Our Team
AV Ventures’ headquarters is in Washington, DC. The global team supports AVV’s three investment vehicles, each of which is led by a local investment manager and supporting local staff. The global team also supports AVV’s partnership with Pomona Impact in Central America.

AV Ventures – Washington (Global Team)

Geoffrey Chalmers
President & Managing Director
Geoffrey Chalmers is President Managing Director of AV Ventures, LLC and Senior Vice President for Partnerships and Investment at ACDI/VOCA, with more than 20 years of experience in development partnerships, enterprise development, and catalyzing investment in emerging and frontier markets. Over his tenure, Geoffrey has helped design and scale blended finance platforms and early-stage investment vehicles—from West Africa to Central Asia—that bridge financing gaps and support SMEs transitioning from informality to investibility. He has been instrumental in launching multiple regional funds, including Ghana’s SME mezzanine vehicle and the Central Asia Impact Fund, anchoring capital and technical assistance to tackle market failures.

Valentina Echeverry
Senior Director, Partnerships and Investments
15 years’ experience impact investing, international development and investment management in emerging markets, including building up and managing investment and co-investment portfolios of high impact SMEs and FIs across Latin America, Central Asia and Africa.
AV Ventures – Ghana

Zubeiru Salifu
Senior Investment Officer
Zubeiru has over 15 years of experience in private equity, venture capital, and impact investing across West Africa, with a strong track record of working directly with Small and Growing Businesses. He brings hands-on expertise across the entire investment cycle—from deal sourcing and due diligence to portfolio management and exits. Before entering the PE/VC and impact investing space, Zubeiru worked in portfolio and investment management at Ghana’s largest non-bank financial institution, managing assets of more than US$1 billion.

Winfred Kumi
Investment Officer
Winfred Kumi is an Investment Manager at AV Ventures, where he plays a key role in the firm’s West Africa operations. His responsibilities, which span investment appraisal, stakeholder engagement, and portfolio management ensure that investments are not only financially sound but also aligned with AV Ventures’ impact thesis of fostering inclusive and sustainable growth. Since joining AV Ventures in April 2017, Winfred has brought over a decade of experience in SME finance, investment banking, and asset management to the team. His expertise lies in evaluating investment opportunities, structuring deals, and supporting portfolio companies to scale responsibly in emerging markets. Winfred holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Development Finance from the University of Ghana Business School. His academic background, combined with practical experience, positions him as a strategic partner in driving impact-focused investments across the region.

Sally Amoasah
Global Operations Officer
Sally has a passion for helping organizations succeed. She is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant and Chartered Financial Accountant, and her expertise spans across accounting, audit, operations management, finance, and investment management having worked as an auditor in her previous role and now with the ACDI/VOCA Group and has directly and indirectly supported monitoring and reporting on donor-funded projects such as those from the 🇺🇸 United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States International Development Finance Corporation (US-DFC) and the MasterCard Foundation.
Sally is skilled at working with cross-functional teams to achieve shared objectives. With a strong analytical and problem-solving skills, she is able to quickly identify issues and implement effective solutions. Sally thrives in fast-paced, dynamic environments and is committed to continuous learning, professional development and community impact which makes her a valuable asset to any organization.

Bernard F. Cudjoe
Investment Analyst
Bernard Cudjoe is an Investment Analyst at AV Ventures, where he is responsible for conducting in-depth investment analysis, building financial models, and supporting portfolio monitoring activities. His work plays a critical role in evaluating the financial viability and impact potential of investment opportunities. Bernard has over four years of experience in SME finance, financial analysis and modelling, development project management, and entrepreneurship. His multidisciplinary background enables him to assess both the financial and developmental dimensions of investments, ensuring alignment with AV Ventures’ mission of fostering inclusive economic growth. Bernard holds a Master of Science degree in Finance from the Higher School of Economics University in St. Petersburg, Russia.
AV Ventures – Kenya

Ronald Musundi
Investment Manager
Ronald Musundi is the Investment Manager and Local Representative of AV Ventures LLC in Kenya, a for-profit subsidiary of ACDI/VOCA. He supports AV Ventures’ impact investing activities in Kenya, which include management of the Impact for Northern Kenya Fund, funded by USAID KUZA and targeting the ten northern Frontier Counties of Kenya. Prior to joining AV Ventures, Ronald worked within the impact investing and financial services space for the Cooperative Bank of Kenya, Business Partners International SME fund, GroFin International Fund, and Safaricom Investment Fund. He holds an MBA in Finance from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Bachelor of Commerce (Finance Option), 2nd Upper Class Honors from Kenyatta University and is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K).

