined KOIS in 2020, specialising in health, livelihoods, education, and gender empowerment across blended and result-based financing mechanisms with a focus on Impact Bonds.
Alexandre Miura
Associate, Paris office
Alexandre holds a master’s degree in Management from ESSEC Business School, where he also studied social economy and environmental topics.
During its studies, he experienced various dimensions of the impact sector: after an internship as a Junior Product Manager in a healthcare sector start-up, he discovered impact finance through an experience as an Analyst at Demeter Ventures, in a fund dedicated to early-stage investments in start-ups from the AgTech sector. Before joining KOIS, he also worked as a Consultant at Eurogroup Consulting.
He joined KOIS in 2022.
Associate Partner, Mumbai office
Karthik has been working in the healthcare sector for nearly 15 years across different contexts (private and not-for-profit) and different markets (India & Sub-Saharan Africa) and focusing on designing and deploying long-term and multi-stakeholder programs targeted at improving health outcomes for different clinical conditions (ranging from maternal & child health to oncology & mental health). Prior to KOIS, Karthik worked at the Center for Public Health & Development (Kenyan-based public health organization); citiesRISE (urban youth-focused mental health platform) and at Philips HealthTech (US, India, and Kenya). In his roles, Karthik has spent a significant amount of time on the ground—gathering clinical insights to co-create, productize, and eventually operationalize complex solutions with the end-customer.
Analyst, Brussels office
Luisa has gained valuable experience through her work in the fields of research, development, and finance. She has interned with the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, the Inter-American Development Bank, and Colombia’s Ministry of Finance, where she conducted in-depth analyses of economic indicators and contributed to significant socioeconomic research efforts. Her most recent role as a Research Analyst at Innovations for Poverty Action involved supporting impact evaluations of cash transfer programs and projects surrounding poverty alleviation in her home country, Colombia. Moreover, Luisa is currently, pursuing a Master’s in International Development at Sciences Po in Paris, with concentrations in Global Economy and Project Management. At KOIS, Luisa will contribute to the design and structuring of innovative finance products for education, early childhood development and women’s economic empowerment.
Manager, Brussels office
Francesca has worked with impact investors, non-profits and hybrids, foundations and at KOIS supports blended finance projects focused on agriculture, waste and health.
Prior to Kois, Francesca was a risk management consultant at E&Y and an Impact Investment specialist in an Italian impact investing accelerator and venture capital where she helped scout, select, due diligence, analyze and make financial models for startups.
She also collaborates with University of Bologna as a researcher on social venture capital and impact investing and publishing, among other studies, an international paper.
She holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Finance from the University of Cattolica as well as a BSc in Economics and an MSc in finance at the University of Bologna.
Principal, Nairobi office
Charlotte specialises in strategy development, gender, livelihoods and East Africa across both blended finance and performance-based finance products.
Prior to joining KOIS Invest, Charlotte worked in private equity consulting at Roland Berger in London, global strategy development at Plan International and, led Plan International’s global innovative finance work. She holds a BA in Modern Languages from the University of Oxford and a MSc in Global Politics from the London School of Economics.
Associate, Mumbai office
Akshita has worked with impact advisories, government organizations, and for-profit organizations on multiple consulting projects across several sectors, including financial inclusion, livelihoods, and sustainability. At KOIS, Akshita supports blended finance projects focused on gender, livelihoods, and climate tech.
Prior to KOIS, Akshita was a Consultant at the Dalberg Advisors and supported KPMG India’s Infrastructure, Government, and Healthcare business consulting practice area.
She graduated from IGIDR (Indira Gandhi Institute for Development Research) with a master’s degree in Economics in 2021.
Senior Analyst, Mumbai office
Bhavya has worked with development sector consultancies across various sectors including health, climate resilience, state capacity, public finance management, blended finance, energy transition among others. At KOIS, Bhavya supports blended finance projects focused on health, skilling and livelihoods.
Prior to KOIS, Bhavya was an Associate at Microsave Consulting (MSC) as part of their Catalytic Finance vertical.
She completed her BA(Hons) Sociology from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University and her MSC in International Social and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Analyst, Mumbai office
Aditya is a public health professional and has previously worked for the Monitoring and evaluation of public health programs, supported Evaluation capacity-building initiatives, and assisted in forging partnerships for infectious disease-focused start-ups. At KOIS, Aditya is supporting blended finance projects in healthcare.
