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Day 2 – Session B3: Bridging the $5 Trillion Gap: Innovative Credit Solutions

Zainab Saeed, Inclusive Finance Consultant, ADB
Zainab Saeed is a gender and finance specialist with extensive experience in designing and implementing financial inclusion programs, gender mainstreaming initiatives, and strategic communication for inclusive development. With expertise in market research, business development, and policy advocacy, she has led high-impact initiatives aimed at improving access to finance for women entrepreneurs. A thought leader in gender-responsive finance, Zainab continues to drive transformative change by integrating gender perspectives into financial systems and economic reforms. Her work is driven by a belief in the power of inclusive policies to create meaningful and sustainable change. She has worked on programs in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, which have focused on improving access to finance for women entrepreneurs and advancing gender-responsive financial systems.


Dilshod Saidzoda, Deputy Minister of Finance of Tajikistan 
Mr. Saidzoda Dilshod is an accomplished economist and lawyer with an extensive background in public service and financial governance. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the Russian-Tajik (Slavic) University in 2009, earned a law degree from the National State University of Tajikistan in 2018, and completed his studies in Public Administration and Law at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan in 2023.

His career began at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Tajikistan, where he advanced through key roles in budget management for education, healthcare, and social protection. From 2015 to 2024, he served as Head of the State Assay Supervision and as a member of the Ministry’s Board, before being appointed Deputy Minister of Finance in May 2024. 

Alongside his government service, Mr. Dilshod has been a Deputy of the Majlisi of People's Deputies of Dushanbe since 2020, representing the Shokhmansur district. His achievements have been recognized with numerous state honors, including the “Certificate of Honor of the Republic of Tajikistan” and the medal “Excellent Finance Worker.” Holding the rank of Civil Service Advisor, 1st Class, and actively engaged in civic and political life through the People’s Democratic Party and several youth organizations, he exemplifies professional excellence, leadership, and dedication to public service


Vipul Sekhsaria, Co-Founder and COO, Kaleidofin 
Co-founder and COO at Kaleidofin, Vipul has built Kaleidofin’s customer discovery, acquisition and distribution design for its risk infrastructure platform created for informal sector enterprises with customers comprising of nano businesses, agri-enterprises and women enterprise customers. With over 7.5 million customers and 50+ financial institutional partners, Kaleidofin is building a digital ecosystem that ensures high quality access to finance for such informal sector enterprises, backed by its risk infrastructure platform. With over 21 years of experience in leadership roles Vipul believes in the power of finance and innovative financial solutions, and its potential when backed by human centered product design to get a better life for the customer.  

Graduate from St. Xaviers, Kolkata, started his career with Allianz and Munich Re insurance’s Indian operations and developed last mile distribution channels across India both as brick-and-mortar set-up to completely virtual networks to drive insurance penetration in tier 2 and 3 towns across health, accident, property/casualty and life insurance products. Later with IFMR Holdings, he created a parametric catastrophe risk protection cover, which solves for drought, flood, cyclone and earthquake risks that affect the low-income customer in both urban and deep rural settings. Vipul fervently believes in solving for the customer and bringing in innovative financial solutions at their doorstep.  

As a co-founder at Kaleidofin, Vipul is responsible for Kaleidofin’s Revenue, P & L and currently also wears the CRO hat.


Sonika Manandhar, Co-Founder and CTO, Aloi Global  
Sonika Manandhar, the Co-Founder and CTO of Aloi, stands at the intersection of technology, social impact, and sustainable development. With a background in computer engineering and international training in Silicon Valley and Korea, Sonika brings a global perspective to her role. She drives Aloi's mission to reshape the fintech landscape to make informal green sector microentrepreneurs more investable, specifically in electric transportation and agriculture. 
 
In addition to her technological expertise, Sonika is committed to addressing pressing global issues. She has been recognized for her contributions, earning accolades from UNCDF, UNESCAP, Welthungerhilfe, and Standard Chartered Ventures. As a 2019 UN Young Champion of the Earth and a 2020 National Geographic Emerging Explorer, Sonika has demonstrated her dedication to creating positive change on a global scale. Her experience extends beyond the fintech sector, as she actively contributes to global conversations on bridging the financing gap to sustainable development in platforms such as the UN General Assembly, Asian Financial Institution Forums, National Geographic Storytelling camps, and UN Global Compact conferences. 

Tamuna Zhizhilashvili, Independent Member of the Supervisory Board, Asakabank
Tamuna Zhizhilashvili is a seasoned banking executive and board member with over two decades of experience driving growth, transformation, and innovation in the financial sector across Georgia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. She currently serves on the Supervisory Boards of JCC Procredit Bank Georgia, JSC Lviv Bank, and JSC Asaka Bank, where she chairs and contributes to key committees including Nomination, Remuneration, Risk, and Strategy. Previously, Tamuna held senior leadership roles at TBC Bank, including Head of Retail & MSME Network, where she achieved double-digit growth in efficiency, sales, and customer satisfaction while spearheading digital transformation initiatives. She has a proven track record of building SME banking ecosystems, launching digital onboarding for legal entities, and leading payment solutions strategies that secured market dominance. A graduate of IMD Business School and Stanford University’s Leadership Program, Tamuna is fluent in Georgian, English, and Russian and is recognized for her expertise in strategic leadership and financial innovation.


Devrim Ziya Tavil, MSME Finance and Financial Inclusion Expert
Devrim Ziya Tavil is an internationally recognized banking executive with over 30 years of experience in SME, entrepreneurship, and gender-inclusive finance. During his tenure at TEB and BNP Paribas France, he led the development of SME and women’s banking models that gained global awards and were published as case studies by institutions such as IFC and the Financial Alliance for Women. He pioneered the establishment of SME, Startup, and Women Banking divisions in Turkey, setting benchmarks adopted worldwide. His expertise spans strategic planning, digital transformation, and financial inclusion, with projects across the US, Europe, North Africa, and Asia. Currently, he works with UN Women in Moldova, driving gender-responsive finance transformation. A multilingual leader fluent in Turkish, English, and French, Devrim combines operational leadership and advisory roles to design innovative, inclusive, and impactful financial solutions.