Team

We’re a global team of experts in New York, San Francisco, London, Nairobi and Mumbai with a rapidly growing network of 150+ locally trained researchers.

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  • Alex Teyie
  • Associate
  • Alex Teyie is an Associate working out of 60 Decibels' Nairobi office. She previously worked with Mercy Corps and McKinsey's Social Initiative. She graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College. Alex runs a literary magazine and is always on the hunt for the next best cup of tea. Alex by the numbers - Books sniffed: 800+; Couches slept on: 33.3; Parties crashed: 18; Hairstyles: 2.
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  • Anjali Ravunniarath
  • Associate
  • Anjali is an Associate on 60 Decibels' India team. Prior to 60 Decibels, Anjali led projects focusing on technology and strategy as a fellow at an education non-profit in New Delhi. She holds a bachelors in computer science and math from Colorado College, and is an alumna of UWC Costa Rica. Anjali likes everything related to food, believes colouring books are cool and, still enjoys Age of Empires II. Anjali by the numbers - Languages: 3.24; # of languages able to recognize: 30+; Jigsaw puzzles completed: 41; Lipbalms finished (and not lost): 2; Free trials claimed: 27.
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  • Ashley Speyer
  • Manager
  • Ashley Speyer is a Senior Associate at 60 Decibels. Ashley started at Acumen in 2014 in the New York office, and then moved to Nairobi, Kenya. Prior to joining Acumen, Ashley worked at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Her passion for social entrepreneurship began in 2007 when she partnered with a women’s cooperative and founded a non-profit organization in Tanzania. Ashley holds a B.A. in Sociology from Colorado College and is currently pursuing an Executive Masters in Social Business and Entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics. Ashley by the numbers - # of french fries professionally evaluated: 20,000; # of miles hiked, skied, or biked: 10,000+; Age started first non-profit: 16; Enneagram type: 6.
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  • Colleen McEnaney
  • Senior Software Engineer
  • Colleen is a Senior Software Engineer at 60 Decibels. She was previously a visual and data journalist at The Wall Street Journal and studied journalism and information science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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  • Edwin Kibanya
  • Associate
  • Edwin is an Associate based in the Nairobi office. Prior to joining 60 Decibels, Edwin worked in management consulting and deal advisory at Open Capital and PwC respectively. Edwin holds a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science from the University of Nairobi and an ACCA qualification. During his free time, you will find him either ogling over classic cars, watching documentaries, trying to be a farmer, or if you are lucky, you will find him up at 3 AM trying to learn '10 things you did not know about black holes'. Edwin by the numbers - Cars restored: 1.5; Trees planted: 500+; Re-runs of House MD: 6; Daily dose of memes, dad jokes, and puns: 40
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  • Einar Pedersen
  • Director of Finance
  • Einar is the Director of Finance for 60 Decibels. Prior to 60 Decibels Einar was CFO for Storm Capital Management, a London-based asset management firm, for 10 years. Before that he held various senior finance roles for 10 years with the Sector Alarm group, a multi-national security firm. He holds a BSc in Economics and Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Economics. Outside of work, Einar is married with two kids – and is a licensed soccer coach. Einar by the numbers - Children: 2; wife: 1; countries lived in: 4; Childhood latitude °N: 70; Number of cells in each of his Excel spreadsheets: 17,179,869,184.
