Hi.
My name is
Manfred Bauer
I am a business professional passionate about sustainability, finance and impact
Academic preparation
Industrial Engineering
MBA
Entrepreneurship
Marketing Communications
I work with corporations, NGOs, social enterprises and development institutions, helping their clients and beneficiaries grow and make an impact.
Approach
How might we best allocate resources to accelerate progress while building resilient ecosystems for a more responsible & connected planet?
In order to tackle the most pressing issues, we need solutions that are broader… especially in emerging markets. In my view, with every new challenge I take, the approach needs to be around systemic change to help close structural gaps. This will only happen if we do deep work consistently around these layers with different levels of intensity and rigor:
About Me
Originally from Guatemala (Central America), father of 2 and married to an Australian.
I am a professional with a passion for global sustainable development. Always looking for ways to put theory into practice, working from the field and allowing for innovation to happen while working on pressing social and environmental issues.
My Experience
More than 10 years of work experience in sustainable development, financial innovation and multilateral partnerships, with proven track record in business acceleration, impact investing and network development for SMEs in emerging markets.
Main areas of work:
- Social impact business support
- Alternative financial vehicles for Small Growing Businesses (SBGs)
- Project management for technical assistance
- Sustainability frameworks around food value chain
I have been working in projects in the United States, Mexico and Central America and Brazil. I have been able to lead projects to regionalize operations, develop internal capacity in hybrid organizations (mix of grant and commercial revenue), nurture and leverage networks regionally, and foster cross sector partnerships. As a result, I have been able to lead teams to serve more than 500 SGBs, collaborated with more than 30 partners regionally, developed alternative financial vehicles, invested in more than 20 early stage businesses, and managed more than USD5MM in technical assistance from IDB Lab.
With a proven track record, I have approached roles with different angles and dimensions, working directly with key players at a ecosystem level, understanding the barriers, gaps, pain points and overall, key opportunities.
With a mix of experiences between finance, sustainability, social impact and impact investing, I am looking to continue exploring opportunities to provide unique value and innovation around Sustainable Finance, Blended Finance and Social Finance.
2022
Head
Currently working at Sefa leading the Sefa Social Finance team consisting of Relationship Managers, Portfolio Analyst as well as consultants or contractors. Also, oversee all aspects of the investment process from helping build and maintain a robust, diverse and profitable loan portfolio with social impact.
2017
Director
Worked as the Director of Cultivation at Alterna, leading the implementation of dynamic services for social entrepreneurs, developing investment capabilities from sourcing of pipeline, due diligence, deal structure, investment committee and portafolio management.
2015
Project Manager
Worked as a project manager for Mercy Corps, leading the implementation of the Micromentor program as a social franchise model for replication and scalability for LATAM.
2013
Consultant
Worked on several sustainability and social impact projects, from sustainable food and agriculture with ISOS Group, REDD+ Finance with Terra Global Capital, to Strategic marketing and value chain at Wakami.
2011
Student
Worked as a summer intern at UBS Global Asset Management developing marketing strategies for the institutional channel.
Developed a food waste management project at Kellogg School of Management.
Developed projects around data analytics and strategic marketing communications at Medill School of Journalism from Northwestern University.
2008
Young professional
Wore different hats from purchase manager, risk analyst to product developer at a financial institution called Corporación de Occidente.
Focus
I provide a broad range of experience from the ground up. Specifically, I have worked hand in hand advising entrepreneurs, developed value chains around SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) finance, from sourcing, business methodologies, investment readiness and portfolio management. At the same time, I have been able to transfer knowledge to a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, participating as a panelist in forums, working with several partners to find points of collaboration, project continuity and subsequent rounds of funding. Understanding the constrains from the ground up, I am delving into the intersection between sustainability and social impact in emerging markets.
My main areas of focus are:
Business development
Provide guidance and advice to businesses around their goto market strategy, sales growth, marketing, finance and impact.
Impact Investing
Help develop impact investing fund strategies across the value chain, from pipeline, deal structuring and financial instruments.
Sustainable Finance
Support ESG fund strategies in compliance with sustainability standards and regulations, across markets and regions.
Blended Finance
Support DFIs and NGOs with deal structuring and investment strategies to unlock capital to reach the SDGs goals.
Resources to share
Here are some of the resources I have found useful along the way to support my trajectory
The Latest from
The Blog
Here is a list of thought provoking subjects I believe are important to discuss and inspire debate.
A path towards sustainability
Is there been a time where you tell the climate is now affecting your day to day life?
Aligning impact and economics in business
What does Impact and Economics have in common?