Before KOIS, Aditya worked with Sambodhi Research and Communications, an M&E boutique firm in India, managing monitoring and evaluation activities, and supported Tata Trusts’ not-for-profit fund for accelerating biotech solutions targeting infectious diseases.
Marie Pietri
Senior Analyst, Paris office
Marie holds a master’s degree in Management from ESSEC Business School, with majors in corporate finance, business law and impact investing. She has experience in impact investing through her role as an Analyst at Investir&+, a French VC impact fund, where she helped source new startups, contributed to due diligences and to the writing of investment memos, and represented the fund during major entrepreneurial events.At KOIS, Marie contributes to the design and structuring of innovative finance products in health, education and environment.
Junior Analyst, Brussels office
Naman has worked with public, private and non-profit companies such as Flanders Investment & Trade, Accenture, Solifin(now BE-Impact), Value network and more. He has gained experience in research, business evaluation, impact finance, social entrepreneurship and event co-ordination. He is actively working in supporting the startup ecosystem in Belgium.
Miriam
Analyst, Brussels
Miriam specialises in gender, social entrepreneurship and innovative finance. She joined KOIS in 2022 working on the design of outcome based financing models and other fund structures.
Miriam has previous experience with the European Investment Fund, BNP Paribas, and UNICEF. She holds a dual BA in International Relations and Economics from Sciences Po Paris and University College London. Miriam also graduated from a Master’s in International Management and Sustainability from Sciences Po Paris.
Hugo Le Blay
Associate, Paris
Hugo has 5 years of experience in international development, advising clients including the EU, the World Bank, the UN and multiple NGOs.
Prior to joining KOI, Hugo was a Project Manager at Altai Consulting, a development consulting firm providing strategic advisory, research, monitoring and evaluation services to development stakeholders. Based in Nairobi, he led studies on programming in border areas, forced displacement, livelihoods, migration governance and violent extremism in East Africa.
Hugo holds a Master of Science in Management from Essec Business School with a specialisation in social entrepreneurship and innovation.
François de Borchgrave
Founder & Managing Partner, Brussels office
François holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, after which he spent several years in Telecom & Technology companies. He has over 20 years of Private Equity experience, with a specific focus on impact investing in the last 12 years.
François also co-founded different NGO’s , including Toolbox, a non-profit providing management services to NGOs and Tous Ensemble Handicap and Verbier4All – both in the disability sector.
In 2010, François co-founded KOIS with the belief that collaboration between the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors is the best way to scale impact solutions, and started building up a high-impact high-return portfolio.
Roopal Dahiya
Senior Analyst, New Delhi office
Roopal is a social impact consultant with over 3 years of experience. Prior to joining KOIS, she worked with Dalberg Advisors on strategy development and impact investment projects covering a wide range of sectors including climate and sustainability, energy, healthcare, livelihoods, and financial inclusion.
Analyst, Brussels office
Silvana has over 2 years of experience in international development and impact evaluations. She has worked for non-profit research organizations in policy assessment and analysis. At KOIS, Silvana supports innovative finance projects across different impact areas.
Prior to KOIS, she was a Research Consultant at 3ie (International Initiative for Impact Evaluation) and supported the Project Development Team at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) Ghana and Nigeria.
Silvana holds a Master’s degree in International Development from Sciences Po Paris and a BA in International Relations from Queen Mary University of London.
Natasha Gupta
Senior Analyst, Mumbai office
Natasha has worked with impact advisories, non-profits, and global philanthropies across several sectors, including financial inclusion, education and data governance. At KOIS, Natasha supports blended finance projects focused on agriculture, livelihoods, and skilling.
Prior to KOIS, Natasha was an Associate the International Innovation Corps (University of Chicago Trust), and supported The Rockefeller Foundation’s Asia investments team.
She graduated from Duke University with bachelor’s degrees in Economics and English.
Kaustubh Shanbag
Associate, Mumbai office
Kaustubh is a qualified Chartered Accountant. Prior to KOIS, he worked at BDO India in the financial due diligence practice covering deals in Edu-tech, real estate and e-commerce space. He also interned for a year as a part of the investment team at India Resurgence Fund – focused on investing in distressed assets and turnaround.
He joined KOIS in 2021 as an analyst in Mumbai office to work on the finance & compliance function across investments, asset management & advisory.
Clara Marköö
Manager, Paris office
Clara has 5 years of experience in global development, economic policy and impact finance, with prior experience from the OECD and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Clara joined KOIS in 2020, specialising in the development of innovative finance products focused on livelihoods, gender and sustainable land use.
