Rasima is the Program Lead for the Adaptation SMEs Innovation Facility (ASIF), a five-year climate adaptation facility implemented by UNIDO in collaboration with BFA Global and funded by the Adaptation Fund. She is responsible for its design and its rollout across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, including its two support tracks: Ignite, which takes founders from an untested prototype to early proof points through masterclasses, labs, and in-field testing, and Propel, which pairs performance-based grants with venture-building support for growth-stage ventures.
Across a 15-year career spanning more than 20 countries, Rasima has designed and run support for early-stage enterprises across the innovation continuum, from idea stage through pre-seed and growth. As a core architect and Head of Strategy and Operations at Catalyst Fund, she helped design and scale the startup support models that backed 50+ ventures across 14 emerging markets, which had raised more than $600M in follow-on capital by the end of her tenure in 2024. She also directed TECA (Triggering Exponential Climate Adaptation), a venture launcher serving climate-vulnerable communities in Africa, and earlier worked with CGAP on customer-centricity frameworks and with Deloitte in India and Australia on identity governance solutions for financial institutions.
Her technical expertise includes designing and operating startup support models across stages, impact measurement, and the practical application of AI in early-stage venture building, particularly in climate adaptation and resilience and inclusive finance. Rasima holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy in international business and development economics from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Manipal University, India. She is conversant in English and Hindi.
