What LeFil Consulting does

LeFil Consulting is a Zurich-based boutique advisory firm founded in 2010 by Jessica Graf that helps start-ups, corporations, donors, NGOs, governments and their constituencies design, scale, and measure market-based innovations that create social and economic value for vulnerable and underserved populations. The firm operates three core service lines: Strategic Advisory (technical assistance, structured trainings, due diligence, and government advisory), Research and Analytics (impact measurement and management, sector analysis, monitoring and evaluation), and Partnerships and Ecosystem Building (consortium coordination, blended and impact-linked finance design). Its primary productized offerings include the GSFF and GSFF+ gender-mainstreaming programs in Latin America funded by SDC, the Beyond Gender structured support programme, the r.rise network of 12+ vetted local gender consultants across 7 Latin American countries, and a portfolio of free open-access online courses in English and Spanish on gender mainstreaming, leading with data, scaling strategies, and community building.

The firm reports 12 total personnel, comprising a 6-person core team in Zurich (Founder/Managing Director, Associate Partner, Senior Consultant, Consultant who also serves as Focal Point for Latin America, Junior Consultant, Analyst) supplemented by a global network of collaborators. Geographically, LeFil is headquartered in Zurich and operates across Latin America (15 countries), Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ivory Coast), South/Southeast Asia (Nepal), Eastern Europe (Serbia), and Central Asia (Kazakhstan). Notable clients and program partners include the Swiss Re Foundation, SDC, Oxfam Kenya, the LSE Marshall Institute, New Ventures, Pro Mujer, Water for People, VIWALA, Danone Communities, Ventus Learning, OneDay Health, and the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan, as well as numerous social ventures in healthcare, water, sanitation, agriculture, financial services and energy.

LeFil's revenue model is anchored in professional services: bespoke consulting engagements with negotiated fees, supplemented by the fee-based Beyond Gender programme and the r.rise fixed-price service catalog. Free online courses and a monthly newsletter function as demand generation rather than direct revenue. The firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional investment, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Notable field outcomes include a reported USD 42.8 incremental revenue per USD 1 invested in GSFF, +42% earned revenue growth and +22% women's representation gains among participating ventures, and a CHF 10,000 SDC grant unlocked for Bive that reached 1,750 women in its first year.

Name

LeFil Consulting

Legal name

LeFil Consulting

Website

https://lefilconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LeFil Consulting is a Zurich-based boutique advisory firm that helps start-ups, donors, NGOs, corporations, and governments design, scale, and measure market-based social innovations across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South/Southeast Asia, with a specialization in gender mainstreaming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Impact Consulting & Advisory

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) & Belonging Consulting (BPAHAGAJ), Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting (BPAHACAM), Learning, Training & Corporate Education Consulting (BPAHAGAE)

Keywords

• Social impact advisory
• Gender mainstreaming consulting
• Impact measurement services
• Social entrepreneurship advisory
• Development consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Strategic Advisory and Consulting Services: LeFil earns revenue through bespoke consulting engagements with donors, NGOs, social ventures, impact investors, corporations, and governments. Projects span due diligence, program design, technical assistance, monitoring & evaluation, and training delivery. Engagements are project-based and typically multi-month, with fees negotiated per contract.
2. Online Training Courses (Free): LeFil offers free online self-serve courses (Leading with Data, Gender Mainstreaming, Scaling Strategies, Community Building) available in English and Spanish. These courses serve as lead generation and thought leadership rather than direct revenue generation. A facilitated (paid) version of the training is also offered to organizations.
3. Beyond Gender Support Programme: LeFil offers the 'Beyond Gender' structured support programme targeting investors, ESOs, and social ventures, providing 360-degree assessments, workshops, technical assistance, and metrics/reporting. This is a fee-based service offering, with subsidized support from vetted local gender experts for ventures.
4. r.rise Gender Consultant Network: r.rise, a network of local gender consultants across 7 Latin American countries created with LeFil's impulse, offers fee-based specialized gender expertise services to organizations. Services are available via a predefined catalog with fixed prices or customized engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LeFil Consulting is a boutique advisory firm that helps start-ups, corporations, donors, NGOs, and governments design, scale, and measure social-impact innovations. Its work spans strategic advisory (technical assistance, due diligence, training), research and analytics (impact measurement systems, sector analyses, M&E), and partnerships and ecosystem building (consortium coordination, blended/impact-linked financing design), with deep specialization in gender mainstreaming.

