Althaë works to change systems so women thrive.
Sophie Romana works with financial institutions and global organizations to build systems that serve women better.
“Women belong in all the places where decisions are being made.”
At home, at the office, in policy and politics women are underrepresented. We made progress but we still have a long way to go. I am interested in all the issues that affect women’s autonomy, independence, agency and rights. I work with financial institutions to build systems that serve women better. I work with governments to create programs that give women agency. I work with international organizations to understand the obstacles and how to remove them. When women do better, the world does better. Let’s get it done.
About Sophie Romana
Sophie Romana is a gender, Women’s Economic Empowerment, and financial inclusion expert. She is passionate about designing solutions that further gender equity and systemic change.
In 2023, Sophie worked with new projects in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal with IPC for the European Investment Bank’s African Women Rising Initiative (AWRI). With teams from CARE USA and CARE Niger she explored the power of women’s Mata Masu Dubara groups. Together with WOCCU’s teams in Kenya, Senegal, Burkina-Faso and Guatemala she helped shape the gender and youth approach to better serve these underserved markets. Finally, Women Deliver hired Althaë to do an After Action Review of the Kigali Conference. Other recent projects include a market scoping of Senegal’s women traders, developing a digital financial literacy campaign for women in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda (with SIA and USAID Funding) and a Gender Lens Investment Framework called GIFT (with WOCCU, USAID funding). Before starting Althaë, she led Oxfam’s Community Finance Department (2011-2018), PlanetFinance’s US Operations and has worked in private equity for over 10 years, in New York, focusing on consumer products. She is a graduate from La Sorbonne (Law) and Columbia Business School (MBA). A dual French American citizen, she lives in Maine.
Recent Projects
Evaluation of “Leap Her”, an alternative collateral credit product for women in Ghana
Client SASL & Opportunity International – Funding Canada Gov (GAC)
April 2021 – October 2022
Project & team lead
Co-design an evaluation framework for a “Leap Her”, a pilot project led by SinapiAba, Ghana’s number one lead MFI serving women entrepreneurs to analyze the effects of alternative forms of collateral for women entrepreneurs in Ghana.
Digital Financial Services and the Digitization of Agricultural Value Chains in Egypt
Market Assessment – Client IFC
June 2021 – June 2022
Gender Specialist and Technical Advisor
Market study for IFC to identify investments that could positively impact financial inclusion in Egypt, with a focus on small holding farmers and women. Provided desk research on global economic situation, women’s financial inclusion, digital ecosystem, mobile money landscape and key informant interviews, co-author reports with team from Strategic Impact Advisors.
Gender Lens Investment Toolkit Design & Implementation
Client: WOCCU, Funding USAID-INVEST
June 2020 – March 2022
Senior Gender & SME consultant
Design a gender lens investment toolkit to increase investment into women-owned and led businesses. Piloted in Senegal through a network of credit unions. Developed and executed diagnostic tools (market study, ecosystem mapping, credit union selection process, gender assessment), identified three levers of change to improve women’s access to credit, support their businesses and create networking and capacity building opportunities. Design regional scaling plan.
Gender Assessment of MFIs in Ghana and the DRC (Follow-on)
Client: Opportunity International
September 2021 – February 2022
Lead
Designed a follow-on gender assessment of 3 MFIs based in Ghana and the DRC together with Aarth Consulting. Executed assessment remotely based on data sharing and key informant interviews.
Digital Financial Literacy Curriculum
Client: SIA, Funding USAID (GenDev)
October 2019 – December 2021
Gender & Digital Technology expert
Collaborated to the design of “Hey Sister! Show me the mobile money!”, an audio/IVR Digital Financial Literacy curriculum to increase women’s awareness and usage of digital financial services. Episodes are dramatized, recorded and available both on an interactive platform, and for download online.
Gender Mainstreaming in Ghana & the DRC
Client: Opportunity International (UKAID funding)
February – August 2019
Project Lead
Co-designed and executed gender assessments of three financial institutions in Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, addressing both internal gender diversity gaps and external/market outreach; proposed action plan to increase integration of women internally and client-wise. Designed and facilitated gender mainstreaming workshops for senior managers, HR and operations team; debriefed Board Members. Used qualitative and quantitative methodologies with onsite work and training in Ghana (April 2019) and DRC (June 2019).
Women’s Economic Empowerment in East Africa
CARE USA
July 2018
Researched and drafted program proposal for target donor focusing on innovative approach to promote women’s economic empowerment in three countries in East Africa.
What’s in a name?
Althaë is pronounced al-ta-eh.
Although invented, our name has roots in that of Althea, the goddess of healing and compassion in Greek mythology, and Althaea officinalis, the Latin name of the marshmallow plant. A perennial plant native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia, the marshmallow plant has been used in traditional herbal medicine for centuries.