Clara holds a master’s degree in international economics from Sciences Po Paris and a BSc in economics from Uppsala University.
Anusha Bhagat
Associate, Mumbai office
Anusha holds a BSc. In Economics & Finance from Ashoka University, India. She joined KOIS in 2021 as Analyst in the India office.
Previously, she worked as Investment Specialist at Invest India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. As part of the execution arm of the Make in India initiative, she provided investment facilitation, strategic business advisory & policy advocacy to leading investors from the US, Germany & Eastern European region to set up or expand their presence in India.
At Invest India, Anusha also served as a Policy Consultant to the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India.
Manager, Mumbai office
Krati holds bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from IIT Delhi and MBA from IIM Bangalore with specialization in finance and economics.
She has 12+ years or experience where she has worked as a project management professional with energy major Shell for 7 years followed by 5+ years of work in development sector across gender, financial literacy, blended finance and sustainability. Prior to KOIS, she worked with Caspian Impact Investments as Blended Finance and Sustainability lead.
At KOIS, she joined as a manager, leading projects across climate, agriculture and livelihoods.
Principal, Paris office
Cédric has over twelve years of experience in global development, impact finance and policy advisory with international institutions such as the World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), French Development Agency and BNP Paribas. Cédric has built a deep understanding of impact measurement and monitoring. Recently, he helped BMGF launch a result-based management initiative to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation tools of the $2.5bn Lives and Livelihoods Fund.
Cédric holds a Master’s degree in Finance & Strategy from Sciences Po Paris and a Master’s Degree in Engineering from École Centrale Nantes.
Associate, Brussels office
Matteo holds a master’s degree in Poverty, Inequality, and Development, and as a spin-out of a University of Birmingham research, he co-developed an innovative financial mechanism to provide credit to local SMEs.
Prior to KOIS, Matteo was a consultant in stakeholder engagement advising EU agencies and working on research and innovation projects on renewable energy, nature, and biodiversity.
At KOIS, Matteo works on innovative finance advisory projects focusing on entrepreneurship, climate and the environment
Priyanshi Mishra
Associate, Mumbai office
Priyanshi joined KOIS from Boston Consulting Group where she worked across consumer goods, industrial goods and healthcare sectors. She did her Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
Shreeya Nangia
Associate, Mumbai office
Shreeya joined Kois in 2022 after working at Nomura India where she was an investment banking analyst focused towards equity capital markets. She holds a Masters degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and a Bachelors degree from Jesus & Mary College, University of Delhi.
Junior Analyst, Brussels office
Julien holds a Bachelor’s in Management from ESCP Business School. Julien has previously worked in impact investing in corporate finance, venture capital advisory and blended finance. At KOIS, Julien supports fund management.
Prior to KOIS, Julien was a consultant intern at Impact Africa Invest (an impact advisory) and a finance intern at STOA (an impact investor in infrastructure & energy).
Junior Analyst, Brussels office
Sagar has experience working in several sectors such as agritech, finance, and healthcare: primarily in India. He has also worked on his own initiatives including an agri-solution to water and land shortages in large cities. Sagar is currently in his final year of his BSc in International Business Administration at Erasmus University, Netherlands – majoring in finance
He joined KOIS in 2022 to work on innovative finance projects.
Manager, Mumbai office
Shriya has diverse experience in the development sector across roles in public policy consulting, corporate social responsibility, and journalism. During this period, she has worked with impact-focused organizations such as Oxford Policy Management (OPM), Areté Advisors (now acquired by Bain & Company), ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth, and World Resources Institute. Prior to joining Kois Invest, Shriya was the Team Leader for the Social Policy Programme at OPM India, contributing to the strategy and management of projects in thematic areas such as education, skills, social protection and health. She holds an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and a Masters in Development Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Shriya is a heritage junkie who can be spotted conducting heritage walks in Mumbai and is a deep believer in the healing power of chai and books.
Analyst, Mumbai office
Sukrut joined KOIS in 2022 to work on innovative finance and asset management projects.
Prior to KOIS, he was a part of the Deloitte India Financial Advisory team where he helped clients address financial malpractice issues and undertake corporate process improvements to align with global best governance practices. He also led key business development initiatives to help grow the nascent practice.
He is a Chartered Accountant and has completed two levels of CFA (USA). He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Mumbai.
Mamtha Gujaran
Office Manager, Mumbai office
Mamtha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Mangalore University in India. She has an overall experience of 27 years as an executive secretary in the pharmaceutical and real estate industry.
