Mélanie Keïta
Named by Forbes in the 2021’s 30 under 30 list, Melanie is the CEO and co-founder of Melanin Kapital, the 1st blockchain-backed neobank that helps businesses, investors and financial institutions to manage, access and track capital in Africa.
With her team, her mission is to revolutionise financial services in Africa by leveraging blockchain technology to provide unprecedented transparency and trust. We aim to empower African businesses with clear, affordable financial solutions, through a trusted financial data infrastructure that streamlines access to loans, investments, grants, and carbon credits. For this innovation, the fintech was awarded by the Hewlett Packard Foundation for best climate innovation in 2022, by AfricArena for the “Most Promising Entrepreneur” Award and by the GITEX Top Africa Awards.
As a French-Senegalese impact investment professional, Melanie built her career in impact management funds in Paris, Nairobi and Frankfurt-am-Main. She has always endeavoured to leverage on her inter-cultural perspective and her financial expertise to contribute to the efforts of economic development on the African continent. She has worked in the impact investment field for the seven years in Africa and in the Middle East prior to starting Melanin Kapital in 2020, supporting due diligence processes aiming at investing in SMEs, start ups and financial institutions. Over the years working in different impact ventures such as Investisseurs et Partenaire, the United Nations and Finance in Motion, she has particularly developed a deeper knowledge in corporate finance, fundraising and impact assessment. Besides her investment activities, she teaches in business schools and universities. Currently in ESCP Europe she delivers an elective class on impact investing in emerging markets. She offers similar lectures for entrepreneurs in accelerator programs like Bridge for Billions or GIZ-SAIS program.
Mélanie holds a Master’ s in Corporate Finance from ESSCA business school, MSc International Sustainability from ESCP Europe and is certified as a Microfinance expert from Frankfurt School of Finance Management.
