Michelle Hassan

Michelle Hassan

Principal Consultant; Program Director, Jobtech Alliance; Kenya Country Manager

Michelle is a Principal Consultant and the Kenya Country manager at BFA Global. Her areas of expertise focus on Jobtech, refugees, and MSMEs. She leads the Jobtech Alliance at BFA Global and is interested in the role of platforms in offering jobs and opportunities. Jobtech Alliance is an ecosystem initiative that supports platforms through acceleration to enable them to create jobs. She brings over 13 years of global experience working with startups, social enterprises, and development leasing user research, product development, and program implementation in Asia and Africa. Michelle also leads the refugee finance work at BFA Global.

Michelle previously worked as a Research Director at Digital Divide Data, (a Kenyan based research company), where she was involved with a wide range of financial inclusion projects including the implementation of the Kenya Financial Diaries as well as the Tanzania Financial Diaries. Michelle holds a Master's in Public Health focusing on biostatistics and epidemiology from the University of Nairobi.

Publications by this author

Exploring refugees’ usage of financial services in Uganda
Refugee Finance |

Exploring refugees’ usage of financial services in Uganda

Florence is a single mother of two who lives in the Palorinya refugee settlement in Moyo district and is...

By Michelle Hassan
Can agile fintech startups be the answer to food insecurity during the COVID-19 crisis?
Financial Health |

Can agile fintech startups be the answer to food insecurity during the COVID-19 crisis?

Originally published on NextBillion COVID-19 lockdowns have threatened small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and vulnerable families around the world. SMEs in...

By Michelle Hassan
Every action counts: Making financial services available to refugees
Refugee Finance |

Every action counts: Making financial services available to refugees

In a time of global uncertainty, it has become crucial to continue to raise awareness about the plight of...

By Michelle Hassan
Short-term fixes are not enough if SMEs are to survive COVID-19
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Short-term fixes are not enough if SMEs are to survive COVID-19

As the economic effects of the lockdowns worldwide begin to solidify, businesses large and small are collapsing. While large...

By Coco Dong
Who are the Small Merchants Who Make a Real Living Instead of Just Making Some Extra Money?
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Who are the Small Merchants Who Make a Real Living Instead of Just Making Some Extra Money?

Certain Behaviors Can Help Providers Unmask a Business’ Readiness for Financing We previously explored the life cycle of a...

By Michelle Hassan
Getting the Timing Right: The Life Cycle of a Small Shop in Africa
Livelihoods and Microenterprise |

Getting the Timing Right: The Life Cycle of a Small Shop in Africa

MSMEs Have Different Financing Needs in Four Discrete Stages Small shops or “dukas” account for 80 percent of employment...

By Michelle Hassan