British A. Robinson is a true changemaker and influencer with a passion for solving some of the world’s most intractable problems. Since beginning her career in private banking and retail operations at Citibank, she has gone on to lead transformative nonprofit and government initiatives around the globe. Robinson brings a unique, dynamic combination of strategic vision, financial acumen, empathy, on-the-ground experience, energy, and laser focus on execution to her work.

A mission-driven executive, seasoned diplomat, and development finance leader with expertise in blended finance, impact investing, and capital mobilization, she has spearheaded large-scale, innovative Presidential initiatives to drive economic growth and improve public health through public-private partnerships, corporate social responsibility initiatives, government relations, advocacy, and policy.

Of all the causes Robinson has had the privilege of championing, she considers the opportunity to improve lives and livelihoods in Africa her greatest passion. To that end, she has spent decades cultivating innovative partnerships that create jobs, support businesses, and establish life-saving systems and infrastructure, bolstering economic prosperity and health outcomes across the continent.

Most recently, Robinson was appointed by the Biden administration to lead Prosper Africa, a Presidential- level national security initiative to advance the ability of African countries to drive their own economic

growth and strengthen economic ties between the U.S. and the continent. In this role, she collaborated closely with the White House, reported to the National Security Council, and coordinated 17 participating U.S. federal agencies to forge true partnerships with businesses, investors, and government leaders to tackle pressing economic growth priorities including energy transition, fintech, health tech, and ag tech, as well as supported the early entrepreneur/startup/small business ecosystem in Africa. During her tenure, Prosper Africa drove more than $62B in trade and investment deals, fostering opportunities that connect vibrant African markets with U.S. businesses.

Robinson’s diplomatic service also includes her tenure at the U.S. Department of State as the Deputy Coordinator/Director of Private Sector Engagement for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) under President George W. Bush. Additionally, during her time at the State Department, she held a special assignment as Director and Special Advisor to Secretary Clinton’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, where she led health and education partnerships, during the Obama administration.

She has also leveraged her strong vision and execution capabilities as the top executive at some of the nation’s leading nonprofits dedicated to addressing critical challenges including HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, cancer, refugee issues, and low literacy. As the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, she reimagined the organization’s mission and strategy to position it for long-term sustainability and impact. As Founding CEO of the Women’s Heart Alliance, she launched a unique collaboration between the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute and Weill Cornell Medical Center. In these roles, she managed multi-million-dollar budgets, spearheaded fundraising efforts, and created unique awareness and marketing campaigns. Her extensive nonprofit leadership experience also includes service in senior positions at Women for Women International, Susan G. Komen, the U.S. Jesuit Conference, and Jesuit Refugee Services. In 2022, Robinson’s visionary leadership and track record of aligning diverse stakeholders earned her recognition on Forbes’ 50 Over 50 for Impact, underscoring her status as an influential changemaker.

Robinson holds a master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in public policy and business administration from George Washington University, and has received honorary doctorate degrees from American University and Fairfield University. She serves as a Senior Advisor for Concordia; on the boards of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, and Leadership Roundtable; and on the advisory board of Arlington Partners International.

Anupam Awasthi is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Business Partners, the largest system integrator in Africa focusing on Digital Transformation.
Having worked in Africa since 2002, Anupam has built deep relationships and network across the region. He has expanded the footprint of Catalyst with subsidiaries in nine countries in Africa and Middle East, creating a niche Digital Transformation Consulting Company with 500+ enterprise customers in over 40 countries.

Anupam continues to invest in Africa as it’s the last emerging continent going through rapid technological, social, and economic changes. Technology is a key driver for digital transformation and Anupam is harnessing this growth by creating a bridge between Silicon Valley and Africa.
Anupam is also the founding partner and inventor in Senslytics, a causation based AI platform to Forewarn Uncertain State Changes in Chemical, Biological & Geological Industries.

Recently, Anupam founded Edhas Technologies which is creating natural animal feed supplements using herbal and natural ingredients with modern technology for healthier animal nutrition, enhancing animal health and relieving animal stress. He has earned an MBA and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Anupam holds patents in IoT based analytics.

Florizelle (Florie) Liser is the third President and CEO of CCA. Ms. Liser brings expertise and an extensive network on trade and Africa to her new role, along with a strong track record of working with the private sector to translate policy into action. She is the first woman to lead the Council since its founding in 1993.

Ms. Liser joined CCA from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where she was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa since 2003. At USTR, she led trade and investment policy towards 49 sub-Saharan African nations and oversaw implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Previously, Ms. Liser served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications from 2000-2003. She also served as Senior Trade Policy Advisor in the Office of International Transportation and Trade at the Department of Transportation from 1987-2000; worked as a Director in USTR’s Office of GATT Affairs and served as an Associate Fellow at the Overseas Development Council (ODC) from 1975-1980.

Currently, Ms. Liser serves as a re-appointed member of the 2022-2023 Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee for the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) where she previously served from 2019-2021. Ms. Liser also served as co-chair of the Advisory Council for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and has also served as a Board member for the Women in International Trade (WIIT). Ms. Liser holds a M.A. in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a B.A. in International Relations and Political Science from Dickinson College.

Dr. Zainab Usman is the founding director of the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. Her enduring area of expertise is identifying the policies and institutions to enable low and middle-income economies to harness their natural resources to achieve sustainable economic development. Prior to Carnegie, Usman was at the World Bank where she worked on energy policy reforms, natural resources management, and disruptive technologies. Usman contributed to the World Bank’s flagship report on Rethinking Power Sector Reforms in Developing Countries. She is author of the book Economic Diversification in Nigeria: the Politics of Building a Post-Oil Economy, which was selected as one of the Best Books of 2022 on economics by the Financial Times. Her work has appeared in Al-Jazeera English, BBC, Bloomberg News, the Economist, the Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Project Syndicate and The Washington Post.