Damaris Ochieng
Investment Associate
Damaris Ochieng is the Investment Associate with AV Ventures LLC in Kenya. She supports the Impact for Northern Kenya Fund in deal sourcing, due diligence, financial modeling, deal structuring, portfolio management, and client relationships. Prior to AV Ventures, Ms. Ochieng worked as an analyst for Ubora Advisors, LLC and had corporate, commercial, and credit card analyst positions with Ecobank Kenya Ltd. She has a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Nairobi, a bachelor’s in accounting from Kenyatta University, and numerous certifications relating to investment and commercial banking.

Dan Kigen
Investment Specialist
- Investment and corporate finance professional with over a decade of experience spanning impact investing, financial restructuring, private equity, and capital markets advisory across East Africa.
- Specializes in building investment pipelines, conducting due diligence, financial modeling, and supporting deal execution in agribusiness, financial services, energy, and climate sectors.
- Masters of Management in Finance and Investments from the University of Witwatersrand and BS in Busines Administration, Finance from United States International University – Africa.
AV Frontiers

Taalaibek Djoumataev
Co-founder and Managing Partner
Taalaibek Djoumataev began his work in 1993, first as an Economist and then as Chief Economist of Foreign Exchange Department of National Bank of Kyrgyzstan.
In November 1997 he worked as Credit Department Manager in Kyrgyz Agricultural Financial Corporation (JSC Aiyl Bank). From 1999 up to 2005 he was a member of the Supervisory Board of National Bank of Kyrgyz Republic. From 2005 up to May 2015 he was Chairman of the Executive Board of CJSC "Bank of Asia."
Starting from May 2015 he became General Director of LLC MCC “Frontiers”.
Starting from May 2019 he became General Director of LLC “AV Frontiers”.
He has Diploma with honors from Kyrgyz State National University with Specialization in Industrial Economics. He received certificates for successful participation in short-term trainings and seminars in banks and universities of Europe (Joint Vienna Institute) and the US (Yale University) in different areas: market economics and financial analysis, risk management, HR management, strategic planning and management, corporate governance and others.

Farkhad Abdyrakhmanov
Investment Manager
Farkhad Abdyrakhmanov is an experienced finance professional with over 15 years in banking and investment management. As an Investment Manager at AV Frontiers, he is responsible for developing a high-quality investment pipeline, identifying and evaluating potential opportunities, conducting financial due diligence, and preparing investment cases for the Investment Committee. He also manages deal structuring, execution, and ongoing post-investment monitoring across portfolio companies, with a focus on microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Central Asia. Before joining AV Frontiers, Farkhad held various leadership roles at Bank of Asia, where he implemented and managed documentary operations and developed internal lending policies. His tenure included responsibilities such as managing the credit department, coordinating regional lending activities, and ensuring the quality of the loan portfolio.
Farkhad also contributed to the growth of MCO Frontiers through his work in wholesale financing and risk monitoring of non-bank financial institutions.
Farkhad holds a degree in Banking from the Academy of Management under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic and is fluent in Kyrgyz, Russian, and English.

Adilet Aitiev
Senior Investment Associate
Adilet Aitiev is an accomplished Investment Manager with over a decade of experience in portfolio management, impact investing, and financial strategy. At AV Frontiers, he leads the investment operations of the Central Asia Impact Fund (CAIF), a pioneering initiative focused on financing SMEs and microfinance institutions across the region. His work bridges financial returns with meaningful social and environmental impact. Alongside his investment responsibilities, Adilet contributes to the fund’s fundraising efforts, supporting investor engagement and long-term capital growth. He is skilled in building resilient portfolios, analyzing market trends, and aligning investments with sustainable value creation. Adilet brings experience from institutions such as Morgan Stanley (Budapest), Veon Ltd., and the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic. He holds a Master’s degree from Central European University, a Bachelor’s in Economics from the American University of Central Asia, and is a Certified Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®).
Fluent in English, Russian, and Kyrgyz, Adilet combines technical expertise with deep regional insight and a strong commitment to inclusive finance.
Technical Assistance Team

Wyanie Bright
Senior Advisor
- 20+ years of experience in impact investing, strategic planning, and public finance initiatives.
- Previously worked as an Investment Officer at Pan African Capital Group, a Senior Strategy Consultant in Accenture’s Financial Services Practice, and a Strategic Planning Associate at the NASDAQ Stock Market.
- MBA from Cornell University and BA in economics and BS in agriculture and resource economics from the University of Maryland.