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.
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
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.
Austine is a skilled data analyst with expertise in data analysis, statistical modeling, and impactful visualization. He specializes in designing and implementing scalable digital solutions that enhance efficiency, productivity, and decision making.
He has a strong technical background in Python (Pandas, Matplotlib, Seaborn), SQL, Power BI, Looker, Tableau, Excel, and open-source technologies for building data pipelines and interactive dashboards. Austine is adept at engaging stakeholders to analyze requirements and optimize data workflows for improved operational performance. His experience in exploratory data analysis (EDA) further enhances his ability to drive data-centric innovations.
He holds a degree in Finance from KCA University, where he specialized in Data Analytics and Financial Analysis. He further strengthened his expertise through the Data Analytics Core Program at Zindua School, focusing on Python programming, SQL databases, BI tools and data structures.
Currently, at LendXS, Austine plays a key role in transforming data into actionable insights, supporting platform development, building impact-driven dashboards, establishing data workflows that improve decision-making and operational efficiency, and coding bespoke surveys effectively capturing KYC data to streamline client onboarding.
Beyond his technical expertise, Austine is passionate about leveraging data and analytics to address socio-economic and environmental challenges. He enjoys collaborating on cross-functional projects and continuously exploring emerging technologies to optimize business processes.