Daniel Waldron

Daniel Waldron is head of insights at Acumen. Previously, Daniel Waldron led CGAP's work on access to energy and safe water. Daniel has seven years of experience in financial inclusion and development, primarily focused on energy access and agricultural finance. He has worked with financial services providers and government stakeholders in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. He has collaborated closely with numerous firms in the off-grid energy space, helping them to optimize their consumer finance and digital collection operations.

Before joining CGAP, Daniel worked as a research analyst for Petrides & Co., an energy investment bank. Other career highlights include serving as a research and data analyst for Better Than Cash Alliance and ongoing work for BFA and Mastercard Foundation on the Financial Inclusion on Business Runways initiative. He also served for two years as an environmental volunteer for Peace Corps Tanzania.

Daniel has a Master’s in International Affairs from The New School and an undergraduate degree from New York University. He resides in New York City. He is fluent in Swahili and proficient in Spanish.

By Daniel Waldron

Blog

What Do Low-Income Customers Want from Asset Finance?

Here are six lessons for offering asset finance to low-income customers, based on in-depth interviews with dozens of asset finance providers and their customers in developing countries.
Research

A Tale of Two Sisters: Microfinance Institutions and PAYGo Solar

Decisions on whether to compete or collaborate with new types of financial services providers and how to do so are some of the biggest challenges that MFIs face. Two global microfinance groups, Baobab and FINCA, have concluded that PAYGo financing can help them reach additional clients.
Blog

Smart Phones, Smart Partners: Linking Asset Finance and Microfinance

One company offers microcredit. The other offers PAYGo financing for smartphones, tablets and solar home systems. In what may be a template for other microfinance institutions, they are helping each other to reach more low-income customers.
Blog

PAYGo Solar Opens Pathways to Microfinance in Rural Senegal

A microfinance institution and pay-as-you-go solar company have teamed up to expand rural, low-income customers' access to microfinance based on their solar loan repayment histories.
Blog

Digital Payments Matter More for Public Services: 3 Reasons Why

Water utilities and other public service providers can benefit in at least three ways from digital payments.