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  • Ellie Rodgers
  • Associate
  • Ellie is an Associate on the 60 Decibels team in New York. Before starting at 60 Decibels, she worked at Fundación En Vía, a small microfinance nonprofit in Oaxaca, Mexico, and as a finance analyst at Accion International in Boston. Ellie has a B.A. from American University in Economics and International Studies. Outside of work, she’s often attempting to learn how to box or convincing someone to watch Star Wars (usually not at the same time). Ellie by the numbers - types of bugs eaten: 6; margaritas made: 721; hours spent in “Child’s Pose”: 3
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  • Gabi Barbosa
  • Product Manager
  • Gabi is the Product Manager at 60 Decibels. She started her career in strategy consulting, and went on to work with non-profits and tech start-ups in Portugal, Holland and London. She also worked with Kiva, where she managed a global team of Microfinance loan reviewers. Gabi holds a Master’s degree (Cum Laude) in Business Administration from the VU Amsterdam, and a Bachelor’s degree in Management from the NOVA SBE in Lisbon. Gabi by the numbers - Cacti owned: 14; Instruments played (poorly): 5; Puzzles completed: 854; Nationalities: 2.5; Number of chilli in eye incidents: way too many.
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  • Harleen Thati
  • Manager
  • Harleen is a Manager on the 60 Decibels team in Nairobi. Before starting at 60 Decibels, she worked with KPMG's development consulting practice where she spent several years doing a combination of bid writing and managing large-scale grant programmes in Africa. Most recently, she was monitoring, evaluation and learning manager on the Mastercard Foundation Fund for Rural Prosperity, drawing lessons on what's working in financial inclusion from 38 private businesses working to design, test and deliver financial inclusion products in 15 countries in Africa. Before this, Harleen worked in learning and development at HM Cabinet Office in the UK. Harleen has a bachelor's degree in Economics from McGill University and a masters degree in Public Policy from the University of Nottingham. Harleen by the numbers - cakes baked: 1,000+ (slight exaggeration), tried and failed attempts at cake decoration: probably 500+, max kilometres run at a go: 5, children: 1.
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  • Irene Mbaka
  • Finance Manager
  • Irene is a Finance Manager at 60 Decibels. She has a vast experience in Finance and Operations gained at KPMG Kenya. Irene joined 60dB to set up and operationalize the local financial systems and procedures for East Africa. Irene holds a Bachelors degree in Economics and is also a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya. She enjoys the occasional glass of wine and a nice movie after a tough day. Irene by the numbers -Nationalities: 1; Mother of: 2; Siblings: 5; Languages:2.
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  • Ivy Langat
  • Associate
  • Ivy is an Associate with 60 Decibels’ Nairobi team. Prior to 60 Decibels, Ivy interned at UN Habitat’s Housing and Slum Upgrading Branch, and was a Local Pathways Fellow with UN SDSN Youth. She also volunteered with various organizations in Kenya and in Mozambique. Ivy holds a BSc. (First Class Hons.) in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering from the University of Nairobi. She enjoys playing board games, taking long road trips and having a good laugh. Ivy by the numbers - Languages: 2.5; National music festivals competed in: 10; Avocados sold: 210.
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  • James Heywood
  • Director, Tech Lead
  • James is an experienced software engineer with a proven track record of not only learning and applying new technology but also being able to fully understand the problem domain and deliver the most suitable solution. Adept at building & leading high performing teams, and creating, adapting & running Agile delivery processes, James has over two decades of experience in a wide variety of industries and holds a BSc in Computing from Staffordshire University.
    
    James prides himself on his ability to refer to himself in the 3rd person as well as being a Fixer of Bugs, Righter of Wrongs, Scaler of Ice, Father, Husband and Scourge of Pies.
    
    James by the numbers - Average bugs fixed per week: 2.3; Average bugs written per week: 2.3; Ice scaled: 0km; Children: 1; Wives: 1: Lifetime Pies eaten: 4,371.5.
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  • Janet Lin
  • Senior Associate
  • Janet is a Senior Associate in Operations and focused on improving the speed and quality of project delivery at 60 Decibels. Directly prior, Janet was head of the Market Research & Testing team at a leading E. African cookstove company. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering and a concentration in International Development. Janet by the numbers - Desired Video/Audio speed: 2x; Longest Unintentional Nap, hours: 19; Phones lost while traveling: 4; Go games won against Dad: 0.