Product overview

LeFil Consulting is a consulting firm founded in 2010 offering three core service lines: Strategic Advisory, Research and Analytics, and Partnerships and Ecosystem Building. The firm operates as a professional services company focused on identifying, designing, scaling and replicating innovations that create social impact and economic value. Its product portfolio includes specialised programmes like GSFF/GSFF+ (gender mainstreaming facility), Beyond Gender (structured support programme), and r.rise (gender consultant network), alongside open-source online courses on gender mainstreaming, data leadership, scaling strategies, and community building. Additional offerings include gender assessment tools, KPI benchmarking tools, and practical training modules—all designed for social ventures, investors, and entrepreneur support organisations across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South/Southeast Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• r.rise: A network of local, specialized gender experts across Central and Latin America, created with the impulse of LeFil Consulting. It is the largest collective of local gender experts in the region.
• Beyond Gender

Products and services

• Strategic Advisory Crafting tailored paths to creating social impact and generating economic value, including technical assistance, structured trainings, due diligence, and government advisory services for start-ups, corporations, donors, NGOs, and governments.
• Research and Analytics Leveraging data to deliver valuable insights and drive concrete action, including impact measurement and management (IMM) systems, sector analyses, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) services for impact-driven organizations.
• Partnerships and Ecosystem Building Mobilising and connecting resources and stakeholders for bigger impact, including innovative partnership model design, consortium coordination, and blended/impact-linked financing mechanisms.
• GSFF (Gender Scaling Financing Facility) Ambition initiative to mainstream gender inclusion across the impact ecosystem in Central and Latin America, providing financial and technical assistance to social ventures to embed gender into their strategies and operations. Supported 135+ ventures between 2022-2024.
• GSFF+ Scale-up version of GSFF extending support to key ecosystem players including investors and entrepreneur support organisations (ESOs), delivered through a network of local vetted gender consultants (r.rise).
• Beyond Gender Support Programme Structured support programme helping organisations leverage gender mainstreaming as a strategic lever of organisational performance, resilience, and impact. Provides 360-degree assessments, trainings, hands-on technical assistance, and metrics for tracking progress. Tailored for investors, ESOs, and social ventures.
• r.rise Gender Consultant Network Largest collective of local, specialized gender experts in Central and Latin America, offering context-specific, specialized, and cost-effective hands-on support across 7 Latin American countries. Services include gender assessments, trainings, and technical assistance via a predefined catalog or customized engagements.
• Gender Mainstreaming Online Course Open-access self-serve online course helping organisations recognise and fight gender biases, identify opportunities for gender mainstreaming, and develop effective initiatives to promote gender equity. Available in English and Spanish for social ventures, investors, and ESOs.
• Leading with Data Online Course Two-part capacity-building program helping impact organisations identify data they need for effective business and impact management. Available in English and Spanish as open-source self-learning courses.
• Scaling Strategies Online Course Course exploring 11 tested approaches to scale up a venture with inspiration from successful real-world examples. Available in English and Spanish.
• Community Building Online Course Course teaching how to harness the power of communities to create value for an organisation. Available in English and Spanish.

