Althaë works to change systems so women thrive.
We work with financial institutions and global organizations to build systems that serve women better.
“Women belong in all the places where decisions are being made.”
At home, at the office, in policy and politics women are underrepresented. We made progress but we still have a long way to go. I am interested in all the issues that affect women’s autonomy, independence, agency and rights. I work with financial institutions to build systems that serve women better. I work with governments to create programs that give women agency. I work with international organizations to understand the obstacles and how to remove them. When women do better, the world does better. Let’s get it done.
About Us
Sophie Romana: Strategist Architecting Systemic Change for Women Entrepreneurs
In 2021, Sophie formalized her consulting work by launching Althaë Strategy to collaborate with like-minded consultants and organizations dedicated to systemic change that advances women's entrepreneurship and rights. With a growing network of experts offering complementary skills, Althaë provides comprehensive services across diverse economic contexts.
Our Services
Gender Assessments
Since 2019, we have designed, adapted, and refined our approach to gender assessments. By customizing open-source tools, we create a comprehensive picture that helps financial institutions of all types—commercial banks, MFIs, Private Credit Funds, DFIs, Credit Unions, and SACCOS—gain clarity on their current position and future direction to better serve women clients, entrepreneurs, and employees.
Program Strategy and Design
We partner with financial institutions to develop targeted action plans that implement gender policies, strategies, and programs, complemented by effective measurement tools to track progress and impact.
Systems-Level Impact Evaluation
For CARE Niger's Mata Masu Dubara groups, Althaë explored the depth of social changes that women's groups have achieved in critical domains affecting women's and girls' wellbeing: sexual and reproductive health, early and forced marriage, nutrition, and education. Our work demonstrated that women's civic engagement through these groups has significantly improved women's and girls' wellbeing since the first groups were established in 1991.
Capacity Building & Training
Althaë creates bespoke training programs enabling client teams to develop a shared language and set of practices around impact investing, ensuring alignment and effectiveness across organizations.
Our Founder
Before founding Althaë, Sophie led Oxfam's Community Finance Department (2011-2018) and PlanetFinance's US Operations. She previously spent 10 years working for a private equity fund in New York. She holds degrees from La Sorbonne (Law) and Columbia Business School (MBA). A dual French-American citizen, Sophie currently resides in Maine.
Serving on the Board of Root Capital
In 2020, Sophie was elected to Root Capital’s board, where she currently serve as Co-Chair. In this capacity, she provides advice and guidance to the organization, and shares her experience working on gender lens investing.
What’s in a name?
Althaë is pronounced al-ta-eh.
Although invented, our name has roots in that of Althea, the goddess of healing and compassion in Greek mythology, and Althaea officinalis, the Latin name of the marshmallow plant. A perennial plant native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia, the marshmallow plant has been used in traditional herbal medicine for centuries.