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  • Jasleen Kaur
  • Analyst
  • Jasleen is an Analyst on 60 Decibels’ India team. Prior to 60 Decibels, Jasleen worked as a Research Associate with the Waste to Value team at Xynteo, a consulting firm working at the intersection of designing social impact programs and creating sustainable business models for corporates. She has completed her Master’s in Economics and Public Policy from the Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics and Bachelor’s in Economics from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. Jasleen has a keen eye for anything aesthetic, loves exploring different cultures and cuisines, experimenting with baking recipes, watching movies or simply engaging in conversations with people. Jasleen by the numbers - Languages known: 5; Cities lived in: 3; Prospective places on travel bucket list: 200+; Movies/TV shows (binge) watched: 100+: Cupcakes baked > Cupcakes eaten.
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  • Jay Batavia
  • Software Engineer
  • Jay is a Software Engineer with the 60 Decibels team in India. Before joining 60 Decibels Jay helped developers and software teams at enterprises transform their processes in order to build and ship robust, well-tested code. He holds a bachelor's in Computer Science from Colorado College, and is passionate about using tech for social change. Jay likes puzzles, puns, and other nerdy things like video games and sci-fi books. Jay by the numbers - Computer Languages: 3.5; Books on the to-read list: 50+; Average daily caffeine consumption: a lot
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  • Kasia Stochniol
  • Director
  • Kasia is a Director at 60 Decibels and leads our Services work as well as overseeing the India and Kenya offices. Kasia started her career as a strategy consultant and went on to work at various start-ups in Nairobi, Jakarta and London including Innocent Drinks and M-Kopa. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School where she was also a Fulbright Scholar and Leadership Fellow, and a First Class degree in Economics and Management from Oxford University. Kasia loves nothing more than catching up on the latest gossip with friends or co-workers, eating an inordinate amount of Polish dumplings (see below), hitting the dancefloor, and escaping the city for a mountain hike. Kasia by the numbers - Nationalities: 2; Clothes bought on sale: 92%; Lifetime pierogi consumption: 6,500+; Triathlons completed: 3; Bottom-5 finishes in triathlons: 3.
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  • Kat Harrison
  • Director
  • Kat is a Director of 60 Decibels; she leads our energy work and our impact work. Prior to 60 Decibels, Kat was Associate Director of Impact at Acumen, led impact work for various social enterprises, and worked for the UN. She holds a BSc in Economics & International Development from the University of Bath and a MSc (Distinction) in Development Policy, Process, & Practice from the University of Reading. Kat loves sunshine, surfing, and travelling the world.
    Kat by the numbers - countries visited: 80+; top skiing speed (recorded): 125km/h; number of times watched Top Gun: too many!
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  • Katie Mountain
  • Head of European BD
  • Katie joined 60 Decibels in May 2019 as Business Development Manager. Prior to joining 6o Decibels, Katie worked as Impact Officer at FMO, the Dutch Development Bank, where she worked on developing impact measurement tools and the evaluation of its impact results. Katie has spent her career working with social businesses. She worked for social VC fund Nesta Impact Investments as Investment Manager, making and managing a portfolio of investments in health and education; before joining fast-growth social enterprise Unforgettable.org as Head of Product and Impact. Katie holds a bachelor’s in Business Economics from The University of Manchester. Katie by the numbers - Nationalities 2; Languages 2.2; Cities Lived in: 5.
