When Evidence Doesn’t Fit the Plan: Rethinking How Poverty Solutions Are Designed
Host: FINCA
FINCA will lead an interactive workshop on one of the most persistent challenges in inclusive finance: the distance between what evidence-based product design promises and what complex operating environments allow. The session explores how practitioners can make better decisions when research, organizational constraints, and community needs pull in different directions.
Drawing on FINCA's structured research and experience developing products for underserved markets, the workshop examines how barriers like limited access, low trust, and fear of fraud compound each other in ways that no single fix can address. Institutional friction, infrastructure gaps, and the urgency to deliver rarely leave room for the holistic, iterative approach the evidence calls for. Product teams end up making difficult compromises, often producing fragmented or siloed solutions that look viable on paper but struggle to reach the people they were designed for.
Participants will work through a group simulation of a real product design dilemma, experiencing firsthand the trade-offs practitioners face when building for women and youth. A facilitated discussion will surface shared lessons and connect the simulation to participants' own work, leaving attendees with a sharper framework for navigating these tensions in their own organizations.
The discussion and activities will be led by Karijatu Nadjiru, Global Product Management Consultant and Paula Kiura, Design Research Lead, introduced by Seth Spiro, VP and Chief Product Officer.
Bios:
Paula Kiura is a seasoned design researcher dedicated to tackling global poverty. As the Design Research Lead at FINCA International’s Poverty Eradication Lab, she works to generate evidence used to develop sustainable and scalable products and innovations for the world’s most disadvantaged populations.
Karijatu Nadjiru is a Strategic Product professional, Venture Builder, and Consultant orchestrating the regional development and scaling of inclusive financial products at FINCA International. Her experience spans the commercial banking, fintech, and renewable energy sectors in Africa.
Seth Spiro is Vice President and Chief Product Officer at FINCA International, where he leads global product strategy and oversees the Poverty Eradication Lab, designing and scaling mission-aligned credit solutions for low-income entrepreneurs across emerging markets. With more than two decades of experience across fintech, credit unions, global microfinance, media, and nonprofits, he specializes in building customer-centered financial products that strengthen portfolio performance while delivering measurable social impact.
This venue has a capacity of 60.