Natasha Dinham

Natasha’s work in innovative finance has focused on impact monetization and the use of grant funding to catalyse private sector investment for impact. Before joining the Bertha Centre she worked for the Dutch development bank (FMO), where she designed, funded, and monitored projects with a high social, economic, and environmental impact. She sat on the technical assistance advisory committee of two international impact investing funds focusing on micro and small business finance. Natasha’s portfolio included innovative incubation for SMEs, green bonds, and access to finance for under-served groups such as women, youth, and refugees. Natasha has experience in consulting, collaborating with public, private, and donor-sector clients on a range of issues including fund and foundation design, job creation, and youth unemployment.

Experience

Project Manager: Impact Investing and Innovative Finance

• Company Name Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Dates EmployedJul 2017 – Present
• Employment Duration1 yr 11 mos

• LocationCape Town Area, South Africa

  • Designing, structuring and launching innovative financial instruments that drive capital to high impact initiatives
  • Working with foundations, financial intermediaries, DFIs, social entrepreneurs, start-ups, and investment funds to adopt and strengthen social investment strategies
  • Convening, engaging and partnering with local impact investing players to develop the impact finance ecosystem
  • Lecturing, teaching, and publishing articles on the topics of innovative finance, blended finance, early-stage finance, and impact investing
  • Supporting development of the social enterprise sector, specifically focusing on exponential technologies that generate social and environmental impact

Capacity Development Officer

• Company Name FMO - Dutch Development Bank
• Total Duration2 yrs 7 mos
• Dates EmployedNov 2015 – Jun 2017
• Employment Duration1 yr 8 mos

• LocationThe Hague Area, Netherlands

  • Collaborating with investees to identify, design, and monitor technical assistance projects to maximise their profitability, sustainability and impact
  • Promoting and facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills to strengthen organizational capabilities... See more

Capacity Development Analyst

• 2016 FMO corporate presentation
• Dates EmployedMar 2015 – Nov 2015
• Employment Duration9 mos

• LocationThe Hague Area, Netherlands

  • Administering and monitoring an impactful and well-balanced capacity development portfolio
  • Aggregating, analysing and presenting grant portfolio data
  • Supporting Capacity Development Officers in drafting financial proposals, contracting, disbursements and completion reports
  • Arranging and monitoring the FMOxChange client program
  • Supporting the organisation of the FMO Future of Banking Credit Risk Seminar
  • Developing tools to improve internal and external marketing and communication of CD offerings
  • Managing client and consultant relationships

TitleExternal Employee, Financial Institutions Dates EmployedDec 2014 – Feb 2015 Employment Duration3 mos LocationThe Hague Area, Netherlands

Analyst

• Company Name Genesis Analytics
• Dates EmployedFeb 2013 – Sep 2014
• Employment Duration1 yr 8 mos

• LocationJohannesburg Area, South Africa

  • Designing and implementing consulting projects in a variety of topics including grant fund/foundation design, socially responsible investments, social impact bonds, social & economic impact assessments, sustainable development, corporate philanthropy, policy advisory services, and monitoring and evaluation
  • Proposal design and development
  • Engaging with high-level representatives of private, public and donor sector clients
  • Evaluation design for selected projects from the National Treasury’s USD 1 billion Jobs Fund
  • Acting as lead analyst in designing two philanthropic foundations for multinational banks and financial services companies

Associate Lecturer, Economics

• Company Name University of the Witwatersrand
• Dates EmployedJan 2011 – Dec 2012
• Employment Duration2 yrs

• LocationJohannesburg, South Africa

  • Lecturing Micro and Macro Economics courses
  • Conducting detailed research, analysis and interpretation in development economics within the African Microeconomic Research Unit
  • Presenting research results on the challenges of youth unemployment and underemployment within South Africa
  • Setting and marking tests, exam papers and essays See less

Education

Harvard Kennedy School Degree NameExecutive Education Field Of StudyRethinking Financial Inclusion Dates attended or expected graduation 2018 – 2018

University of the Witwatersrand Degree NameMaster's Degree Field Of StudyEconomic Science Dates attended or expected graduation 2011 – 2012

University of the Witwatersrand Degree NameHonours in Bachelor of Economic Science Grade(With Distinction) Dates attended or expected graduation 2010 – 2010