Lisa G. Thomas

Lisa G. Thomas has 18 years of experience, the majority of which has been spent in venture capital and private equity investing, governance and operations in emerging markets. She is the Founder and Managing Director of Samata Capital, a fund management company dedicated to making private sector investments in small and growing businesses in sub-Saharan Africa that advance opportunities for women and promote gender diversity. An impact investor and seasoned consultant, Lisa brings robust emerging market experience in early stage and growth investing having worked with companies in more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia and the Caucasus. She is passionate about emerging markets investing with significant expertise in financial services including fintech as well as experience in agribusiness, consumer products, energy services and online marketplaces.

Prior to founding Samata, Lisa was the Chief Investment Officer for VestedWorld, an online venture fund focused on sub-Saharan Africa, and the Director of Investments – Asia for Equator Capital Partners, an $80 mil+ fund management company investing in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Lisa also worked in an operational capacity with financial institutions as the Vice President of Capacity Building and Operations at CapitalPlus Exchange, Equator’s partner. Prior to business school, Lisa worked as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch in New York and as a research associate at CRT Capital in Connecticut.

Lisa is regularly asked to speak at public conferences and at private gatherings on emerging markets and gender smart investing. She has taught and guest lectured at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and was an Emerging Leader Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, co-authoring the paper “Africa Is Now: The Opportunity for Mid-Sized US Companies.” Lisa serves on the Board of Directors for several financial institutions in emerging markets and spends time providing advice and mentorship to start-ups companies.

Lisa holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.S. (Honors) from the University of Oregon.