Ashley Olson Onyango

Ashley Olson Onyango has a diverse range of work experience in the field of financial inclusion and agribusiness. Ashley is currently serving as the Head of Financial Inclusion & AgriTech at GSMA since March 2021. Prior to this, they worked at AECF as the Sector Team Lead - Agribusiness from February 2019 to February 2021.

Additionally, Ashley has also worked as the Founder & Director of Acacia Studios, a yoga and fitness studio in Nairobi, Kenya from June 2013 to December 2019. Ashley successfully built and managed the operational and instructor team and achieved significant growth in revenue.

Ashley has held various positions at organizations such as the Mastercard Foundation, Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa), and Root Capital. In these roles, they have managed program portfolios, facilitated investment decisions, and led initiatives focused on financial inclusion in the agricultural sector.

Furthermore, Ashley has worked as an independent freelancer, providing expertise in agricultural finance development. Ashley has worked with organizations like Financial Sector Deepening Trust (FSDA), Agri Experience Ltd., Farm Africa, and AgroInnovate.

Earlier in their career, Ashley served as the Country Manager - Kenya for Nuru Energy and volunteered as a Consultant at TechnoServe.

Overall, Ashley Olson Onyango has a strong background in financial inclusion, agribusiness, and entrepreneurship, with experience in leadership, program management, and strategic finance.

Ashley Olson Onyango has a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Business Management with a concentration in Management & Entrepreneurial Studies and Finance from the University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management, which they obtained from 2001 to 2005. Ashley then pursued an MBA in International Business from IESE Business School from 2007 to 2009. In 2013, they completed the Investment Manager Training program at Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs. In 2017, they obtained a certificate in Digitizing the Last Mile in Small-Holder Agriculture from the Digital Frontiers Institute. In 2018, they obtained a certificate in A Systemic Approach to Inclusive Financial Sector Development from FSD Academy (Financial Sector Deepening Africa). Most recently, in 2020, they completed a program on Principles of Sustainable Finance at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the field of Sustainability Studies.