Mamtha joined KOIS on 1st July 2022 as Manager-Administration and helps run the operations in the Mumbai (India) office.
Amit Garg
Principal, Mumbai office
Amit has over 10 years of experience in co-creating, managing & informing catalytic grants from philanthropic and bilateral donors focused on creating economic opportunities for disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. Prior to KOIS, Amit managed corporate philanthropy for Godrej and Credit Suisse in India, South Asia grants for GFEMS.org and strategy consulting for the Global Development Incubator in India. He specialises in co-designing development programming and innovative financing mechanisms in South Asia.
Colin Godbarge
Associate Partner, Paris & Brussels office
Colin holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University, and a Master of Science in Business Management from HEC Paris.
He has developed over 12 years of experience across the private, public & non-profit sectors. He led strategy consulting projects at the Boston Consulting Group for 5 years, focusing on healthcare and social impact. He also managed humanitarian and development operations in Sri Lanka and Haiti with the NGO ACTED.
Colin joined KOIS in 2019, with a role focused on designing & structuring innovative finance instruments as well as leading advisory teams across all KOIS’ offices.
Charles-Antoine Janssen
Founder & Managing Partner, Brussels office
Charles-Antoine holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from ULB and followed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Thereafter, he spent 5 years at Merril Lynch London & held several management positions at UCB, notably in the M&A division. He currently remains a Board Member of UCB & Tubize. He also co-founded Toolbox, an NGO & volunteered in several others such as MSF or UNHCR.
Charles-Antoine co-founded KOIS in 2010, with the aim to scale impact solutions through collaboration between the for-profit & not-for-profit sector.
Ladislas de Guerre
Principal, Paris office
Ladislas hold a Master’s degree in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics and a Master’s degree in Finance from Université Paris Dauphine.
Before joining KOIS, he developed 9 years of experience in corporate finance by working at J.P. Morgan and General Electric. He has been actively involved in several NGOs in France and abroad as well.
Ladislas joined KOIS in 2017 and has since notably structured the second Belgium Social Impact Bond, aiming to reduce long term unemployment in Brussels and the largest French SIB, aiming to improve foster care. He is also involved in KOIS’ investment activities in Europe.
Pooja Monga
Associate, Mumbai office
Pooja holds a Masters degree from the London Business School and a Bachelors degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi.
Prior to KOIS, she was a Manager at Invest India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. As a founding team member of the AGNIi Mission– the National Technology Commercialization Program, she has hands-on experience working with stakeholders across the innovation spectrum in India.
Pooja joined KOIS in early 2021 as Senior Analyst to work on innovative finance and asset management projects.
Diana Denke
Principal, Paris office
Diana is a Candidate for Sustainability Leadership Master’s at the University of Cambridge. She graduated with an MBA from INSEAD and a joint Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in International Relations (Hons) from Corvinus University of Budapest.
She brings a combined experience of 10 years in International Development, Healthcare and Social impact. Prior to KOIS, she worked at SYSTEMIQ managing a UK DFID funded forestry programme to scale up social enterprises in Indonesia. Previously she worked as a management consultant for Bain & Company in London, advising clients from corporate, nonprofit and public sectors on various projects.
Diana joined KOIS in 2021, where she is focused on creating and implementing innovative financial solutions in sustainable land use. She is on a mission to accelerate the shift to a sustainable economy and the implementation of the Global Goals.
Owais Shafiq
Junior Analyst, Brussels office
Owais has pursued a Master’s degree in International Management and Sustainability from Sciences Po, Paris and a Bachelor of Engineering from Bangalore, India.
Prior to joining KOIS, Owais developed 4 years of experience with purpose-driven organizations in energy access, public health, and inclusive business. His work has focused on program implementation, monitoring, management, and evaluation.
He joined KOIS in 2022 to work on innovative finance projects.
Rumen Barjatya
Principal, Mumbai office
Rumen is a seasoned professional with 15 years of investment experience across Private Equity and Venture Capital funds. His investment experience spans across sectors including technology, healthcare, education, food & agriculture, manufacturing and retail. Prior experience includes management and financial consulting. He holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and Finance.
He joined KOIS in 2021, with a role focused on investments and asset management.
Aadit Devanand
Principal, Mumbai office
Aadit holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Bangalore, has completed all three levels of CFA (USA) and is a qualified Chartered Accountant.
He has extensive experience in investment banking & financial diligence with Bank of America-Merrill Lynch & Deloitte. He also founded Altflo, India’s first deal management and portfolio intelligence platform for private companies.
