Carolyne Ariokot is a seasoned Market Systems Development expert and Entrepreneur Advisor with over 15 years of experience in program management, financial services development, MSME growth, and social impact interventions. She is deeply committed to building inclusive market systems that empower women, youth, and underserved enterprises to thrive.

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She currently serves as Intervention Manager for MSME Finance at Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Uganda, where she leads strategy development, programming, and portfolio management for initiatives that strengthen financial institutions and expand access to finance for unserved and underserved populations. In this role, Carolyne manages the $26.4 million MSE Recovery Fund in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

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Carolyne coordinates the Young Africa Works Community of Practice on Inclusive Finance, convening over 20 programs to advance financial inclusion. At the national level, she contributes as a member of the Working Group for the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (2023–2028) convened by the Bank of Uganda, and has lectured with UNCTAD on digital finance.

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She holds an MBA from Makerere Business School and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Makerere University. She is a Certified Digital Finance Practitioner with additional training in Market Systems Development, PRINCE2 project management, and GenderPro capacity building.