Abby Butkus

Abby Butkus

Principal Consultant; Program Manager, Catalyst Fund

Abby is a Principal Consultant at BFA Global and Senior Program Manager of Catalyst Fund, BFA’s flagship inclusive tech accelerator program. She has over 10 years of industry and sector experience in digital financial services, financial inclusion, accelerating early stage startups, and project management and operations. She has led projects to assess digital payments use cases and create digital transformation strategies. Previously, Abby was the Finance Director at the venture philanthropy firm New Profit, and also worked in agriculture financing and value chain digitization with One Acre Fund. She has also held roles as a researcher at CGAP and an analyst in General Electric’s Financial Management Program.

Publications by this author

Two years of catalyzing talent for inclusive fintech startups
Inclusive Fintech |

Two years of catalyzing talent for inclusive fintech startups

Finding talent is an unprecedented global challenge for employers right now, across geographies, sectors, and sizes. Many fintech startups...

By Abby Butkus
How do accelerator programs approach funding for startups? Six considerations every program should evaluate
Inclusive Fintech |

How do accelerator programs approach funding for startups? Six considerations every program should evaluate

Not all startup accelerator programs are right for all founders. From the particular expertise of the acceleration team, to...

By Malika Anand
4 tips for converting internships into full-time offers
Inclusive Fintech |

4 tips for converting internships into full-time offers

  The African fintech industry provides dynamic, exciting opportunities for junior professionals to kickstart their career. However, even as...

By Abby Butkus
Kwara launches first-of-its-kind training program for junior talent in Kenya
Inclusive Fintech |

Kwara launches first-of-its-kind training program for junior talent in Kenya

Fintech startups can be tempted to find tech solutions for all aspects of their business, but customer support often...

By Abby Butkus
Does your startup struggle to find talent? Four ways to grow your own
Inclusive Fintech |

Does your startup struggle to find talent? Four ways to grow your own

  Although startups consistently report they struggle to find talent, few consider interns to be a viable pathway. This...

By Abby Butkus
Making waves: Cynthia Wandia embodies the best of female fintech entrepreneurship
Inclusive Fintech |

Making waves: Cynthia Wandia embodies the best of female fintech entrepreneurship

Cynthia Wandia is the CEO and co-founder of Kwara, an accounting and business management SaaS for SACCOs in Kenya....

By Abby Butkus
SaaS startup Kwara is helping SACCOs deliver during COVID-19
Inclusive Fintech |

SaaS startup Kwara is helping SACCOs deliver during COVID-19

Savings and Credit Co-operatives (SACCOs) are the financial service backbone of the unbanked population in Kenya. While SACCOs increasingly...

By Abby Butkus
Catalyst Fund and Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance launch internship program for fintech startups in emerging markets
Inclusive Fintech |

Catalyst Fund and Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance launch internship program for fintech startups in emerging markets

Catalyst Fund and Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance launch internship program for fintech startups in emerging markets Startup CEOs...

By Abby Butkus