Catalyzing finance to SMEs – the greatest generators of jobs, incomes, and economic impact – since 2004

We work with financial institutions to sustainably finance underserved enterprises

CapPlus equips financial institutions in emerging economies to expand and deliver finance profitably for social impact.

We strengthen markets through a range of strategic and operational capacity building services to financial institutions in key areas, focused on long term growth and profitability.

We are an international 501(c)(3) nonprofit originally founded by the USA’s first community development bank, ShoreBank. Today we work with financial institutions, investees of impact investment partners like the ShoreCap funds, and industry stakeholders worldwide.

We have a track record of innovating and mainstreaming development finance solutions. We launched the first membership network for financial institutions dedicated to financing SMEs in emerging economies. We tested and scaled this concept to over 60 institutional members, then merged it into the G-20’s SME Finance Forum, managed by IFC.

Our Education Markets Impact Initiative (EMII) uses finance as a tool to drive improved outcomes for millions of children. Grounded in country-specific research and our expertise in development finance, this new initiative unlocks the education finance market while increasing education access and quality.

Services

We thank our past and current funders, partners, and financial institution clients for their support and for the impact we’ve made together.

Our Team Board Members

Global Expertise

The CapPlus team works hand-in-hand with our clients and partners to overcome challenges for the shared purpose of increasing finance to SMEs.

Lynn Pikholz

Lynn Pikholz

President & CEO

Ms. Pikholz, founder and CEO of CapPlus, is an emerging economy small business finance expert and specialist in market-based poverty reduction strategies. Lynn brings over 25 years’ experience in micro and SME finance, including a focus on women entrepreneurs and the intersection of affordable education and SME finance. Currently, Lynn is leading CapPlus’ launch of EMII (Education Markets Impact Initiative) to use finance as a driver of cost effective and sustainable improvements in learning outcomes, transforming the affordable education finance market. Ms. Pikholz has developed and led trainings, published papers, and recently directed extensive research on low fee schools in sub-Saharan Africa. CapPlus’ Small Business Banking Network, comprising SME-focused financial institution members from emerging economies, was established under her leadership before merging into the G20’s SME Finance Forum. Ms. Pikholz’s earlier experience and publications includes MSME finance, impact investing, financing of affordable education and low-income housing.

lynn@capplus.org

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Paa Kwesi Awuku-Darko

Paa Kwesi Awuku-Darko

Senior Banker

Mr. Paa Kwesi Awuku-Darko is a development finance professional with over fourteen years of experience in project management and technical assistance services in agricultural finance, enterprise development, and digital financial services. His areas of expertise include agricultural value chain development, rural and agricultural finance, impact investment, blended finance, digital financial services, and other inclusive finance approaches such as value chain finance and community-based microfinance models such as self help groups and village savings and loans associations.  Mr. Awuku-Darko’s previous roles include serving as Branch Manager in charge of agricultural lending at ProCredit Ghana; Regional Coordinator, Upper East Region for ACDI/VOCA on the USAID ADVANCE program in Ghana; and Associate Program Officer on the Financial Inclusion for Smallholder Farmers in Africa Project (FISFAP)-Mastercard Foundation and AGRA partnership. He holds professional certificates in digital finance, SME finance, and financial inclusion policy, as well as an academic background in development finance and agriculture.

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Zibrim Biosama

Zibrim Biosama

Senior Banker

Mr. Zibrim Biosama has over 15 years’ experience in banking both in Ghana and outside Ghana, as well as in providing consulting services to banks and MFIs in credit risk management, credit lending methodology, credit restructuring, credit portfolio management (MSME finance and portfolio management), and arrears and loan recovery management (with a focus on the prevention, mitigation and reduction of credit risk).  He is an experienced credit and credit risk manager who has led teams both during periods of strong portfolio growth and during times of consolidation.

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Dr. Peter Colenso

Dr. Peter Colenso

Director, Education Outcomes

Dr. Colenso is an international education expert with field experience in Africa, Asia and Europe. He was Executive Director (Education) at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and Head of Education at DFID. His track record includes the World Bank, UNICEF, Government of Australia, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, LEGO Foundation, Sesame Workshop, Ark, and the Global Schools Forum. He has a history of building innovative partnerships with governments, multilaterals, civil society and the private sector.