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  • Katie Reberg
  • Senior Associate
  • Katie is a Senior Associate at 60 Decibels. She is interested in the the intersection between politics, policy making, and service delivery, and she has translated this into a career focused on public sector capacity building and social impact measurement. Prior to 60 Decibels, Katie worked as a Social Impact Bond Project manager, assisting in the development, management, and monitoring of two Social Impact Bonds in Utah. She recently received her Masters of Public Administration from the London School of Economics, and holds a Bsc in Social Policy from Northwestern University. Born in the mountains of Salt Lake City, Utah Katie is a lover of all things nature and adventure and spends most of her free time walking her dog through the parks of London. Katie by the numbers - Dogs: 1, Daily cups of coffee: 6, Weekly hours of Crossfit: 12, Number of times watching all seasons The West Wing: 5
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  • Kelsey Jarrett
  • Senior BD Associate
  • Kelsey is a Senior Business Development Associate at 60 Decibels. Prior to joining the London team, Kelsey completed her MPA at the London School of Economics specializing in new models of social impact. Kelsey began her career at Google, and worked in Washington, D.C. for four years at the intersection of digital tech and politics. She also holds a B.S. from Vanderbilt University. Kelsey is a Florida girl so despite loving London deeply, she can't get used to her lack of tan. Kelsey by the numbers - Lifetime pets owned: 11; Average chocolate bars a week: 1.5; Percent of year spent watching and re-watching episodes of MTV's The Challenge: > 0.5%.
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  • Lindsay Smalling
  • Head of US BD
  • Lindsay is the Head of US Sales at 60 Decibels. Prior to 60 Decibels, she was CEO of SOCAP, convening social entrepreneurs, impact investors, and cross-sector leaders through world-renowned events at the intersection of money and meaning. Lindsay was previously Strategic Initiatives Officer at ImpactAssets, consulted on corporate social responsibility programs at Entrepreneurs Foundation, and started her career in financial services at Wellington Management and Lord Abbett. Lindsay graduated from Pomona College, where she was a Division III National Champion in water polo, and has an MBA from Columbia Business School. Lindsay by the numbers - changemakers convened: 20,000+, apartments lived in: 13, kids: 2 (identical twins!), sum of balls found in nearly every room of San Francisco apartment: 40+.
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  • Lynette Thairu
  • Associate
  • Lynette is an Associate with the 60 Decibels Nairobi team. Prior to 60 decibels, Lynette led Data and Research unit at M-Shule, an Ed-tech company that connects learners with tailored tutoring, training, assessments, and data through SMS. She holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance from Kenyatta University. Lynette loves unplanned road trips and traveling to unexplored places. Lynette by the numbers - Languages: 3.25, Highest number of hairstyles done under 24 hours: 8; Number of stay animals collected: 7.
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  • Matt Lewis
  • Senior Associate
  • Matt is a Senior Associate at 60 Decibels. Prior to joining, he worked at Deloitte in London in their Private Client Services team, supporting corporate restructurings and philanthropic donations on a wide range of clients. Matt has also interned at The Legatum Institute, an international think-tank focused on boosting global prosperity. He holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics from Oxford University and upon finishing his undergrad, he received a British Council scholarship, studying mandarin at Fujian Normal University in China. Outside of work, you can usually find Matt experimenting with new recipes (all things kimchi at the moment), listening to world disco or training for half-marathons. Matt by the numbers - NPS (avg): 63; Nationalities: 2; Languages: 1.65; # of countries named from memory: 187.
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  • Megan Cassidy
  • Director of Operations
  • Megan is the Director of Operations at 60 Decibels and is based in New York. Prior to joining 60 Decibels, she worked in international development and education with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Megan received her MPA-DP from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and her Bachelors from the University of Arizona. Outside of work, Megan chases tiny humans and desperately tries (and usually fails) to finish to-do lists during nap time. Megan by the numbers - children: 2, New York apartments lived in: 5, flights of stairs to reach current apartment: 5, half marathons completed in the hopes of one day enjoying running: 3, runs enjoyed so far: 0.
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  • Nilah Mitchell
  • Manager
  • Nilah is a Manager based in 60 Decibels' Nairobi office where she leads our East Africa team and work in gender. She is an international development and gender specialist with experience consulting to social enterprises, impact investors, corporates, and development agencies on social impact, inclusive business, and women's economic empowerment. Nilah has a BA in International Relations and Economics from Boston University and a MA in Gender Studies from SOAS University of London. Nilah is often planning her next trip to a beach, and is a lover of travel, different cuisines, deep conversations, and a challenging workout. Nilah by the numbers - countries lived in: 5; kids: 3; lifetime dosas consumed: 5,000+; half marathons completed: 3.
