
Episode 10: Understanding Income Share Agreements with Batya Blankers, CEO, CHANCEN International
The Blended Finance PodcastShow Notes
We are pleased to bring to you the tenth episode of The Blended Finance Podcast featuring Batya Blankers, CEO, CHANCEN International. Having personally experienced barriers to higher education, Batya has made it her mission to create equitable tertiary and vocational education opportunities in Africa. Under her leadership, CHANCEN International successfully introduced income-share agreements in Rwanda and is now scaling them across Africa. The company has already commenced operations in South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana. Time Stamps: 2:08 – Batya delves into her personal journey and the motivation driving her commitment to the international development sector. 4:04 – Batya explains the concept of income shares agreements and how they differ from traditional education loans. 6:48 – Batya sheds light on factors that encourage ecosystem players to participate in blended finance structures. 12:07 – Batya highlights key milestones achieved by CHANCEN International in advancing its mission across different African countries. 15:33 – Batya reflects on the strategic decision to establish CHANCEN International as a non for profit. 21:24 – Batya addresses potential risks associated with income share agreements. 25:20 - Batya offers valuable advice for social entrepreneurs interested in leveraging blended finance tools to scale their impact. 29:09 - Batya talks about the Global Income Share Alliance and its growing footprint in fostering education access. 31:32 - Batya discusses the potential and replicability of Income Share Agreements in the Indian context. 34:28 - Batya reflects on what is next for her and CHANCEN International.
More from The Blended Finance Podcast
In this episode, we speak with Paddy Carter, Head of Development Economics at British International Investment, about the economics of blended finance. Drawing on a background spanning financial journalism, equities analysis, and research roles at the Overseas Development Institute and the Centre for Global Development, Paddy discusses how to think about subsidy in the broadest economic sense, the core logic behind the MDB-DFI principles for concessional finance, and what it takes to judge whether a market is ready for commercial capital.
In this episode, we speak with Nikki Kemp, Executive Director at the Singapore Green Finance Centre, about what it will take to mobilise capital for Asia’s transition. Drawing on her background across institutional banking and sustainable finance advisory, Nikki discusses what transition finance means beyond funding assets that are already green, why the diversity of Asia’s economies and energy systems makes this work complex, and why a just transition needs to hold jobs and development alongside emissions reduction.
In this episode, we speak with Karanraj Chaudri, Regional Specialist at UNDP Asia-Pacific and Sustainable Finance Advisor at UNDP in India, about the evolving role of blended and innovative financing mechanisms in advancing climate and development outcomes. From private sector engagement and SDG financing to climate-smart agriculture credit and resilience-focused investments, the conversation explores what it takes to move beyond one-off transactions toward long-term market development and scalable sustainable finance ecosystems.
In this episode of The Blended Finance Podcast, we speak with Manjula Singh, Executive Director, India at the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). Drawing on over 25 years of leadership across health, education, skilling, and gender, Manjula reflects on her career journey and shares insights on outcomes-based financing in India. The conversation covers the Skill Impact Bond, CIFF's investments in girls and women, the role of philanthropy in OBF, and what it will take to move from successful pilots to genuine scale.
In this episode, we speak with Charlie Langdale, CEO of Humanity Insured, to discuss how insurance can serve as a tool for climate resilience rather than just risk transfer. From its origins at COP26 to on-the-ground projects protecting displaced communities, farming households, and urban workers across 20+ countries, Charlie walks us through the practicalities of making parametric insurance work for people who have never had a financial safety net. The conversation explores what blended finance and concessional capital can unlock, where parametric insurance hits its limits, and what needs to change in policy and funding to reach the 3.6 billion people living on the climate frontline.