Research & Consulting
I use a range of tools and methods to help clients make sense of unknown contexts, understand new users and stakeholders, and design impactful solutions for challenging questions. Applying mostly qualitative and user-centric research techniques, I help clients discover, design and test new opportunities for innovation . I work across sectors to support clients in the design and implementation of change processes, organizational development, strategy consulting, and impact evaluations.
Strategy
I work with private and public sector clients on visioning exercises and strategy development -- always with purpose and impact creation at the center.
Featured Strategy Project
Helping to increase scale of behavioral change activities through high impact partnerships
I worked with a team at Intellecap to help Unilever and the Lifebuoy team to reach scale of its behavioral change programs in India and other key markets. As one of the key outputs, we developed a partnership strategy, but also brokered partnerships with philanthropic and donor organizations.
Research
Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative research techniques and working across sectors, I help clients to conduct research to understand the past or to imagine the future. I have managed a variety of research projects, from small dipstick research projects to more comprehensive research reports.
Featured Research
Africa 2030 - Technologies that shape Africa’s tomorrow
The report highlights a vision of how emerging technologies can trigger a set of big shifts to help Africa leapfrog and combat its development challenges. The research identifies white spaces for innovation based on scanning of 100 technology use cases in Africa. It concludes by identifying a set of opportunities for key stakeholders to help nurture a vibrant and high impact technology innovation ecosystem.
Landscape ReSEARCH
I help clients to understand complex environments, new markets, and unknown user segments through landscaping assessments and reports. Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches, they bring out insights on white spaces and new opportunities for action.
Featured Landscape Reports
The Landscape of Impact Investing in South East Asia
I worked with a team at Intellecap to conduct a landscape research report for the Global Impact Investment Network (GIIN) on the South East Asian impact investing landscape and emerging trends and ecosystem gaps. The research did a deep dive into the markets of Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam.
Digitizing Rural Value Chains in India
USAID's mstar Program aims to drive digital financial inclusion in India, especially of women. I worked with a team at Intellecap to help USAID and their partner fhi 360 to understand consumer behaviour in rural Indian markets and identify rural value chains and transaction ecosystems with potential to drive digital financial inclusion.
Closing the Gap Kenya: Opportunities for SME Financing
The Dutch Good Growth Fund commissioned Intellecap to conduct a research to understand challenges and opportunities different segments of Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya are facing, specifically women and youth entrepreneurs. The report provided recommendations on support interventions required in this market.
Solution development
Using methodologies informed by design thinking, participatory and human centric design, and ethnography as well as other service design methods, I help clients to develop new solutions -from understanding the need, desirability, viability and feasibility to ideating and co-creating solutions, prototyping and business model development.
Featured Solution Design Projects
Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF)
Intellecap and THE DOEN Foundation have joined hands to create an innovation and co-creation platform for the Indian apparel sector to develop innovative solutions that can drive the industry towards a more circular industry. The CAIF uses a design thinking approach to co-create innovative business models and foster collaborations between large brands and startups. After initially designing the initiative, I am now leading the implementation of it.
Creating an Online Gateway for African Youth Entrepreneurs
I worked with a team at Intellecap to help UNDP Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development Cluster to design a 'one stop support platform' for African youth entrepreneurs, especially women. The portal aimed to provide youth entrepreneurs from across the continent with information, funding, mentoring and networking support. The portal we have designed has gone live and is currently managed by Accenture.
Designing skilling program for Maasai community in Kenya
KenGen, a Kenyan thermal power company, engaged Intellecap to design a high impact skilling and livelihood initiative for a Maasai community in the Rift valley that has been displaced because of the construction of a power plant. Using an ethnographic approach, we identified opportunities for livelihood creation in the community, especially for women and youth, and established partnerships with social enterprises and other organizations.
Venture Design
I help clients in their journey to develop their high impact enterprises - whether through market and needs assessments, customer research and developing a value proposition, or support in the business model development. I also help to broker partnerships with other organizations.
Featured Venture Design Projects
Uncovering opportunity for mhealth financing product
Under the framework of the Collaboration for Impact Facility, a USAID-spported Intellecap initiative that facilitated partnerships between corporates and startups in East Africa, I helped German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim and Changamka, a Kenyan mobile-enabled micro health insurance provider to better understand low income consumers in Kenya with regard to health financing and insurance.
Business model for affordable medicine market place
I worked with a team at Intellecap to help a Kenyan entrepreneur to assess the market for an online solution that aimed to increase the access to high quality, affordable medicine and to develop a value proposition for partnership with pharmaceutical companies. The results of the market assessment and business model development informed the commercial launch of a joint solution by the entrepreneur and Boehringer Ingelheim, called ISikCure.
Designing business model for agribusiness incubator
I supported GIZ Ethiopia and its partner ATA (Agricultural Transformation Agency) with a strategic input into the design of an agribusiness incubator. I worked closely with Bain Consulting, who conducted a research on value chain selection and pipeline development for the incubator. Through a benchmarking and market assessment, I helped to develop options for business model design of the incubator, including, including a draft structure of a fund.