Natasha Cassinath is the Program Officer for the OPTions Initiative, Grand Challenges Canada’s platform for innovation in safe pregnancy termination, and the Gender Lead. She was previously a Senior Investment Manager for GCC’s Transition to Scale portfolio and manager of the Venture Advisor Program.

Natasha has over 20 years’ experience managing and advising youth development and economic empowerment programs in Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Nepal, India, Grenada and Haiti. Natasha has built recognized expertise at the intersection of design thinking, inclusive market systems development, youth and gender mainstreaming, business approaches to development, social entrepreneurship and innovation. Throughout her career, she has advised various international NGOs and funding agencies such as Technoserve, Save the Children, GOAL, Catholic Relief Services, ACDI/VOCA, International Youth Foundation, the Mastercard Foundation, USAID, EDC, IRC, and MEDA, among others.

Natasha holds an MBA in Finance from l’Institut Supérieur d’Études Économiques et Commerciales (INSEEC) in Paris.