Paul DiLeo

Founder and Managing Partner

Paul has pioneered the mobilization of private capital for the microfinance industry and in so doing has helped shape the sector as an investable opportunity. With over two decades of experience in development finance and 10 years’ experience in the microfinance sector, he has cultivated a wealth of knowledge in the industry and is respected as a thought leader in the microfinance investment community. Paul launched and managed the Gray Ghost Microfinance Fund which was the first private, for-profit microfinance fund established to demonstrate the viability of microfinance investment. Prior to starting Gray Ghost, he was instrumental in setting up a U.S. government-backed investment fund in Russia and during his tenure at Shorebank Corporation made equity investments in leading microfinance institutions in India and Bangladesh. He also worked extensively in advising and evaluating microfinance institutions and small business banks around the world. Paul started his career in international finance with the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, has a Master’s degree from Boston University, and completed studies in business accounting and finance at New York University.

Paul is the President of Grassroots Capital Management and also acts as Managing Partner of Grassroots Capital Partners.

S Viswanatha Prasad

Senior Advisor

Prasad is the founder of Caspian Advisers and co-founder of the Bellwether Microfinance Fund. Prasad has over 20 years of experience in the mainstream financial sector, of which the last 8 years have been spent in microfinance.

Prior to founding Caspian and launching Bellwether, Prasad held the positions of CFO, COO and eventually CEO of Bhartiya SamruddhiFinance Limited, the flagship company in the BASIX group, one of the largest microfinance networks in India. BASIX was the first microfinance institution in India to raise external equity, as well as the first in Asia to securitize its microfinance portfolio.

Before entering the world of microfinance, Prasad was a Vice President in the Corporate Finance and Asset Financing Divisions of KARVY Consultants. He also held the position of the Vice President of Project Finance for the TVS Group. Reputed to be a leader in Indian microfinance, Prasad served as a member of a high-level task force constituted by the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India to deliberate on the funding issues of microfinance institutions and he has done extensive policy work with government agencies and regulators.

Prasad also acts as a Managing Partner at Grassroots Capital Partners. Prasad has a Master’s degree in management studies from Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India.

Christine Killorin

Chief Financial Officer

Christine Killorin leads administrative and operational management of GRM, serving as the Chief Financial Officer of GRM and as a member of the Investment Committee for the $117mm Global Microfinance Equity Fund. She brings to the team more than 20 years of Fortune 500 Company senior management experience in operations, human resource and financial management. Prior to joining GRM, Christine was the Chief Financial Officer of Gray Ghost Ventures, at that time the largest single investment vehicle for the mobilization of private funds into microfinance. Her additional microfinance experience includes her tenure as Chief Operating Officer for Women’s World Banking.

Christine is a Certified Public Accountant. She has an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.

Anna Kanze

Investment Officer

Anna Kanze leads Grassroots’ investment monitoring and reporting, industry research, and social performance measurement functions, in collaboration with colleagues based in India, Southeast Asia and Latin America. In this capacity, she performs due diligence on potential partners, evaluates debt and equity investment proposals, and has been active in the co-creation of regional funds. Since joining Grassroots in 2008, Anna has been instrumental in developing and executing Grassroots’ investment management processes, including the valuation of equity investments.

Prior to Grassroots, Anna spent three years working at Citi Investment Research in Equity Research and the Global Capital Markets groups, conducting primary research, generating investment ideas, creating and maintaining financial valuation models, and writing published industry and company research reports. Anna also has direct marketing and market research experience analyzing online purchase behavior, new technologies and consumer packaged goods industries.

Anna has a BA in International Relations and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. She is also a member of Women Advancing Microfinance (WAM) and the Microfinance Club of New York (MFCNY).

Cynthia Poirier

Office Manager and Executive Assistant

Cynthia joined Grassroots Capital Management in 2007 and acts as Office Manager for the New York and Massachusetts offices and is the Executive Assistant to the President. Prior to joining the team at Grassroots Cynthia has managed her own massage and photography businesses. She also administered the Loisaida Samba School in NYC where she was instrumental in getting NYSCA (New York State Council of Arts) grants and other funding. Cynthia holds a BA in Communications from Concordia University, Montreal and an MFA from the University of Massachusetts.