Aadit joined KOIS in 2018 and helped grow our Mumbai office from 2 members to 12. He has led the transaction diligence for our investments in Asia and Europe and has worked on the structuring and placement of diverse innovative finance instruments.
Johana Svobodova
Senior Associate, Brussels office
Johana holds a MSC in Business Engineering from Solvay Business School and a Complementary Master in Development Studies from UCL. She is also a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA).
Johana brings a combined experience of 7 years in finance and development consulting. She worked for 5 years at ING Bank in Belgium and New York. Previously she was a project manager at Sogerom, a consultancy firm active in development projects worldwide.
She joined KOIS in 2019 and has since worked on innovative finance projects on topics such as the financing of a solar facility for healthcare facilities in Africa.
Axelle Charlier
Senior Analyst, Brussels office
Axelle holds a Master’s degree in International Business from the CEMS as well as a MSc in Sustainability & Social Innovation from HEC Paris. During her studies, she spent a semester at Korea University.
Axelle volunteered for over 3 years at Plan International Belgium and helped in tasks such as fundraising & awareness raising. She also spent two years as a project leader & business developer for a student-led consulting company.
She joined KOIS in 2019 and has since worked on innovative finance projects on topics such as Menstrual Hygiene Management in Niger Ethiopia.
Alice Bighinzoli
Senior Associate, Brussels office
Alice holds a double degree in Management and Political Sciences from Bocconi University and Sciences Po Paris. During her studies she also spent a semester in the U.S. at Dartmouth College.
Alice has a divesified background, and gained experience as management consultant at BCG and in international organizations such as the European Commission and The World Bank Group. She volunteered in various pojects in Tanzania, Thailand and Bangladesh.
She joined KOIS in 2021, working in the innovative finance team.
Béatrice Delperdange
Head of Business Development, Brussels office
Béatrice has extensive experience in investment banking and business development, acquired in Tier-1 investment banks. She has held leadership roles at companies that ranged in size from an asset management start-up to Deutsche Bank, where she was a Managing Director. She was the CEO of a large not-for-profit manufacturing company in Belgium that creates job opportunities for workers with disabilities. She has a commercial engineering degree from Université Libre de Bruxelles and has received microfinance training from the Grameen Bank.
Béatrice is first and foremost interested in bringing her diverse expertise to support highly impactful projects for the left behind. Since joining KOIS in 2017, she has lent her financial structuring, business management, fund-raising and stakeholder management skills to advising the Solvay Sustainable Guar Initiative and Light for the World Belgium on their scale-up plans, and to bringing KOIS’s Refugee Livelihoods DIB to fruition, among others.
Serena Guarnaschelli
Partner, London office
Serena is an expert in innovative finance, impact investing and inclusive business models. She brings more than 15 years of experience advising clients on the design, structuring and evaluation of impact investment strategies and vehicles. She also holds a PhD from Caltech in Social Sciences with a specialization in Behavioral Finance.
She namely supported the International Committee of the Red Cross with the structuring and launch of the world’s first Humanitarian Impact Bond, financing physical rehabilitation programs in conflict-afflicted countries in Africa. She also designed and supported the launch of Convergence, a blended finance platform focused on emerging and frontier markets. Her past work also included strategy consulting with McKinsey and humanitarian assistance with Mercy Corps in Darfur.
Serena joined KOIS as a partner in 2016 and specializes in innovative finance advisory.
Pallavi Chadha
Associate, Mumbai office
Pallavi holds a Bachelors’ degree from the Shri Ram College of Commerce and attended London School of Economics.
Before joining KOIS, she worked namely for Barclays as a Global Finance intern and for Deloitte, where she built experience in strategy & operations.
Pallavi joined KOIS in 2018 to work as a senior analyst on different innovative finance & asset management projects.
Ann Lanens
Office Manager, Brussels office
Ann holds a Master in translation from the Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel. She then developed over 10 years of experience as an Executive Assistant in multinational consulting & law companies.
She is also a certified nurse and has practiced in several nursing homes and hospitals.
Ann joined KOIS in 2015 to help run our operations in the Brussels office.
Krishna Gouda
Office Manager, Mumbai office
Krishna holds a Bachelor’s degree in arts from CCS University in India. He brings with him over twelve years of experience in a mix of business development & operations, in multinational consulting & public sector organisations.
He joined KOIS in 2017 and helps run our operations in the Mumbai office.
