Thembi Mdachi has two years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She is originally from Malawi, but spent most of her childhood years in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in International Studies. She has a strong background in conducting empirical and quantitative research and establishing metrics to track the social impact of microfinance on social and economic development in developing nations. She is interested in designing sustainable and empowering economic projects that address the root causes of poverty. In a self-designed internship in 2010, Thembi worked as a research assistant for FINCA International in Malawi, where she studied the role of micro-finance in reducing poverty and realized the vital importance of financial literacy, particularly among women, in achieving this goal. In 2011, she helped CARE International in the Malawi Economic Development Unit analyze the impact of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) through story telling. After graduating from college, she worked with early stage impact companies that are harnessing the power of business to solver critical social, economic and environmental challenges in their communities. She is dedicated to seeing more impact investing work replicated in Sub-Saharan Africa, where she feels the region has numerous untapped opportunities and talent.
Host Organization: Agora Partnerships
Role at Host Organization: Thembi will be serving at Agora Partnerships to gain more in-depth understanding of Agora’s Accelerator model and its application to poverty alleviation in Latin America. From Agora’s D.C. office, Thembi will handle most of the administrative duties of the organization, as well as support fundraising, systems management, and board development.