Beyond our investments: The people living Incofin’s values every day

Nadia Van der Elst

From Antwerp, Nadia Van der Elst has brought her experience as a longtime football coach into a new chapter. After years coaching boys’ teams, she now leads a girls’ squad – girls who arrive with hesitation, apologise before they even make a mistake, and gradually learn to take space on the field and in themselves. With every practice, she sees confidence take root – as they discover that strength and ambition have no gender. For many, simply seeing a woman in a leadership role on the sidelines shifts what they believe is possible.

Aparna Pittie

In India, Aparna Pittie supports young women entering the investment profession through the Women in Investing – PayItForward programme. She also collaborates with the Mumvest Circle, a peer network of women investors who support mothers returning to work. Returning after maternity leave is often a turning point where many women lose ground professionally; Aparna’s work creates a space where they can speak openly about ambition, balance, and progression – helping women rebuild momentum at a stage when support can make the difference between stepping forward and stepping out.

Maral Amrina

From our Eastern Europe and Central Asia financial inclusion team, Maral Amrina uses her experience as a certified coach to work with women navigating early career decisions, transitions, and moments of self-doubt. Many come to her seeking clarity and leave with renewed confidence to pursue roles they once considered out of reach. Several have gone on to launch their own ventures – an outcome rooted in conversations where someone listened carefully, challenged gently, and helped them recognise their own capability.

Elvina Garayeva

Leading our global Financial Inclusion Debt team, Elvina Garayeva brings a leadership approach shaped by transparency, inclusion, and high expectations. Beyond her role, she contributes to the Women in Finance Belgium network, co-leading its international workstream aimed at strengthening gender equity across the financial sector. Her commitment reflects a belief that lasting change requires not only individual advancement but also systems where women’s perspectives and leadership are structurally embedded – from boardrooms to the decisions that shape them.

Kapil Kanungo

From our PE and Fund Development team, Kapil Kanungo dedicates time outside work to coaching high-potential young women in India. Through regular one-to-one conversations, he helps them prepare for interviews, early leadership responsibilities, and the often-unspoken dynamics of professional environments. Many describe these conversations as the first time someone encouraged them to articulate their ambitions without restraint. His work reminds us that allyship is not abstract – it often begins with listening closely and helping someone see themselves through a different lens.

Seija Gadeyne

Within our People & Organisation department, Seija Gadeyne works every day to ensure Incofin remains a place where colleagues can grow and thrive. Outside the office, she has spent more than two decades volunteering in human rights, with a strong focus on women’s access to justice and protection from domestic violence. She has supported and hosted refugee women and children fleeing conflict, offering stability and safety during moments of profound uncertainty. She also continues to mentor young professionals – especially women returning to the workforce after family care responsibilities, helping them rebuild confidence and agency in the next chapter of their careers.

Emma Zawadi Awich

From Kenya, Emma Zawadi Awich shares a story that began ten years ago and has since reached extraordinary scale. As university students, she and her friends began visiting local schools to speak with girls about life after high school – offering guidance in communities where information, female role models, and encouragement were often limited.

As the conversations deepened, the girls opened up about experiences that shaped their daily realities: early marriage, emotional abuse, gender-based violence, and the stigma surrounding menstruation – to name just a few. In response, Emma and her peers developed structured programmes that grew more intentional each year. They created two-day workshops, quarterly school visits, and thematic summer sessions. One year, the theme centred on breaking the “period of shame,” offering open, practical education on menstrual health in contexts where silence is the norm. This year, the programme focuses on encouraging girls to pursue STEM fields – showing them what these career paths look like through the eyes of women who have walked them.

The volunteer team includes a navy captain, a pilot, a lawyer, an entrepreneur, a community development leader, and Emma – all women from different professions who share their experiences with honesty rather than idealisation. Their work is largely unpaid and driven by commitment alone. Over time, they have reached 147 schools and thousands of girls. Many of those girls later return – now young adults – sharing how a single workshop or conversation altered how they saw their future.