MANAGING PARTNER

Nijhad is the Managing Partner at Equator and brings over 16 years experience as an investor and entrepreneur, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, as the founder of Moja Capital and in his prior roles at BlackRock and Acumen Fund, he has invested in or operated businesses across the clean energy, agriculture, mobility, fintech, and retail sectors. He began his career at UBS Investment Bank and later left to help launch the boutique M&A advisory and growth equity firm Centerview Partners.

Nijhad holds a BSc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

PARTNER

Morgan is a Partner at Equator and has a background in technology development and entrepreneurship with over two decades of experience working in emerging markets – predominantly Africa and India. Morgan is also the Founding Partner of Factor E Ventures and was a Co-Director of the Energy Institute at Colorado State University, supporting over 200 interdisciplinary faculty, teaching, and leading R&D programs in a wide range of technology areas including engine systems, biofuels, and cookstoves.

Morgan has a PhD. and M.S. from Colorado State University and a BA from Hastings College.

OPERATING PARTNER

Lyndsay is an Operating Partner at Equator and brings over 18 years of leadership and operations experience building social ventures in the energy, agriculture, and fintech sectors in Africa. Lyndsay runs Delta40 Venture Studio and previously was the CEO of pan-African solar company Fenix International, where she built a team of over 1,100 employees to deliver clean, affordable power to over 3 million people in Uganda, Zambia, Benin, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Mozambique before leading Fenix through an exit to ENGIE.

Lyndsay holds a B.A. from Stanford University.

DIRECTOR

Joel is a Director at Equator and has over 17 years of experience in investment and financial management, focusing on innovative business models within agribusiness, mobility, logistics, financial inclusion, and clean energy. Prior to Equator, he was an Associate Partner at Goodwell Investments where he led all investment activities at their East Africa Office and was a member of the Internal Investment Committee where he looked at deals across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Joel has an MSc. in Finance and B. Com. in Accounting from the University of Nairobi.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

David is an Associate Director at Equator with over a decade of experience in finance and has held various roles at Barclays, including Vice President within Capital Markets. He sits on the Board of Trustees for a U.S. liberal arts college, and in this role, serves on their Investment Committee with a $450m+ endowment invested across multiple asset classes, including public and private equities. He is an angel investor and advisor to several African startups and recently served as an interim growth manager with a Nairobi-based seed-stage startup.

David holds a B.A. in Economics and French from Bates College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

HEAD OF PORTFOLIO SERVICES

Shiro is Head of Portfolio Services at Equator and brings 8+ years of experience as an operator in social impact businesses primarily across sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining the team at Equator, Shiro was an early-stage founder and operations consultant in the agri-food sector. Before exploring entrepreneurship, she supported strategic operations and C-level priorities with sector-leading impact organizations, GiveDirectly and One Acre Fund.

Shiro holds an MA in Environmental Policy from Stanford University, and a BA with Phi Beta Kappa honors from the University of Chicago.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Jamie is the CFO at both Equator and Factor E Ventures and oversees fund operations and administration, financial management and reporting, and serves as the ESG and BI Officer. She has been working in finance for over a decade. Previously, Jamie was the Director of Finance for a technology startup, was the Associate Director of Finance for a communications conglomerate, and an Audit Associate at Deloitte & Touche.  

Jamie holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California as well as an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in California.