Kashif Thanvi, Pakistan Lead, Acumen

Kashif Thanvi leads Acumen’s work in Pakistan, where the impact investment firm has placed its bets on a simple but difficult proposition: that the private sector can and should be solving problems for the people most affected by poverty and climate change, not just serving those who can already afford solutions. Acumen’s work in Pakistan’s agricultural space has included the country’s first climate equity fund worth $90 million designed to back agribusinesses working with smallholder farmers who are disproportionately exposed to climate shocks and have the fewest resources to absorb them. Thanvi works in the space where investment meets impact, where the question is not just whether a business can grow but whether it can grow in a way that actually improves the conditions of the farmers, labourers, and communities it serves. In a country where climate stress is accelerating and social protection systems remain thin, patient capital and mission-aligned investment have a specific and urgent role to play.