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A small team, built to help governments do hard things.

We're a nonprofit founded on a simple bet: that the right people, inside government, armed with rigorous analysis and real delivery systems, can launch the industries that lift millions into prosperity.

Who we are

We put analysis into action.

Growth Teams grew out of years spent working with governments across Africa and South Asia, and the observation that good analysis only matters if leaders have the mandate and the systems to act on it. So we don't just advise. We form teams with reformers, run the model, and stay until industries launch.

The team

The people doing the work

Kartik Akileswaran

Kartik Akileswaran

Co-Founder

Government advisory with the Tony Blair Institute in Sierra Leone and Ethiopia, and with CEGIS in India. Design and evaluation of infrastructure and public-sector reform with the Millennium Challenge Corporation; rigorous impact evaluation with J-PAL/IPA in Peru.

Jonathan Mazumdar

Jonathan Mazumdar

Co-Founder

Government advisory with the Tony Blair Institute at the Rwanda Development Board and Kigali Innovation City. Venture-capital impact investing with Acumen and Sangam Ventures; rigorous impact evaluation with J-PAL in India.

Chema Triki

Chema Triki

Co-Founder

Government advisory with the Tony Blair Institute in Ethiopia and senior leadership on industrialisation across Africa. Economic-policy analysis with the OECD, ILO, and EBRD; management consulting in financial services.

Enock Kivuyo

Enock Kivuyo

Junior Advisor

Investment consulting with Africa Insight Advisors. Monitoring and evaluation with Mercato Metropolitano; philanthropy and partnerships with the Issroff Family Foundation.

SK Saiful

SK Saiful

Operations Associate

Partnerships and government engagement with Fortify Health, a GiveWell-funded, Ambitious Impact–incubated nonprofit working at scale across India’s public-health systems. Applied policy research with the International Management Institute; Don Lavoie Fellowship at the Mercatus Center.

Smriti Iyer

Smriti Iyer

Affiliate

Scaling the impact of women-led enterprises with IMAGO Global Grassroots. Operationalised a $250M World Bank skills-development loan for the Government of India; monitoring and evaluation with Tata STRIVE.

Kishan Shah

Kishan Shah

Affiliate

Growth-policy research with Harvard's Growth Lab in South Africa, Ethiopia, and the UAE. International-development advisory with Dalberg; economic-policy research with India's Chief Economic Adviser.

Summer fellows

The fellows who have worked with us

Each year we bring on a small cohort of summer fellows who work directly on live country projects. Past and present fellows:

Angela Perez AlbertosSummer Fellow · 2023
Paola Benavente OrueSummer Fellow · 2023
Fran KomolkitiSummer Fellow · 2024
Nidhi RaoSummer Fellow · 2024
Javier PenafielSummer Fellow · 2025
Kathryn BankartSummer Fellow · 2025
Benjamin OestericherSummer Fellow · 2025
Siddhartha WarwadeSummer Fellow · 2026
Sanchit MardiaSummer Fellow · 2026
Advisory board

Grounded in rigorous research.

Our work draws on leading thinking in growth and industrial policy, guided by an advisory board of economists and development scholars.

Our funders

Backed by partners who believe in prosperity

Coefficient Giving
Gatsby Africa
Mulago Foundation
Schmidt Futures
Livelihood Impact Fund
African Climate Foundation
ACX Grants
Future Fund Regranting
A team collaborating in a bright modern office Illustrative

Work with us.

Funders, governments, and development partners — if you're serious about launching new export industries, we'd like to hear from you.