Candidate
Barisha Rabbe
During my tenure at Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC), I launched their Venture Capital and accelerator and incubation program. Coming from a corporate side to a development sector helped me explore further on how impact investments work and making it one of the most lucrative programs for the early stage startups in Bangladesh. In my previous organization I was preparing and negotiating clauses on raising investment, but here it was the other way around. I vetted countless pitches, financial models, negotiated valuation of the startups that applied to raise investment from BYLC. In addition, I was also a member of the investment committee where I negotiated with 32 investment and acquisitions (BYLC Portfolios) and further help portfolios in mergers with different venture capitals and angel investors. I have additionally launched Orange Corners Bangladesh Chapters (which is a Netherlands Enterprise Agency - RVO's funded and incubation program). I have successfully established and maintained extensive networks of contacts with a wide range of stakeholders, including government entities, business organizations, civil society organizations, and development partners (including embassies, donor agencies like USAID, DFID, RVO, CARE, large conglomerates, and ministries under Government of Bangladesh). I have worked on projects that foster partnerships that are aligned with strategic objectives and national policies. I've also supplied significant advice on economic growth, trade, and investment issues, as well as prepared sectoral studies, assessments, and policy documents.
Prior to that I was working in Zero Gravity Ventures Ltd. (ZGVL), An Ananta Group Venture, I was pivotal in raising equity investments of approximately USD 5 million and USD 4.1 million from Brummer and Partners (registered as The Frontier Fund in Bangladesh) and Aavishkaar Capital (investment capital raised specifically for Sindabad.com Ltd.). As I was leading the finance department at that time, apart from managing day to day financial operation, I was also looking after the investor relationship, external stakeholders and engaged in managing the overall financial and legal due diligence process and negotiation process with aforementioned investors and auditors such as PWC (India). I prepared and managed the overall financial modelling and forecasts with sensitivity and trend analysis on potential changes in the market scenarios and provided valid justifications on such. In short, I was looking after the FP&A and overall account department. In addition to that, I alongside then CEO of ZGVL Mr. Zeeshan Kingshuk Huq, together negotiated valuation (calculation justifying the valuation of the company) and clauses on the term sheet with the investors and finalized them.