MGF Leadership

---

Growing up in Bolivia as an American, I was deeply affected by the systemic poverty and political violence which stemmed from extreme income inequality. This was the height of the Cold War and Bolivia was a proxy state caught between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. I remember my neighbors carrying wheelbarrows of bolivianos (the local currency) to the marketplace to buy groceries due to the hyperinflation. These economic pressures led to the Bolivian civil proxy wars between the U.S.-led capitalists and USSR-led communists in the country. This experience left an indelible mark on me. After college, I went into investment banking in Los Angeles eventually becoming Head of Research for Africa at an investment bank headquartered in New York City when I first was introduced to the need for philanthropic capital in Africa. During this time, I traveled to many African countries, conducting macro and microeconomic research on countries and many companies in various sectors and industries. I was a member of the investment committee and we actively managed an event-driven global macro absolute fund focused on small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with a focus on Africa. I oversaw our on-the-ground team of analysts in several countries in Africa, wrote a monthly commentary piece on the African markets, and made many life-long friends in Africa. I then became Chief Investment Officer for London-based Boustead & Co's Africa-focused asset manager, Boustead Asset Management Ltd., where I managed the bank's regulated Social Impact investment fund, Boustead Investment Fund Ltd. It was during this time that I quickly realized that philanthropic investment capital was the only way to invest in African SMEs given the extremely difficult country-specific economic environment with local interest rates between 20%-30%, which was not sustainable and only destroyed African companies rather than help them succeed.  I became disillusioned with trying to build companies in Africa using existing commercial investment equity and debt models. I witnessed first-hand many companies destroyed after accepting high local currency debt--sometimes as high as 40%.  So we created an architecture and infrastructure for a philanthropic-based investment fund and launched M'mabisi Global Foundation (MGF) to provide blended forms of capital to SMEs in Africa, backed by an on-the-ground network of professionals, in order to build and support companies with blended capital founded on an anti-usury ethos.

Growing up in the Northern Region of Ghana, I witnessed the quiet strength and daily struggles of rural communities—especially the women who, out of necessity, walked miles with infants on their backs to farm or forage for sheanuts and wild fruits. These early experiences shaped my worldview and planted the seed for what would become a lifelong mission: to create a future where opportunity is rooted in equity, not geography. As Founder and President of M'mabisi Global Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (MGF), I lead efforts to alleviate poverty in rural Ghana by supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through donor-funded grants and mentorship. We operate on the principle that economic empowerment is the most sustainable form of aid—because when local entrepreneurs thrive, entire communities rise with them. Nearly 64% of Ghana’s population lives in rural areas, where poverty and underemployment are widespread. The Rural Enterprises Programme (REP) has demonstrated that strategic investment in micro and small businesses leads to job creation, higher household incomes, and greater community resilience. In its most recent phases, REP has helped launch thousands of new businesses—over 45% of them owned by women, with a growing number led by youth—underscoring the importance of inclusive development. MGF builds on these gains by identifying high-potential SMEs in underserved communities and connecting them with grant support, business development services, and capacity-building opportunities. We partner with global donors to direct resources toward grassroots solutions and advocate for inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems tailored to rural realities. Each initiative we support is a step toward generational change. We don’t just write checks—we build long-term partnerships with entrepreneurs, walking alongside them from startup to sustainability. Whether in agro-processing, renewable energy, craft production, or farming, we help local visionaries turn resilience into enterprise. I believe in a Ghana where prosperity is inclusive and self-sustaining—where rural innovation is celebrated, women are economically empowered, and young leaders are equipped to shape the future. M'mabisi Global Foundation is more than an organization; it is the answer to a question I have carried since childhood: What if poverty wasn’t the end of the story? We exist to prove that with support, structure, and belief, transformation is not only possible—it’s inevitable.