Acumen Fund Fellows - Class of 2007
Keely Stevenson, A to Z Textile Mills, Tanzania
Keely is currently working as an investment executive at Swiss-based Bamboo Finance, a commercial social investment fund in partnership with Eric Berkowitz, also a Class of 2007 Fellow. As a Fellow, she worked in Tanzania with A to Z Textile Mills, the largest manufacturer of long-lasting insecticide-treated anti-malarial bed nets in Africa. While at A to Z, Keely conducted an analysis of cost effective distribution channels. She also worked with the Acumen Fund team to design and implement a standard due diligence process for investments in the East Africa region.
Ayeleen Ajanee, Kashf Foundation, Pakistan
Ayeleen is currently working with isolated Bangladeshi populations living in extreme poverty, through Friendship, an NGO based Dhaka. While a Fellow, she worked for Kashf Foundation, an organization that provides microfinance services to women through general and emergency loans, business loans and home improvement microloans. Ayeleen helped Kashf develop a branding strategy, create learning modules for their loan officers and redesign the foundation's website.
Eric Berkowitz, Scojo Foundation, China / BroadReach, China
Along with another Class of 2007 Fellow - Keely Stevenson - Eric works as an investment executive at Bamboo Finance, a commercial social investment fund. As a Fellow, Eric worked with BroadReach, a third party healthcare administrator for HIV/AIDS treatment, as well as the Scojo Foundation (now VisionSpring), a manufacturer and distributor of affordable reading glasses for the poor. While at BroadReach, Eric spearheaded a feasibility study on the development of franchised health clinics. At Scojo Foundation, he helped streamline their supply chain in order to source and ship glasses more cost-effectively and also assessed the feasibility of launching their work in China.
Nadaa Taiyab, Medicine Shoppe, India
After completing the fellowship, Nadaa founded a consulting company, based in Vancouver, Canada, to help businesses respond strategically to the threats and opportunities arising from climate change. She is currently working for Omedix, a web-based service for healthcare companies that is based in Phoenix, Arizona. While a Fellow, Nadaa worked for Medicine Shoppe, an internationally-recognized pharmacy chain that launched a new store format - Sehat Clinics - targeting low-income customers. Nadaa was the project lead for the Sehat Clinics rollout, and focused on developing pricing models, metrics, a community marketing program and staff recruitment. Nadaa led the opening of eight clinics.
Watch Nadaa's video about Medicine Shoppe!
Adrien Couton, IDE India
Adrien is currently the Chief Operating Officer of a private water solutions company created by and spun off from the Naandi Foundation, one of india's leading players in community water systems. After the fellowship, Adrien worked at Acumen Fund as the Water Portfolio Manager, based in New York. While a Fellow, he worked with IDE India (IDEI), a designer and distributor of low-cost drip irrigation for smallholder farmers. Adrien supported the first round of financing for GEWP, IDEI's for-profit spinoff. He also supported the company's export strategy and spearheaded operational improvements.
Jocelyn Wyatt, Advanced Bio-Extracts, Kenya
Jocelyn now leads IDEO's domain around design for social impact. While at Acumen Fund, she worked for Advanced Bio-Extracts (ABE), a leading manufacturer and cultivator of artemisinin, a key ingredient in the most effective treatment against malaria. Jocelyn supported ABE's second round of financing and growth by constructing financial models, reports and projections for the management team; developing standardized operating procedures; and sourcing potential investors.
Watch Jocelyn's videos about ABE!
David Lehr, Drishtee, India
David is currently a Senior Programs Officer at MercyCorps. As a Fellow, David worked for Drishtee, a franchisor of internet kiosks created to deliver affordable goods and services to remote villages. He collaborated with Drishtee to improve their distribution models, integrate new products, strengthen internal communications and develop the organization's first health care offering.
Meet more of the Fellows!
Class of 2008
Class of 2009
Class of 2010