Eelko’s passion for innovative development finance brought him to LendXS. Having been involved in numerous capital raising and financial advisory assignments across emerging markets over the last 30 years, he became increasingly fascinated by the challenge to improve financial inclusion in agricultural supply chains.
Eelko is Managing Director of Financial Consulting Services and Chairman of the Board of the Advans Group, an international microfinance investment firm. Eelko has extensive experience in international, commercial and development finance and in building businesses in the financial sector.
Before joining LendXS, Eelko was the CEO of the Orangefield Group, following its management buy-out from ING Group in 2007. Until 2007 Eelko worked for ABN Amro Bank for 20 years in a variety of commercial and senior management roles in The United States, Asia, and Europe.
Eelko holds a Master of International Law Degree from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and has completed the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD, France.
After a 20-year career in finance, sales & marketing, and various Board positions in the IT industry and banking sector, Carel became an entrepreneur and co-founded in 2011 the Amsterdam-based Marie-Stella-Maris, a social enterprise that a.o. produces, markets, and sells bottled drinking water. Through the Marie Stella Maris Foundation it also sponsors the development of clean drinking water projects in Asia and Africa.
Carel has been inspired by the UN Resolution adopted in 2010 where access to clean drinking water and hygiene was declared a basic human right. In addition to building the Marie Stella Maris brand and organization, Carel has developed with selected corporate partners a framework and policy for the efficient development and implementation of projects in small communities in rural Africa.
Carel is passionate about translating innovative, proven private sector-driven concepts to drive sustainable impact. At LendXS Carel will use his extensive marketing experience to support the development of a brand and product that is singlemindedly client-focused, affordable and will contribute to greater and measurable financial inclusion in rural markets.
Carel holds a MSc in Business Economics from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
Francis is a Java backend developer who specializes in Java enterprise technologies.
In cooperation with Incentro, he supports LendXS as the Senior Software developer.
He is experienced building complete backend API systems and working with Java SE, Java EE, Spring Framework and PostgreSQL.
Francis holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Having worked with Craft Silicon, a leading fintech solutions provider, Kennedy has gained over 6+ years of experience in the design, development, testing, and implementation of various architectures and systems in banking and microfinance.
Kennedy is well versed with multiple project implementations for financial institutions across East Africa on agency banking, mobile banking, ATM solutions, and system integration with multiple core banking systems.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology from Mount Kenya University.
Ciira Kibebe is a Fullstack Software Engineer with over 7 years experience building modern web applications in various business sectors. He has experience in frontend development working with React Javascript Library and backend API development using Python Django Rest Framework.
Ciira is the developer in the LendXS agile cross-functional product development team. In collaboration with other team members, he is involved in user requirements refinement, code implementation, testing, and quality assurance. His technical, agile skills and customer-focused approach ensure that the product team frequently delivers the right product.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering from Kenyatta University.
Simeon is passionate about financial inclusion through digital transformation, and believes that with the right data-driven approach we can rapidly close the gap between investors and smallholder farmers, thereby strengthening the global agricultural supply chains and ultimately contributing to food security and poverty alleviation.
Prior to LendXS, Simeon worked in grant finance and grant management for an international NGO, managing an EU-funded programme and contributing to the financial and operational soundness of the overall grant portfolio. His interest for the developing context and his enthusiasm for financial data sparked during his time at university.
Simeon attained a BSc in development economics and a MSc in political science focusing on financial decision-making in a complex political environment.
Kripa Pandurangan possesses nine years of multifaceted professional experience, having served as a Client Relationship Manager within esteemed financial institutions such as Standard Chartered Bank and HDFC Bank Limited. Additionally, she has contributed her expertise to business development and marketing endeavors at Malayala Manorama Company Limited, a prominent media conglomerate in India.