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  • Pranav Sridhar
  • Senior Associate
  • Pranav is a Senior Associate on 60 Decibels’ India team. Prior to 60 Decibels, Pranav supported the sanitation, energy, and healthcare verticals at Institute for Transformative Technologies, a social enterprise leveraging advanced technology to tackle global poverty; he is also the co-founder of OneDay Health, a network of primary care clinics in Uganda. He has completed his Master of Management Studies from The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University and Electronics Engineering from Shiv Nadar University. Pranav speaks five languages, is trained in Carnatic classical music, enjoys well-made chai, and more recently is learning how to Salsa! Pranav by the numbers - Languages: 5; Stage performances: 13; Conversations with strangers: 1,000+; Teas tried: 25.
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  • Prashant Maheshwary
  • Senior Associate
  • Prashant is a Senior Associate on 60 Decibels' India team. He started his career at McKinsey & Company, in their Public and Social Sector Practice, focusing on client engagements across education, healthcare and impact measurement. Post that he joined Acumen as a Lean Data Analyst, before transition into his role at 60 Decibels. Prashant is a Young India Fellow from Ashoka University and has completed BA (Economics) from Jai Hind College, Mumbai. Prashant by the numbers - Class 10 marks: <95%; Class 12 marks: <95%; Nationality: below average Indian; Active subscriptions: Netflix, Hotstar, Prime, SonyLIV, Zomato Gold; Inactive subscriptions: cult.fit; Demographic: Very privileged.
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  • Rebecca Schick
  • Senior Associate
  • Rebecca is a Senior Associate in Business Development. Prior to joining 60 Decibels, Rebecca was awarded a Fulbright to explore the rise of the impact investing space in Mexico and Latin America. She lived in Mexico City and led ecosystem-building initiatives at New Ventures Group, an impact accelerator and investment fund. Rebecca graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Business and a concentration in Latin America. Rebecca by the numbers - Miles hiked on the Appalachian Trail: ~150; Pounds of boiled peanuts consumed: > 85; Crossword puzzles completed without phoning a friend: 0.
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  • Sasha Dichter
  • Co-Founder
  • Sasha is the co-founder of 60 Decibels. Prior to 60 Decibels Sasha worked for 12 years at Acumen, first as Director of Business Development and then as Chief Innovation Officer, where he helped create Lean Data, +Acumen, and led the Acumen Fellows Program. Sasha has also worked at GE Capital, IBM, and the microfinance division of Bank Rakyat Indonesia, and he received his MBA and MPA-ID from Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School. Sasha by the numbers - Blog posts written: 1,100; Father of 3; Languages: 5; Nationalities: 2; Squash rating: 4.8.
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  • Shahnaz Khan
  • Senior Associate
  • Shahnaz is a Senior Associate on the 60 Decibels team. She has experience working on many of our energy access and improved cookstoves projects. Prior to 60 Decibels, she worked in healthcare and financial institutions M&A at Evercore. She holds a BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics. Outside of work, Shahnaz is usually baking her way through the Ottolenghi cookbooks, desperately trying to keep her plants alive or playing the bass guitar. Shahnaz by the numbers - plant mom to 20; cookbooks owned: too many; no. of Tae Kwon Do belts: 11; nationalities: 3; musical instruments: 1.
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  • Shruti Sheopurkar
  • Analyst
  • Shruti is an Analyst in the 60 Decibels India office. Prior to 60 Decibels, Shruti worked on primary data collection projects in the MSME, Financial Inclusion, and Gender thematic areas. She holds a BA in Economics from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, and an MS in Economics from Tufts University. On most weekends, she can be found climbing rocks or hosting board game nights. Shruti by the numbers - Unread emails: 0, Funny/scandalous public transport stories: 4, Number of people converted into Radiohead fans: 14, Out of context facts known: countless.