Quantifiable outcome

• +42% increase in earned revenue for GSFF participant ventures attributable to gender initiatives
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Oxfam KenyacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration to design and pilot an innovative operating model for operations and maintenance (O&M) of rural water infrastructure in Turkana ASAL county, Kenya. LeFil conducted comprehensive analyses of institutional, technical, financial, environmental and social factors, facilitated program design, and conducted due diligence. Also partnered on Nepal water systems work.
• Pro MujercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro Mujer supported the Gender Scaling Financing Facility (GSFF) as an implementation partner, working alongside LeFil which designed and oversaw the facility funded by SDC. LeFil has also worked with Pro Mujer's entrepreneurship training programs in Latin America.
• Water for PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater for People collaborated with local authorities in Kampala (Uganda) and Blantyre (Malawi) since 2010 to establish formal pit emptying industries. Engaged LeFil to collect extensive data and conduct research on pit emptying businesses, assessing the state of the sector, business models, financial viability, and identifying effective interventions.
• London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) — The Marshall InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeFil supports the LSE 100x Impact Accelerator by conducting detailed due diligence interviews with shortlisted candidates for the Investment Committee that selects cohort participants. The Accelerator identifies and accelerates promising fast-scaling social ventures addressing pressing social problems.
• PES LATAM Consortium (Ashoka, Bridge for Billions, New Ventures, VC4A)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeFil served as consortium lead for the PES LATAM program (funded by SDC), managing partners including Ashoka, Bridge for Billions, New Ventures, and VC4A. LeFil oversaw quality of delivery, managed partner collaboration, advised on strategic direction, and led M&E for the 9-year program supporting ~160 ventures across Central and Latin America.
• VIWALAnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeFil partnered with Mexican impact investor VIWALA to design and deploy an impact-linked loan facility that rewarded impact ventures with discounted interest rates for achieving gender-related impact targets. LeFil led deal design, metric/target development, and verification/reporting processes.
• Ventus LearningnotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration to set up and deliver training programs for social entrepreneurs on topics including gender mainstreaming and use of data in management. LeFil contributed content expertise while Ventus Learning handled program delivery, collectively supporting teams of tens of social enterprises across Latin America and Africa.
• OneDay HealthnotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeFil Consulting seconded team member Michal Januszewski to OneDay Health in Uganda for five weeks to enhance the organisation's capacity to measure its impact. Delivered a comprehensive impact measurement project including Theory of Change review, survey design, enumerator training, field implementation (527 patients, 50 nurses), and dashboard creation.
• r.rise Gender Consultant NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated with the impulse of LeFil Consulting, r.rise is the largest collective of local, specialized gender experts in Central and Latin America. Comprises 12+ vetted consultants across 7 countries offering context-specific, specialized and cost-effective hands-on support. LeFil provides quality oversight, training, and access to its proprietary tools and methodologies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Phineo: German-based impact advisory and analytics firm supporting foundations, NGOs, and social enterprises with impact measurement and strategy. Comparable to LeFil in combining analytical rigor with social-impact consulting, with similar focus on enabling the impact ecosystem.
• South Pole Group: Climate and sustainability consulting firm advising corporates, investors, and governments on impact strategy, carbon markets, and ESG. Comparable to LeFil in mission-driven advisory with similar boutique-to-mid scale and direct client relationships with institutional donors.
• Intellecap: Advisory and investment firm focused on building businesses for the underserved in Asia and Africa. Comparable to LeFil in delivering advisory to social enterprises, impact investors, and donors, with overlapping services in impact measurement and gender-inclusive investing.
• Dalberg Global Development Advisors: Global strategy consulting firm dedicated to social and economic development across emerging markets. Closely comparable to LeFil in serving development finance institutions, donors, governments, and social ventures on strategy, program design, and impact advisory.
• Bridgespan Group: Nonprofit advisory firm that works with social sector organizations, donors, and impact investors on strategy and scale. Comparable to LeFil in advising nonprofits and foundations on social impact strategy, scaling, and organizational performance.

Broad incumbents

• FSG (now part of BCG): Mission-driven consulting firm (now part of BCG) advising foundations, corporations, and NGOs on social impact strategy and shared value. Overlaps with LeFil's impact advisory work but operates at larger scale and broader geographic reach as a corporate-affiliated incumbent.
• Acumen: Global impact investor and advisory organization supporting social enterprises serving low-income communities. Comparable to LeFil in mission and focus on gender-inclusive, evidence-based impact work, but operates more broadly as investor + capacity builder.
• TPG/The Rise Fund (impact advisory): Major private equity impact investing platform advising on gender-lens investing and social impact measurement. Comparable to LeFil in advancing gender-lens and impact-linked investment practice but at a vastly larger scale as part of a global PE firm.

Emerging players

• Shifting Patterns Consulting: Smaller emerging-market advisory firm working on gender mainstreaming, impact measurement, and inclusive business advisory in developing economies. Comparable to LeFil as a boutique competing for gender-lens advisory mandates from similar donor and ESO clients.

Regional players

• Open Capital Advisors: African-focused advisory firm serving investors, donors, and businesses on impact transactions, program design, and sector intelligence. Comparable to LeFil in emerging-market impact advisory but primarily Africa-focused rather than Latin America-centric.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lefil-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LeFil Consulting