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Rula Dababneh

Rula Dababneh

Vice President

Ms. Dababneh is an international development specialist, practitioner and program manager with over 20 years of professional experience in MSME finance, banking, private sector development, economic growth, and programmatic and financial management. During her years as a Regional Director at CGAP and a Senior Financial Services Advisor at Development Innovations Group (DIG), Ms. Dababneh managed capacity building programs to financial institutions, including microfinance institutions, in North, East, and South Africa, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and Central and Southeast Asia. She has extensive technical experience in leading public and private sector financial and economic development programs, with comprehensive management skills in all aspects of operations, including strategic planning and budgeting.

rdababneh@capplus.org

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Peter Hinton

Peter Hinton

Senior Banker

Peter Hinton has worked with CapPlus over the past decade and is currently CapPlus’ Senior Advisor of Affordable Education. In addition to his expertise in low-fee schools, he is an investment specialist and former African fund manager with a background in private equity investment and banking, with more than more than 25 years’ emerging market experience. Previously Mr. Hinton was CEO and founder of Enterprise Banking Group, a Botswana-based regional banking group that invested in banks in Kenya and Botswana. He also worked at CDC plc, a private equity investor in emerging markets and four years as Managing Director of Africa Trading, a South African fair trade business that won awards and international recognition. He currently heads up the Summit Development Group and serves as a core part of CapPlus Education Markets Impact team.

phinton@capplus.org

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Yves Anougbre Kouadio

Yves Anougbre Kouadio

Office Manager

Mr. Yves Anougbre Kouadio has over 17 years of professional experience in the development field in finance and administrative management as well as project management, grant management, procurement management, project proposal writing, operations management, team capacity building, project startup and close out and other skills such as conference and workshops and field mission and logistics coordination. He has worked for various international organizations (ACDI/VOCA, Development Alternative Incorporated, OIC International, Habitat for Humanity Cote d’Ivoire), and other local organizations in various positions. Based in Ghana and fluent in French, he has worked in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. His previous position was the Finance and Administrative Manager for ADVANCE in Ghana, an ACDI/VOCA project funded by USAID.

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Andrew Lake

Andrew Lake

Lead, Digital Financial Services

Andrew Lake is CapPlus’ lead on digital financial services, including digital finance strategy and institutional assessments as well as design and delivery of digital finance solutions. With 20 years in emerging markets and deep experience in digital financial services, his core strengths are strategy design and execution around novel, customer-oriented digital products. He previously worked as the Principal Operations Specialist on IFC’s Global Digital Financial Services team, as well as with Risk Frontier Associates UK, MTN Group and CmO MTN Banking, and CompuServe Africa.

alake@capplus.org

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Gerry Monteiro

Gerry Monteiro

Chief Investment Officer & Senior Advisor

Gerry Monteiro has worked with CapPlus since 2006, including as Vice President Capacity Building, and now serves as investment head on CapPlus’ Education Markets Impact Initiative team. He has over 40 years’ experience as a banking executive in South Asia, Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa. Mr. Monteiro’s experience includes setting up the Industrial Bank of Oman, an investment banking and project finance institution in the Sultanate and serving as its first CEO. He was HSBC India’s Financial Controller and Chief Operations Officer and subsequently its Deputy CEO, managing all geographical and functional business units in implementing the strategy. He has led a number of start-up and turnaround assignments within Africa and Asia based financial institutions (commercial banks and non-bank finance companies) as well as strategic re-organization of both large and small banks in emerging markets. He has extensive risk management, credit, technology, and investment experience.

gmonteiro@capplus.org

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Andrew Muriithi

Andrew Muriithi

Senior Banker

Mr. Andrew Muriithi is an experienced SME banker, including previous positions as Head of Enterprise Banking at Sidian Bank and Unit Head, Large and Medium Enterprises-SME Banking at Chase Bank in Kenya.  His areas of expertise include relationship management, business advisory, structuring appropriate finance, value chain development and healthcare finance, trade finance, portfolio management, financial statement analysis, credit analysis and risk management, market research, product development and innovation, and leadership development.  He recently served as Director, Business Development – Eastern Africa – Stichting Medical Credit Fund Kenya.

