Hi, I'm Kailash.
I'm an economist who builds AI systems.
I help development institutions, startups, investment funds, banks, and foundations decide where AI actually pays, then design the credit and delivery systems behind the decision. I work in the U.S. and in growth markets across South Asia and Africa.
About
A short introduction.
Kailash Raj Pandey (he/him) is an economist with experience deploying AI systems and automation across Fortune 500 and social-enterprise contexts. His projects have focused on public service delivery, financial inclusion, and climate adaptation in communities across the U.S., South Asia, and Africa.
Kailash holds a Bachelor of Arts in computer science from Middlebury College, a Master in Business Administration from MIT Sloan School of Management, and a Master in Public Administration in International Development from Harvard Kennedy School. His research on closing the financial inclusion gap through digital public infrastructure received the Best Policy Analysis Prize.
This summer, Kailash is a Responsive Cities Network Summer Associate at Data-Smart City Solutions, the Bloomberg Center for Cities program founded by Professor Stephen Goldsmith. He supports the Knight-Harvard GenAI Initiative, a three-year, $3 million program backed by the Knight Foundation that helps ten American city governments, from Philadelphia to San Jose, use generative AI to improve city services and civic engagement.
What I do
One practice, three vantage points.
Economist
Trained at Harvard Kennedy School and MIT Sloan, on a Middlebury foundation in computer science and economics with a focus on computer vision and machine learning. My Harvard thesis examined how fintech can unlock small-business growth in emerging markets, and won the best thesis prize for my program. At Harvard Business School, I co-authored research on behavioral science and technology adoption.
Builder
At Capital One, I was the product manager behind automation systems built at enterprise scale, carrying an internal platform from concept to production and helping shape the bank's approach to AI. Today, at Harvard's Bloomberg Center for Cities, I support the Knight-Harvard GenAI Initiative, which helps ten American city governments put generative AI to work in public services.
Investor
I evaluated more than thirty Seed and Series A deals at Knife Capital, and I have built the economics investors usually only review: asset-collateralized lending design for smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya, carbon-finance-enabled agroforestry work in Bangladesh through a Syngenta Foundation partnership, and climate-smart agriculture models for funders across Africa.
Services
Ways to work with me.
Intro call
A short call to see if I can help. No preparation needed.
Strategy call
One hour on your question: AI strategy, underwriting design, LLM evaluation, or market entry. Notes follow.
AI Opportunity Assessment
A fixed-fee review of where AI and automation would pay off in your operation, what it would cost, and what isn't worth building. Written report plus a working session with your team.
Investment diligence sprint
Technical diligence on an AI company's claims, or review of a lending model, delivered as a written memo.
Advisory retainer
Ongoing help for teams building AI products or credit programs.
Institutional & TOR-based work
Advisory for development institutions, implementing partners, foundations, and NGOs on financial inclusion, digital public infrastructure, and AI readiness. CV mapped to your TOR on request.
Pricing flexes for early-stage teams and for organizations working in Nepal and South Asia. Just ask.
Coaching
For applicants.
Each cycle I also coach a small number of applicants to MBA, policy school, and college programs. I went through the process recently myself, landing at Harvard Kennedy School and MIT Sloan with fellowship support, and I coach the way I applied: story first, evidence second, no filler.
Admissions strategy session
Where to apply, how to position your story, and a concrete plan for your cycle.
Essay coaching
Structured feedback and line edits across drafts until the writing sounds like you at your best.
Interview coaching
A realistic mock interview with direct feedback and a preparation plan for the real one.
Coaching is priced for applicants, separately from consulting engagements.
Experience
The short version.
FAQ
Common questions.
What kind of work do you take on?
Mostly four things: AI opportunity assessments, LLM and product evaluation, credit and underwriting design, and diligence for investors. Clients include development institutions, startups, investment funds, banks and MFIs, and foundations.
How do engagements start?
With a free intro call. Most projects then begin as a scoped, fixed-fee piece of work delivered in two to four weeks.
What do you charge?
Strategy calls are $300 an hour. Fixed-fee assessments and diligence sprints start at $5,000, and retainers at $3,000 a month. Institutional and grant-funded work is quoted per proposal. If the work is funded by a local organization in Nepal or South Asia, pricing is different. Ask.
Do you coach MBA or college applicants?
Yes. Each cycle I take on a few applicants for strategy, essays, and interviews across MBA, policy school, and college admissions. I went through the process recently myself, landing at Harvard Kennedy School and MIT Sloan with fellowship support. Sessions start at $150.
Do you work with organizations in Nepal and South Asia?
Yes. I grew up in Nepal, my Harvard thesis used Nepal as its core case for fintech and small-business credit in emerging markets, and I work with banks, MFIs, and startups in the region on fixed-fee terms priced for the local market.
Can you diligence an AI startup or a credit model?
Yes. I evaluated 30+ Seed and Series A deals at Knife Capital, and I have built the underwriting economics I assess, including asset-collateralized lending design at Precision Development. My thesis, written with Ishaan Bansal and advised by Ricardo Hausmann, analyzed AI-based credit allocation for small businesses.
Are you available for ADB, World Bank, or other donor-funded assignments?
Yes, as an individual international consultant. Send the terms of reference through the form below and I will reply within two business days.
Do you work on climate finance and agriculture?
Yes. At Precision Development I secured a Syngenta Foundation partnership for carbon-finance-enabled agroforestry in Bangladesh, and with The Agency Fund I built prioritization models for climate-smart and digital agriculture across Africa.
Have you built AI products yourself?
Yes. I was the product manager behind an automation platform at Capital One that runs in production today, and I founded Sero, a voice-based AI tool that helps people complete benefits and loan applications.
Contact
Let's talk.
The fastest route is a call: twenty minutes, free, no preparation needed.
Or email kpandey@hks.harvard.edu. Replies typically within two business days.
Based in Boston, working globally across the U.S., South Asia, and Africa.