The team at Access Alliance works with a global network of development finance professionals. The ethos of the team is rooted in learning from good practice and drawing on decades of practical experience supporting financial inclusion in emerging markets across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. We bring extensive private sector expertise in gender mainstreaming, diversity, equity and inclusion, and women-centric product development. We have a track record of working across the different ecosystem functions with a variety of stakeholders to support policy making, facilitate market systems change, strengthen capacity, and open up new investment opportunities.
DEENA BURJORJEE
Founder, CEO
Deena Burjorjee is a seasoned development finance professional with over two decades working in emerging markets to develop inclusive financial sectors that improve the lives of poor and low-income people. She is an accomplished manager who has worked in large complex organizations (the World Bank Group and the United Nations), where she led integrated teams to solve complex development challenges around small and medium enterprise growth, climate, gender, and capital markets development. She has a solid track record in the impact investing space. She laid the foundation for the first debt and equity fund in the Middle East, now valued at over $600M, supporting growth and employment creation of the micro, small, and medium entrepreneur (MSME) sector, and sits on the Board and Investment Committee of Calvert Impact Capital (CIC).
Over the course of her career, she has worked across 30+ countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia with a range of public and private stakeholders in the financial sector as well as the start-up and investment space. She is a passionate advocate for women’s entrepreneurship and has dedicated much of her career to advancing women’s equality and empowerment. Ms. Burjorjee has a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) where she has taught courses and workshops on Microfinance.
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NISHA SINGH
Principal
Nisha is a seasoned finance professional with two decades of specialized expertise in women's financial inclusion and entrepreneurship. Her experience encompasses engagements with a broad spectrum of financial institutions, investors, policymakers, and global market stakeholders. She champions systemic strategies to overcome barriers in women's financial access and progress.
Nisha is adept at gathering insights about the complexities of women’s financial lives and translating it into bespoke tailored solutions that create business value. She is also a skilled trainer and facilitator specializing in synthesizing knowledge and translating complex technical concepts for a diverse audience in the form of toolkits and other learning outputs while also creating, initiating, and leading comprehensive knowledge-sharing processes. She has worked across the globe and is motivated by a deep commitment to advancing women's economic opportunities, gender equality, and climate justice, and is keen to collaborate with organizations and partners working towards these goals.
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DIANA DEZSO
Associate
Diana is an accomplished inclusive finance professional with 20+ years of experience working at the dynamic intersection of access to finance, entrepreneurship, and women’s economic empowerment. Her entire professional journey has been focused on helping to solve access to capital challenges, alongside stakeholders such as development finance institutions, commercial banks, microfinance providers, and global coalitions and networks. She started her career in microfinance in Romania with World Vision before moving to New York City to join ACCION. There, she worked with small business owners, developing tailored financial products and initiatives to connect them with the resources and networks essential for business growth. Diana has a strong track record of delivering impact in senior leadership positions and is skilled at leading collective action and member engagement with global alliances, communities of practice, and learning networks.
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MAYADA BAYDAS
Associate
Dr. Mayada Baydas is a leading expert in the field of financial and economic development, with over 25 years of experience pertaining to financial inclusion, agriculture and economic growth strategy and policy, social impact, and the development of startup microfinance companies, social enterprises, and non-government organizations. She has established and served in leadership roles for NGOs, social enterprises, and private sector companies focused on financial market development and inclusion. Working experience spans over 20 countries, in several regions around the world, particularly in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, as well as in Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Dr. Baydas has served as a lecturer at UC Davis. Originally from Lebanon, Baydas received her MS degree in Agricultural Economics from the American University of Beirut, and a Ph.D. in Applied Economics focusing on Financial Market Development, from The Ohio State University.
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