Andia has over 20 years’ experience in fund management and over 12 years of driving women economic empowerment. Andia has established herself as a global thought leader in gender lens investing and is one of the first female fund managers in the Africa region and has made considerable contributions towards promoting the social and economic inclusion of women in Africa through the development and structuring of fit for purpose funds having set up two fund management companies in East Africa. At Graca Machel Trust ( GMT ) in her role as Investment Director,she is co-leading the development of a $30 million Pan African genderlensinvestment vehicle called ”Afrishela” to invest in ‘missing middle’ enterprises in East and Southern Africa. She is the current chair of the investment advisory council for Canada’s Equality Fund and an independent director of 2X Global. In Kenya she sits on the board of East African Educational
Publishers and Sterling Investment Bank. She has over 16 years of senior leadership experience working comfortably across interdisciplinary and multi-cultural teams. She brings a combination of regional and international best practice to provide both financial and non-financial support to women in business.
Twitter: @AChakava
Linkedin: Andia Laura Chakava
Website: www.andiachakava.com
Sample published articles:
• Widening and deepening impact through innovative solutions that uplift the marginalized – AVPA (African Venture Philanthropy Alliance)
• Why Gender lens investing needs a localised and participatory approach published by Gender Smart
Summary of achievements and acknowledgements:
• Acknowledged by Forbes in Dec 2019: “Power rising these are the women to watch in 2020”
• Guest lecturer at Bertha Centre for social innovation & entrepreneurship Impact Investing
Course on Fund Development in October 2018, November 2019, September 2020 and May
2021 (University of Cape town).
• Winner National Diversity and Inclusion and Awards and Recognition (DIAR) award Business
Executive Champion Diversity and Inclusion in Kenya 2018.
• Voted most influential woman in Africa – Financial Services in 2014 and 2018 by CEO
Magazine.
• Featured for UK Black history month – Bayes Business School October 2023