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  • Sonia Kuguru
  • Associate
  • Sonia is an Associate at 60 Decibels. Before 60dB, Sonia was a Presidential Fellow at Wake Forest University, and worked at the Africa Centre for Open Governance. She holds a BA in Politics, International Affairs, and Religion from Wake Forest. Sonia keeps bees, loves Beyonce, and, when given the choice, will always choose ice cream.
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  • Srilatha Adabala
  • Analyst
  • Prior to 60 Decibels, Srilatha worked in the office of the CEO at HealthSetGo, a healthcare enterprise that provides school-based health solutions for non-communicable disease prevention. She holds a degree in Economics and Finance from Ashoka University, where she was a part of the liberal arts undergraduate program. Srilatha loves talking to people in order to learn more about the world around her. She loves running, exploring multiple cuisines, and is always up for a cup of coffee. Srilatha by the numbers - Languages known: 3.5, Cities: 4, Plants owned: 6, Kilometres run: 350+, Lifetime Pad Thai consumption: 500+.
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  • Tom Adams
  • Co-Founder
  • Tom is a Co-Founder of 60 Decibels. Tom has held various leadership roles across the public, private and charitable sectors. Immediately before 60dB Tom was the Chief Impact Officer at Acumen, and prior to that worked in Ethiopia and Nigeria for the Department for International Development. Tom has also worked for the Foreign Office, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and Credit Suisse. He holds a Masters degree (distinction) in Development Economics from SOAS. Tom by the numbers - Children: 4, Rescue dogs: 1, Cancers beaten: 1, Night club promotions companies founded: 2, Failed meditation attempts: too many to count.
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  • Tori Klein
  • Senior Associate
  • Tori is a Senior Associate on the 60 Decibels team in New York, where she manages projects and partnerships with clients in Latin America and beyond. Prior to 60 Decibels, Tori was an Innovation Associate at Acumen, providing communications, business development and project coordination support to the Chief Innovation Officer. She holds a B.A. in Sociology with minors in Spanish and Inequality Studies from Cornell University. Tori's always on the hunt for thrift store gems and a spot to swim. Tori by numbers - Breakfast burritos made: 738, Costume contests won: 2, Hours of karaoke playlist: 5.
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  • Tripti Singh
  • Manager
  • Tripti is a Manager with the 60 Decibels team in India. Before 60 Decibels, Tripti led the BI and strategy unit for an ed-tech social enterprise in Mumbai, and was an economic consultant with Analysis Group in Boston and Washington D.C. Tripti has an undergraduate degree (Economics and International Global Studies) and a master's degree (International Economics and Finance) from Brandeis University, Boston. Tripti by the numbers - Languages: 3, highest altitude trekked: 5,200 M: minutes spent in headstand: 3, number of houseplants kept alive: 0
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  • Victor Thirima
  • Associate
  • Victor is an Associate with 60 Decibels’ Nairobi team. He is interested in financial inclusion and has experience in software implementation, banking and management consulting. Prior to 60 Decibels, he worked at Open Capital as a Senior Analyst. He holds a BA in Economics from Colgate University and is a CFA level II candidate. Victor enjoys exploring the outdoors, football and enchiladas. Victor by the numbers - Countries visited: 5; Wisdom teeth extracted: 4; Canoe trips: 3; Languages understood: 2.7
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  • Vivian Moraa
  • Analyst
  • Vivian is an Analyst with 60 Decibels’ Nairobi team. Before 60 Decibels, she worked for an implementing partner, as a Monitoring and Evaluation assistant in the Global Fund HIV prevention program among key population, specifically, female sex workers. She holds a BSc. In Project Planning and Management from Moi University. Vivian loves huge masses of water and if she were to sing in a choir, she would be an alto. Vivian by the numbers - Siblings: 3, Languages: 2.5, Foods allergic to: 0