Catherine Casey Nanda
About Catherine Casey Nanda
Catherine Casey Nanda is the Director of Acumen America, where she has significantly contributed to the organization's expansion into Latin America and West Africa. With a strong background in social enterprise development and public policy, she has played a vital role in building teams and strategies for Acumen's growth over the past several years.
Current Role at Acumen
Catherine Casey Nanda serves as the Director of Acumen America, a position she has held since 2016. In this role, she focuses on advancing Acumen's mission to create a world beyond poverty by leading initiatives that drive social impact in the Americas. Her responsibilities include strategic planning, team development, and overseeing fundraising efforts to support Acumen's objectives.
Previous Experience at Acumen Fund
Nanda has a substantial history with Acumen Fund, having worked in various capacities since 2008. She served as the Innovation Manager from 2008 to 2010, where she contributed to innovative solutions for social enterprises. Following this, she held the position of Director of Global Expansion and Country Operations from 2010 to 2016, where she led the geographic expansion of Acumen into new regions, including strategy formulation and team building.
Education and Academic Background
Catherine Casey Nanda studied at Harvard Kennedy School, earning her Master of Public Policy from 2005 to 2007. During her time at Harvard, she was a Reynolds Fellow, which allowed her to engage in leadership development and public service initiatives. Prior to Harvard, she completed her undergraduate studies at Princeton University from 1998 to 2002.
Geographic Expansion Initiatives
Nanda played a key role in launching Acumen's Latin America office in Bogota, Colombia, and the West Africa office in Accra, Ghana. Over the past five years, she has led the geographic expansion of Acumen to three new regions, focusing on setting strategy, building teams, and fundraising to support these initiatives.
Board Membership and Community Impact
Catherine Casey Nanda serves as a Board Member of Jacaranda Health, a chain of maternity hospitals in Kenya. Her involvement with Jacaranda Health reflects her commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes in underserved communities, aligning with her broader work in building social enterprises across East Africa.