Leesa Shrader

Leesa is program director of the AgriFin Accelerate Program at Mercy Corps, which is a 6-year, $24 million program funded by the MasterCard Foundation to expand smallholder farmer access to technology-enabled financial and information services in East Africa. Ms. Shrader joins AgriFin from CGAP, where she served as the senior digital financial services expert for Asia. She has over 20 years global experience working in financial inclusion with leading banks, mobile network operators and institutions, such as CGAP, the World Bank, GiZ, KfW and Women’s World Banking.

By Leesa Shrader

Blog

Super Platforms: Connecting Farmers to Markets in Africa

In Africa, super platforms aren't just connecting customers and merchants. They're also connecting farmers to markets.
Research

Inclusive Finance and Shadow Banking

This Brief explains why approaches to inclusive finance that are currently widespread do not share the potentially destabilizing attributes of other types of shadow banking, concluding by identifying some risks worth monitoring as the picture continues to evolve.
Blog

Telenor’s Shared Agents: Digital Finance Catalyst for Bangladesh?

New business models for agent networks, such as shared agent networks, are emerging and may offer more sustainable, competitive and efficient mobile financial services.
Blog

Digital Finance in Bangladesh: Where are all the Women?

Bangladesh has long been a success story for women’s financial inclusion, but in terms of digital finance, the story is very different.
Blog

Setting the Stage for Mobile Money in Myanmar

The rapid growth in telecommunications coverage in Myanmar is laying important groundwork that can support growth of digital financial services for the unbanked.