Throughout her tenure, Kripa has honed her proficiency in various domains including time management, relationship cultivation, business expansion, innovative problem-solving, and collaborative teamwork. Her responsibilities have consistently entailed extensive travel, adherence to stringent deadlines, and the attainment of organizational objectives. Noteworthy attributes distinguishing her include self-motivation and exceptional interpersonal communication skills.
At LendXS, Kripa is dedicated to fostering organizational efficiency and simplifying processes. She takes great pride in contributing to LendXS’s overall objective, which encompasses supporting agricultural institutes and small agri-businesses to positively impact farmers’ livelihoods, thereby bolstering her sense of purpose.
Kripa holds an MBA degree from a prestigious university in India
John van Vliet supports Financial Access with the writing of news updates and social media posts as well as creating marketing materials. John enjoys creating content for a company that does great good for rural lenders and communities across the globe. Having grown up on a dairy farm in southern Idaho, John understands the important role that farmers have in local and global economies.
John studied journalism at Idaho State University, where he also was a member of the Idaho State Bengals (American) football team. He later earned his Master of Arts in International Relations (European focus) from Durham University in Durham, England. He moved to Wroclaw, Poland in 2015, where he played and coached American football whilst teaching English to business professionals and university students. In Poland, he started his professional career as a writer and editor.
Soro Ismael is a Full-Stack Engineer with over 6 years experience building modern App web application. He has experience in frontend development working with React Javascript Library and backend API development using Python Django Rest Framework.
He holds a bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Christ University
David is deeply passionate about expanding financial access and harnessing data to design customized digital financial solutions for emerging markets.
With previous experience at a Ghana-based data analytics and Artificial Intelligence firm, David played a pivotal role in crafting digital lending products for clients across Fintech, Neobanks, and online retail platforms. He further refined his skills as a product manager within the Digital Innovation and Development division of Bank of Africa Kenya, leading the development of digital corporate payment and collection solutions.
At LendXS, David leads agile, cross-functional teams composed of developers, designers, data analysts, and implementation experts, driving the development and execution of the product roadmap.
David holds certifications in Business Analytics and Data Science from Predictive Analytics Labs. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, focusing on Accounting, from Egerton University, and is also a CPA Section 6 qualifier.
Rita has a strong background in financial planning, analysis, and strategic decision-making. With a proven track record of optimizing financial performance and driving growth, Rita brings comprehensive accounting and financial management expertise. Her proficiency in analyzing complex financial data and translating them into actionable insights makes her a great value add for informed business decisions.
Her experience spans over a decade of successfully working with and coordinating cross-functional teams in diverse sectors including banking, asset-finance, leasing, agro-tech, export processing, audit, research, M&E consulting, and insurance to achieve financial objectives, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and contributing to stakeholders’ socio-economic development.
She is a Certified Public Accountant CPA-Finalist. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce, B.Com (Hons) in Finance, and has a Master of Business Administration, MBA in International Business Management. She is an Alumna of Strathmore University, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, and the University of Nairobi. In her free time, she enjoys baking, traveling, mentoring children and youth, as well as learning new skills.
Rita is keen on contributing to the growth of emerging economies in Africa and the world, through sustainable Environmental, Social, and Governance, ESG practices of impact investing.
Saheel is a dynamic and results-driven Software Developer with a strong foundation in Front-end development using the React JavaScript framework. He also has hands-on experience in Back-end development with Java and PHP, which equips him to tackle complex client implementations.
His commitment to fostering strong collaboration, combined with his excellent problem-solving skills, led him to join LendXS. His meticulous approach to technical documentation ensures the maintenance of system architecture and code organization at the highest standards.
In his role at LendXS, Saheel participates in Front-end development initiatives to meet client requirements. Additionally, he leverages his expertise in Back-end and API development for the system. He is also in charge of documenting system architecture, ensuring clear communication and understanding across the team.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Business Computing from the University of Sunderland, demonstrating his commitment to academic excellence and his dedication to ongoing professional growth in the field of software development.