Nicolai (Nico) Eddy ('10)

COO of Nala

After graduating from Bard in 2014 with a degree in Economics, Nico got his first job in finance at Morningstar in Chicago. He did research and built stock portfolios with that company for over 5 years. He had opportunities to work in Mumbai, India and throughout Europe, eventually helping to build out a division for the company. Providentially, a friend of his introduced him to Benjamin Fernandes, from Tanzania, who was looking to help his fellow Africans more easily and inexpensively make financial transactions abroad. Nico was searching for an opportunity to find work that meshed with his values, in which he could use his finance expertise, and soon a partnership was born.

Nico took a leave of absence and he and his business partner were admitted into a select program called Y-combinator, in which promising businesses receive an intensive 3-month mentorship from successful entrepreneurs to organize and launch a company. Out of this program in 2019 they were able to raise an initial $2 million to launch Nala, a company that increases economic opportunities for Africans worldwide enabling them to send money abroad inexpensively and digitally. Their business’ name represents a lioness, who is the financial caretaker of the family and a familiar main character in the Lion King.

Nico is the COO of Nala, living in Nairobi, Kenya, and oversees product, operations, finance, treasury, and compliance functions.  Nala is now on a growth trajectory and has raised another $10 million and they have 22 employees. They do business in Africa, the UK and now the US.