Regional Hubs
We are identifying community partners to host immersion sessions, ensuring the frameworks travel beyond Accra without losing local nuance.
Designing Clarity for Ghana’s Everyday Earners
Gridlumen was formed in 2023 to serve people who juggled salary, side gigs, and community obligations without reliable tracking tools. Our research-led team spends time inside households and micro-businesses to build systems that reflect reality instead of theory.
- 12 months of field interviews across Greater Accra and Ashanti
- 48 custom templates refined through participant feedback loops
- 0 outsourced handovers — every engagement handled in-house
Why We Started
Our founder observed that many Accra-based professionals considered budgeting a once-a-year chore. We knew that without structure, income leaks would continue. Gridlumen began as weekly study circles, eventually evolving into a dedicated practice building ready-to-use frameworks.
Quarter 1 2023
Conducted 18 exploratory interviews with civil servants, designers, and small shop owners to understand where finance tracking collapsed.
Quarter 2 2023
Built the first version of our Income Intake Canvas and tested it with three households over eight weeks.
Quarter 3 2023
Standardised our Cashflow Pulse Tracker and introduced accountability partners for clients wanting external nudges.
Quarter 4 2023
Expanded to freelancers and community savings groups, customising templates for gig-based cashflow and collective funds.
Our Methodology
We combine design thinking, financial analysis, and behavioural science to ensure every framework sticks. Clients join us in co-designing their journey so that accountability is shared from day one.
- Field Observation: We shadow clients, documenting how cash moves between accounts, envelopes, and mobile wallets.
- Data Triangulation: We cross-reference statements, receipts, and self-reported expenses to build accurate baselines.
- Template Iteration: Every asset is reviewed at least twice, incorporating feedback from clients and partner accountants.
- Behaviour Support: We install reminder systems, checklists, and simple dashboards to reinforce new habits.
Evidence That Guides Our Decisions
We respect data and documentation. Before recommending any approach, we gather grounded evidence to ensure recommendations are credible and context-specific.
Source Diversity
Average of 5 information sources per client, covering bank statements, momo logs, budget archives, spending notes, and goal worksheets.
Measurement Cadence
We run fortnightly check-ins for the first six weeks, then monthly reviews backed by variance thresholds and alert history.
Retention of Tools
83% of participants continue using the dashboards three months after the engagement, tracked through optional follow-up surveys.
Governance and Compliance
Operating in Ghana means staying aligned with national legislation. We maintain a compliance library and partner with legal consultants to keep every document up to date.
- Adhere to Ghana Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) for personal data handling.
- Use Cloudflare for secure routing, DDoS mitigation, and SSL management.
- Store active project files in encrypted cloud folders with access logs and multi-factor authentication.
- Archive completed engagements after 120 days, deleting redundant data to minimise exposure.
Looking Ahead
Our roadmap includes expanding to Kumasi and Takoradi through hybrid workshops, evolving our templates into bilingual versions, and building partnerships with credit unions and fintech startups for seamless data integrations. We will keep refining our work through continuous feedback loops.
Tooling Innovation
Our team is testing low-data dashboards that sync via offline-first applications so participants in low-connectivity areas can still engage.
Knowledge Sharing
We plan to publish quarterly insight briefs summarising trends we observe, providing policymakers and social enterprises with actionable intelligence.