Passionate and impact driven team with deep operational experience
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Contact us to learn more about the Grounded Investment Company and how you can join us. We’d love to hear from you.
Stephie Mendelsohn - Head of Impact & Investment Manager
With a passion for understanding and improving ecological and socio-economic systems and experience working across Southern and East Africa, Stephie drives pipeline development for Grounded Investment Company, playing a key role in deal origination, management and closure. She’s also our Head of Impact – responsible for ensuring our objectives are achieved and published in an annual impact report.
Thekla Teunis - Managing Partner
Co-founder of Grounded, Thekla brings a strategic edge to our sustainable agri-business initiatives. After completing a Master of Mathematics she went on to consult for McKinsey in Amsterdam. A cycling trip through Vietnam opened her eyes to the possibilities of farming in harmony with nature. In 2014 she moved to South Africa to pursue work in sustainable agriculture, and together with Gijs started Grounded in 2016. Thekla spearheads the Grounded group’s strategy and alongside Gijs is responsible for investor relations for the Grounded Investment Company. She is now based in the Netherlands with her partner and young daughter.
Gijs Boers - Managing Partner
Gijs is a co-founder of Grounded. With a Master of Finance & Investments and eight years of building successful agri-businesses in Africa, Gijs is the architect behind Grounded’s innovative business models and corporate structures. Leveraging his prior experience in both early-stage investing and hands-on company development, Gijs drives Grounded’s business tactics, deal structuring and co-leads investor relations for the Grounded Investment Company with Thekla. He divides his time between South Africa and the Netherlands.
Judith Ngonyo - Investment Manager
Judith brings over six years of experience in Africa’s venture capital landscape. She is a curious and committed investment professional, passionate about helping early-stage businesses grow and thrive. Her approach blends hands-on, day-to-day engagement with strategic insight, having served as both a board director and observer. Her solid background in finance and insurance further strengthens her ability to guide companies toward long-term, sustainable growth.
Michelle Awuor - Regenerative Agriculture Specialist
Michelle joined us in 2023 as our Regenerative Agriculture specialist in Kenya. She is a soil scientist, and like Daniel loves talking about the invisible life-force beneath our feet. Michelle has a breadth of experience working with smallholder farmers in East Africa, and works together with agronomists and quality experts in our investee companies to bring theory into practice in a way that’s economically feasible for farmers.
Daniel Fourie - Investment Associate & Regenerative Agriculture Specialist
With a biochemistry background and an immense passion for anything that lives in the soil, Daniel joined Grounded in 2020. Where others may see dirt, he sees a complex network of microbes, fungi and other creatures. Daniel’s unique strength is his ability to convey his passion to the farmers he encounters, translating his detailed knowledge into solutions that can be practically implemented by farmers with little resources or time to spend. He also plays a crucial strategic role as Grounded Ventures Strategic Advisor for both The Honeybush Company & Simalaha IFC.
Jenny Willis - Impact Coordinator (Cape Town)
With a background in food systems and market access development in Africa, Jenny implements our impact approach and coordinates monitoring, evaluation and reporting for the Grounded Investment Company.
Maureen Ndung'u - Investment Analyst (Kenya)
Maureen joins our Grounded Team with a strong background in venture capital and financial engineering. She brings with her a deep passion for regenerative agriculture and is committed to building resilient agricultural value chains while aligning impact with investment. Maureen is excited to contribute through hands-on collaboration and thoughtful capital deployment to bring about meaningful change in the sector.
Saskia van der Mast - Venture Partner (Kenya)
Saskia brings over 15 years of experience in venture capital and private equity, with a focus on scaling impactful businesses in East Africa. She leads investment strategy, team development, and portfolio support, combining a hands-on approach with deep sector knowledge. Passionate about purposeful entrepreneurship, Saskia also contributes to regional ecosystem growth through advisory and board roles. She holds a Master’s degree in International Economics and Business.
Gail Malcomess - Legal Counsel
With her background as a South African attorney in the corporate, commercial, banking and finance arenas, Gail has extensive experience in risk, governance, strategy, structuring, contracts, and negotiation. Gail worked for the M&A department of a large South African law firm before moving to Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking, where she gained valuable experience for over 6 years. She then started her own legal consultancy, advising a broad range of clients (including Grounded) for 6 years, before joining the Grounded team. With her business acumen and strategic commercial insight, she heads up the Group’s legal function.
Annie Barker - Fund Operations & Communications Lead (CT Office)
Annie joins Grounded with an extensive background in communications, marketing, fund administration and stakeholder relations, with experience across a number of sectors including social investment and grant making. She is excited to contribute to the team with her commitment to meaningful impact and strong communication, organisational and relationship-building abilities.
Dani Petersen - Head of Finance
Dani, who has been with Grounded since its inception in 2016, serves as the Head of Finance and leads a team of three. With meticulous attention to detail, Dani guarantees that all financial records are impeccably maintained for the Grounded group. Dani plays a pivotal role in aiding group companies with budgeting, financial modelling, expert tax advice and strategic financial structuring, ensuring their fiscal health and compliance.
Kaleb Benadie - Group Financial Accountant
Kaleb is a highly analytical accountant with more than 10 years of experience in financial reporting and analysis, costing, forecasting, inventory management and payroll reporting. He has worked in a variety of sectors including manufacturing, fast moving consumer goods and logistics. He is dedicated to providing crucial financial information for decision making and ensuring efficiency in financial operations. Kaleb will be assisting the Group Finance Manager with managing the financial accounts of the Operating Companies and Group entities.
Matthew Freeman - Group Financial Accountant (CT Office)
Matthew is a SAIPA-registered Professional Accountant with over six years of experience in accounting, tax, financial management, and commercial finance. At Grounded, he serves as Group Financial Accountant, supporting the finance function across the Group and its operating companies. His responsibilities include financial reporting, budgeting, compliance, payroll, and financial controls, while working closely with management teams to strengthen financial processes and support sustainable growth across the organisation.
Fiona Fewell - Head of People & Organisation (CT Office)
As the People and Organisation partner with the Grounded leadership team, Fiona focuses on developing, implementing and integrating people systems, processes and practices that enable the people and the business to grow together.
With over 30 years’ experience in Business and Strategic Human Resource leadership across several industries and geographies, Fiona has a degree in Industrial Psychology and Industrial Sociology and is qualified (PCC) as an Executive and Life Coach through the Centre for Coaching, UCT Graduate School of Business.
Fabian Newton - Group Finance & Project Manager
Fabian has joined Grounded as Group Finance Manager and Project Manager. He is responsible for financial reporting across the Group, while also driving the digitisation and automation of financial processes for the portfolio companies. Fabian has a background in high-growth start-ups, with a strong focus on impact-driven businesses.
Alastair Wiener - Bookkeeper & Administrator (CT Office)
Alastair is an experienced finance and administration professional with a strong background in bookkeeping, account reconciliations, and financial administration. At Grounded, he supports the day-to-day finance function across the Group and its operating companies, helping to maintain accurate financial records, support reporting processes, and ensure the smooth operation of financial activities across the organisation.