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Benjamin Ofosu Agyemang

Benjamin Ofosu Agyemang

Senior Banker

Mr. Benjamin Ofosu Agyemang brings a breadth of experience to CapPlus, from creating and advising microfinance institutions on investment opportunities, process mapping, corporate finance serving as a Senior Investment Officer, as well as advising companies on governance, strategic planning, operations and serving as general manager.  In CapPlus’ FIRST+ project, he assesses financial institutions’ investment readiness and recommends strategies to become more attractive to investors who can contribute more capital.  He has a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science, a Masters in Marketing, and is a Certified Private Equity Specialist.

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Eric Quao

Eric Quao

Senior Banker

Mr. Quao is a highly seasoned banking and finance expert with 25 plus years’ experience in the Ghanaian financial sector working with commercial banks, microfinance, and development finance institutions. He holds a wealth of practical experience and technical knowledge in banking and financial services with a particular focus on strengthening MSMEs and agribusinesses for improved livelihoods, including applying the agriculture value chain approach, supporting enterprise development, and working with stakeholders to increase MSMEs’ access to finance.  He possesses valuable expertise in the conduct of due diligence on financial institutions and in particular he has been responsible for the provision and management of agricultural credit lines and capacity building programs to financial institutions. He holds an MSc. Accounting & Finance and Chartered Banker (ACIB) since 2001.

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Lynn Railsback

Lynn Railsback

Vice President

Ms. Railsback is Director, Industry Building and Impact for CapPlus’ FIRST+ programme (Financial Institution Resilience and STrengthening) in Ghana.  She has more than 25 years’ experience in development finance, many of them at ShoreBank Corporation where she led implementation of major strategic initiatives, including strategies to serve new customer segments as well as marketing, IT and human resources strategies. At CapPlus, she also coordinates CapPlus’ low-fee private school market research and manages thought leadership and corporate communications, as well as leads the performance and impact measurement initiatives.

lrailsback@capplus.org

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Geoff Renk

Geoff Renk

Chief Financial Officer

Geoff Renk oversees CapPlus’ accounting and finance activities. He is a licensed CPA with over 30 years of accounting and finance experience, including more than 15 years in a bank senior management capacity. Mr. Renk’s areas of expertise include accounting, finance, regulatory reporting, income taxes, accounting and reporting systems, and risk management. He has worked with CapPlus since 2003, initially setting up its accounting and reporting system, and later in an oversight capacity as its chief financial officer. Earlier in his career, he worked in national and international accounting firms, and provided accounting and consulting services to a broad range of clients, including financial institutions, real estate firms, and not-for-profit organizations. His consulting assignments included evaluation of loan portfolios, transaction due diligence, asset workouts, litigation support, and strategic planning.
grenk@capplus.org

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Binyam Tadesse

Binyam Tadesse

Programme Lead, FIRST+

Mr. Binyam Tadesse is leading CapPlus’ FIRST+ programme (Financial Institution Resilience and STrengthening) in Ghana. He is an SME finance and access to finance expert with extensive experience advising microfinance institutions and commercial banks in the areas of strategic planning, market research, product development, risk management and institutional strengthening, including in agriculture finance, education finance and women’s entrepreneurship.  He set up Ethiopia’s first SME-focused financial institution, and assisted microfinance institutions in digitizing their operations while working with a fintech company.  He began his career as a financial sector regulator for Ethiopia’s central bank.

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Meet Our Board and Advisors

CapPlus has a highly committed, experienced and diverse board, both in skills and geographically.

