Bridging Capital and Opportunity Across Continents

Where Expertise Meets Emerging Markets

🇺🇸 Iowa-based — Bridging American expertise with African markets

Founded in 2026 and registered in the State of Iowa, Kalala Advisory LLC is a boutique advisory firm specializing in the intersection of international development finance, private investment, and public-sector engagement across Sub-Saharan Africa.

With 15+ years of on-the-ground experience managing Global Fund, PEPFAR, Gates Foundation, DFID/UK AID, and other major donor programs across DR Congo, CAR, Congo, and Gabon, we bring institutional-grade knowledge to every engagement.

"We believe that sustainable growth in emerging markets requires more than capital — it demands trusted local knowledge, rigorous financial discipline, and unwavering integrity." — Ben Katamba Kalala, Founder & Managing Principal

Our unique position — a bilingual (EN/FR) Iowa-based firm with deep DRC expertise and active networks in both continents — makes us the bridge that most advisory firms cannot offer.

Core Competencies

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Financial Management

Multi-country program finance, budgeting & forecasting

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Donor Compliance

Global Fund, PEPFAR, DFC, IFC regulatory frameworks

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PPP Facilitation

Public-Private Partnerships structuring & advisory

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Market Entry

Africa market intelligence & entry strategies

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ESG Advisory

Environmental, Social & Governance compliance

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Capacity Building

Training, audits & institutional strengthening

Advisory Services

Tailored solutions for investors, institutions, NGOs, and governments navigating the African investment landscape.

Strategic Focus Areas

We concentrate our expertise where capital impact is greatest in emerging African economies.

Your Bridge Between Iowa and Africa

Based in Waterloo, Iowa, Kalala Advisory uniquely combines deep African market expertise with direct access to American investor networks, state-level economic development programs, and bilateral trade opportunities.

📍 Field Visit — KenGen Geothermal Power Plant, Kenya

Your Iowa Advantage — A Network That Opens Doors

Kalala Advisory is embedded in Iowa's institutional and economic development network — giving clients direct access to universities, state agencies, and funding programs that no other Africa advisory firm can offer.

Ben Katamba Kalala

Ben Katamba Kalala

Founder & Managing Principal
International Development Finance Specialist

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AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations

Anthropic — 2025

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PRINCE2 Foundation — Project Management

PeopleCert & Axelos — 2021

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Specialist in Microfinance Management

Boulder Institute / ITC Turin — 2015

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Certified Expert in Risk Management

Frankfurt School of Finance — 2014

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B.Sc. Econometrics & Quantitative Economics

Université de Kinshasa — 2009

15+ Years Building Bridges Between Capital and Communities

Ben Katamba Kalala is an international development finance specialist with over 15 years of experience managing large-scale donor programs across Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa. Born and educated in Kinshasa, DRC, and now based in Waterloo, Iowa, Ben occupies a unique position: deeply rooted in the African context, fluent in the American institutional landscape.

His career spans the most demanding environments in international development — managing multi-country programs under USAID, Global Fund, PEPFAR, Gates Foundation, and DFID/UK AID across DR Congo, CAR, Congo-Brazzaville, and Gabon. He has supervised sub-recipients, built financial management systems from the ground up, and ensured fiduciary compliance in contexts where institutional infrastructure was minimal.

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Finance Manager — Greenmax Capital Group

Sep 2025 – Present · New York, NY (Remote from Iowa) · Multi-country financial coordination across DRC, CAR, and Kenya for Francophone clients. Management of IDA-funded projects and fiduciary compliance oversight.

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Finance & Administration Specialist — RTI International

Nov 2022 – Apr 2025 · DRC, CAR, Congo, Gabon · USAID-funded programs across four Francophone countries. Full-cycle accounting, procurement, logistics, and field assessments.

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Senior Finance Associate — Tulane University (SPHTM)

Apr 2018 – Nov 2022 · DR Congo · Oversaw financial reconciliation for 4.5-year USAID-funded program. Sub-recipient management under Gates Foundation, Packard, UNFPA, and Promis.

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Senior Financial Analyst — Population Services International (PSI)

Jan 2016 – Apr 2018 · DR Congo · Managed DFID/UK AID, Global Fund Malaria, PEPFAR ELIKYA, and PMI programs. Sub-recipient financial controls and expenditure reporting.

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Founder — ETS Pyramid Business, Kinshasa

2019 – 2025 · Kinshasa, DRC · Founded and operated an urban sanitation enterprise — RCCM registered, RASKIN authorized, Commune Barumbu partner. 22 youth employed. Survey of 10,844 Kinois across 24 communes.

Donor Programs & Partners

USAIDGlobal FundPEPFAR Gates FoundationDFID / UK AIDPMI UNFPAPackard FoundationPower Africa World Bank / IDARTI InternationalTulane University

Languages: French (Native) · English (Professional Working Proficiency)

Let's Build Something Together

Whether you're an investor exploring the DRC, an NGO seeking donor compliance support, or an institution looking to bridge Iowa and Africa — we're ready to help.