Eric Friedenwald-Fishman

Eric Friedenwald-Fishman

Board Chair

Mr. Eric Friedenwald-Fishman (Board Chair) is the creative director / founder of Metropolitan Group. Since Metropolitan Group’s founding in 1989, he has served as the key strategist and campaign counsel on hundreds of international, national, and regional projects, and he has developed extensive relationships with nonprofit, corporate, public sector, and philanthropic decision makers. Mr. Friedenwald-Fishman has worked extensively on economic development, development finance, social enterprise, poverty alleviation, food security, public health, human rights and education access and equity campaigns and programs. His clients have included Ford Foundation, World Agroforestry Centre, NASA, USDA Forest Service, IFC and numerous NGOs. He has served as creative director of initiatives in Latin America, Africa, SE Asia and North America. He has led resource development campaigns that have raised over nearly $2 billion in philanthropic and public sector investment for social impact initiatives. He is the author of Marketing That Matters (published by Berrett-Koehler in five languages) and is the principle author of the Public Will Building model, a social change engagement approach used internationally to advance systemic changes.

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Karim Ahamed

Karim Ahamed

Director

Mr. Karim Ahamed is a Partner and Investment Advisor in the Chicago office of HPM Partners LLC, a leading registered investment advisory firm. Prior to joining HPM Partners, he was a managing director with J.P. Morgan Private Banking, Chicago. Mr. Ahamed has spent a considerable portion of his career in the UK, where he held senior investment and wealth management positions with Coutts & Co and UBS AG. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William & Mary and his Master of Management degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is a CFA charter holder and member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society of Chicago and the UK Society of Investment Professionals.

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Cyrille Arnould

Cyrille Arnould

Director

Mr. Cyrille Arnould is Founder & CEO, Annycent Capital Partners. Annycent Capital Partners is a newly incorporated company based in Luxembourg, backed by a leading U.S. private investment firm, dedicated to supporting and accelerating investment outcomes that are aligned with the U.N. Sustainable Development Agenda and the Paris Agreement. ​ Investments are designed to advance environmental and social objectives in emerging markets and generate risk-adjusted returns for investors. Previously, Mr. Arnould was a senior advisor at the European Investment Bank Climate Office which he joined after leading the EIB’s Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund. Earlier, he was a Senior Officer at EIB’s Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Department, where he oversaw the development of private equity and microfinance portfolios. Prior to joining the EIB in 2003, Mr. Arnould was a Senior Investment Officer at the International Finance Corporation’s SME Department, which he joined after four years with IFC’s Financial Markets Group, Sub-Saharan Africa Department. He was previously IFC’s Senior Investment Officer based in Russia. Before joining IFC, Mr. Arnould worked in Russia for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, first as Investment Manager for Smolensk Regional Venture Fund and then as Principal Banker in Moscow. Mr. Arnould holds a Diploma from the Political Science Institute and a Master’s in Law, both from the University of Strasbourg, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Nicholas Burnett

Nicholas Burnett

Director

Mr. Nicholas Burnett is now an independent consultant, a Senior Fellow at Results for Development (R4D), a Founding Partner at Oxford Philanthropic, chairs the Board of UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning, serves on the Boards of Educate! and Americans for UNESCO, on the NORRAG Consultative Committee, and on the Advisory Boards of the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area and of the Global Business School Network, and is a Special Professor of International Education at Nottingham University. He was previously Managing Director at R4D (where he founded the Global Education Practice), UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, Director of the Education for All Global Monitoring Report, and World Bank Human Development Manager for West and Central Africa. He was educated in economics at Oxford (BA), Harvard (Henry Fellow) and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (MA, PhD).

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Jennifer Hoffmann

Jennifer Hoffmann

Director

Ms. Jennifer Hoffmann is Senior Service Designer, Tesco Bank where she uses UX skills and methods to collaboratively design better services and a better experience for both the customer and the employees of the bank from the time when they recognise the need through onboarding to being supported to use the service. While the bank encourages a digital journey, it is important that  customers are able to use whichever channel they prefer. Ms. Hoffmann is an experienced consultant, having founded and led RiskFrontier Consultants Ltd after a career in management in various innovative financial institutions, which included CEO of TEBA Bank and of MTN Mobile Money in South Africa. Her consulting work focused on technology for accessible banking, including branchless banking and mobile banking, business strategy, regulatory issues, and the establishment, growth and transformation of microfinance institutions. Ms. Hoffman’s objective is to bring the strategic approach and methodologies of user-centered design to the institutional capacity and product and delivery channel design. She has worked with the IFC, Finmark Trust (South Africa), CGAP, and a broad range of financial institutions in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.

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Ishmael Mkhabela

Ishmael Mkhabela

Director

Mr. Ishmael Mkhabela is a freelance Professional Community Organiser and was involved in community disputes mediation, leadership development, nation building, social and economic justice advocacy, and strategic conversations facilitation for over four decades. His experience and expertise encompass corporate governance, policy formulation and implementation support, leadership and institution development as well as community development and city regeneration.  Mr. Mkhabela started his career as a school teacher. He went on to pioneer and establish the efficacy of broad-based community organizing in South Africa. At the core of the latter was the training of community organizers, values-based leadership development and community improvement in support of community, business and government stakeholders. A Black Consciousness and Black Theology proponent, Mr. Mkhabela has fostered the ecumenical mission of religious congregations for the protection and advancement social and economic rights.  In the apartheid era, he founded, served or led multiple initiatives, and in transition from apartheid to democracy he founded and was CEO of Interfaith Community Development Association that supported the National Peace Accord’s peacemaking processes, and served on boards of numerous organizations. He currently serves as Chairperson of Steve Biko Foundation and The Johannesburg Inner City Partnership and is a board member of CapitalPlus Exchange, FinMark Trust, Centre for Development and Enterprise, City Year South Africa, Mbhetsa Academy for Maths and Science, Donaldson Trust, and Social Housing Company (SOHCO).

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Nthenya Mule

Nthenya Mule

Director

Ms. Nthenya Mule is a co-founder of Antara Health, which provides patient-centred care coordination and accompaniment through Kenya’s fragmented health service landscape, and ensures quality health care is provided at an affordable rate. Ms. Mule is also an independent consultant who engages in business and strategic advisory services for businesses and organisations in the financial services, agriculture, health and education sectors. She has professional experience in over ten sub-Saharan countries and is a director of Fusion Investment Management Services Limited. She was Head of Finance at the Avenue Group, Head of Business Development, East Africa at Chandler Corporation Healthcare Division, and Manager of Fanisi Business Advisory Services. She established Acumen Fund’s East Africa office, identifying portfolio companies and developing investment cases. She has a Masters in International Economics & International Relations from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a BA in Economics from Grinnell College.

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Vimbai Tsopotsa

Vimbai Tsopotsa

Director

Ms. Vimbai Tsopotsa is Chief Business Strategist and Development Officer of ResAm Capital (Pty) Ltd and etfSA Investment Services (Pty) Ltd which provide portfolio management, money market and cash management services, and business solutions.  Prior to joining the ResAm Capital start-up team and etfSA Investment Services she was Executive Director of Aigle TM Consulting which provided business rescue and turnaround services. She also was a corporate and business banking Account Executive for Standard Bank of South Africa for 12 years. Ms. Tsopotsa has hands-on experience in asset management, banking, turnarounds, portfolio management, project management and enterprise development for nonprofit organizations.  She is a non-executive trustee of FinMark Trust, an independent non-profit trust committed to making financial markets work for the poor by promoting financial inclusion and regional financial integration.  She also serves as a mentor and life coach. She has a Masters in Business Administration from Africa University and a Bachelor’s degree from National University of Science & Technology, Zimbabwe.

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Natasha K Quist

Natasha K Quist

Board Alumni & Advisor

Natasha K. Quist has over 25 years of international private and NGO management experience. Currently, she is the Senior Advisor for West and Central Africa for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation based in Abuja.
Prior to joining the Gates Foundation she was the West and Central Africa Regional Director for Save the Children International, based in Senegal and covering 11 countries (Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea). She was highly successful in scaling the World Wildlife Fund Program in Africa, as its Regional Director where she was responsible for 28 field offices staffed by over 300 people. Ms. Quist began her career on Wall Street, where she worked for various firms, including Salomon Brothers. She later worked for Walt Disney Company, and Nike Inc, where she focused on strategy, business planning, and new business development. Ms. Quist holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BSc from Leeds University.

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Extended Team

With decades of deep, cross-cutting experience in the SME Finance space, we deliver high-impact results targeted to clients' key priorities.

Main Office Address

CapitalPlus Exchange
8001 Lincoln Avenue Suite 201
Skokie, IL 60077 USA

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