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The Venue
- Where to stay
Agenda
Topics
Speakers
Awards
- Barka Awards
- Luminaire Awards
Get Involved

Speakers List

Tunde Agboke

Director, Government, HP Inc.

Tunde Agboke

Director, Government, HP Inc.

Tunde Agboke is a mission-driven executive with over 18 years of experience leading public policy, education, workforce development, and social impact initiatives across the Americas and Africa. He specializes in aligning legislative strategy with enterprise IT priorities, helping organizations navigate digital transformation, infrastructure readiness, and the future of work. Tunde currently serves as Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy at HP Inc., where he leads advocacy strategy across U.S. legislatures and leads HP’s efforts to explore and establish a government affairs presence in Sub-Saharan Africa. His work directly influences HP’s access to public sector sales opportunities exceeding $300 million annually, while shaping policy positions that impact digital equity, education, and skills-first hiring.

John Aisien

SVP, Central Product Management, Product Management

John Aisien

SVP, Central Product Management, Product Management

John Aisien is an enterprise software executive and company builder with a track record of imagining, building, and scaling software businesses from early stage ventures to global platforms. At ServiceNow, he leads cross-workflow outbound product management, representing Product and Engineering to the global field, customers, and partners, and driving GTM execution, pricing, partnerships, and AI adoption. Previously, John ran Microsoft’s threat intelligence product & engineering teams and co-founded Blue Cedar. He holds an MBA from NYU Stern and a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Benin.

Jessica Akester

Project Manager, Independent Consultant

Jessica Akester

Project Manager, Independent Consultant

Jessica Akester is a program manager and medicinal chemist with over a decade of experience in infectious disease drug discovery. Trained at the University of Cape Town and shaped by her work at the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, she has led multidisciplinary portfolios advancing TB, malaria, and antimicrobial resistance projects. Jessica currently consults for the TB Alliance and serves as Chair of the GC ADDA Diaspora Engagement Working Group, championing African-led innovation and “brain circulation.” She is passionate about strengthening sustainable drug discovery ecosystems across Africa and fostering global collaboration to tackle infectious diseases.

Magdi Amin

Managing Partner, African Renaissance Ventures

Kofi Ampadu

Investor & Advisor

Kofi Ampadu

Investor & Advisor

Kofi Ampadu is an investor, operator, and advisor with over 15 years of experience helping organizations navigate strategy and innovation. He has invested in more than 70 startups and worked closely with teams through critical inflection points, follow-on fundraising, and scaling. Kofi is the founder and General Partner of SKU’d Ventures and most recently a fund lead at Andreessen Horowitz focused on backing under-resourced founders. Earlier, he was a founder and operator, a strategy consultant and engineer, and has been recognized as a Power100 Investor by Blueprint Capital Advisors. Born in Ghana, he maintains a strong interest in Africa’s future.

Motaz Attalla

Senior Program Officer, The Gates Foundation

Motaz Attalla

Senior Program Officer, The Gates Foundation

Evans Atis

Education Economist, Global Partnership for Education

Evans Atis

Education Economist, Global Partnership for Education

Evans Atis is currently an Education-Economist at the Global Partnership for Education(GPE) with over 14 years of experience in international education. In his current role at the GPE Secretariat, he works on education finance and digital transformation, private sector and foundations partnership. Previously, he worked at UNICEF and facilitated education systems diagnostics, policy design and implementation processes at the country level in the Caribbean, as well as in West, Central and East Africa.

Ify Aneibo

Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Institute of Genomics and Global Health, Nigeria ( Formerly ACEGID)

Ify Aneibo

Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Institute of Genomics and Global Health, Nigeria ( Formerly ACEGID)

Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics at the Institute of Genomics and Global health, Nigeria. A Principal Investigator strengthening Nigeria’s Surveillance system by integrating molecular and genomic data as part of the country’s malaria elimination strategy.

Joshua Areola

Senior Manager, EY

Joshua Areola

Senior Manager, EY

Josh is a Senior Manager in Ernst & Young’s Bay Area Assurance Practice, serving both public and private commercial and pre-commercial life sciences companies. He began his career in Nigeria and later joined the EY Nigeria office before transferring to California. Josh has experience in several industries, including life sciences, oil & gas, and technology, allowing him to gain insights into the challenges faced by start-up companies and perspectives on process and efficiencies realized by mature publicly seasoned companies. He has significant experience performing audits of internal control over financial reporting related to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and working with public companies through their initial implementation of its requirements. Josh supports his clients on such complex transactions as initial and secondary public offerings, accounting for revenue recognition, collaboration and license agreements, inventory, equity Accounting, clinical trials and manufacturing cost accruals, accounting for leases, and income taxes. He has experience in SEC filing and reporting matters, and his client experiences have included HP, Inc, Exelixis Inc, Twist Bioscience, Cerus Corporation, Maravai LifeSciences, Terns Pharmaceuticals, NGM Bio, and many others. Josh earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Management Information and is an active Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK, and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

Anupam Awasthi

CEO and Co-founder, Catalyst Business Partners

Anupam Awasthi

CEO and Co-founder, Catalyst Business Partners

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.

Dr. Menghis Bairu

Bio Usawa

Nicholas Bassey

Chief Operations and Programs Officer, African Diaspora Network

Nicholas Bassey

Chief Operations and Programs Officer, African Diaspora Network

Nicholas M. Bassey has been part of ADN’s network for more than a decade, coordinating with leadership on events and campaigns. Prior to joining the ADN team, he served as Deputy Vice President for the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Department of Congressional and Public Affairs, focusing on creating and sustaining programs focused on relationships with Congress, NGOs, businesses, government officials, and the U.S. public. He previously was Division Chief for Private Sector Engagement Institutional Capacity programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Director of University Programs and Director of Placement for the Peace Corps, and Director of the Institute for International Public Policy, a fellowship program to increase diversity in international affairs and support Minority Serving Institutions. His early career was in the nonprofit sector, where he focused on education programs at the UNCF Special Programs Corporation, Council for Opportunity in Education, Children’s Defense Fund, and Morehouse College. Mr. Bassey earned degrees from Morehouse College and the George Washington University.

Dr. Yaw Bediako

CEO and Co-Founder at Yemaachi Biotech

Romi Bhatia

Venture Partner, Jedar Capital

Dr. Tiffani J. Bright

Co-Director, Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education Assistant Professor of Computational Biomedicine, Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University

Dr. Tiffani J. Bright

Co-Director, Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education Assistant Professor of Computational Biomedicine, Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University

Dr. Tiffani J. Bright is an Assistant Professor of Computational Biomedicine at Cedars-Sinai and Co-Director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education. An applied clinical informatician, she designs and evaluates clinical decision support tools and optimizes electronic health records. A self-described AI evangelist and skeptic, she leads laboratory efforts to detect and correct bias in machine learning models to promote health equity. Nationally, she is recognized for her leadership in AI ethics, shaping guidelines for responsible AI use in healthcare. Dr. Bright is the first Black woman in the U.S. and from Columbia University to earn a doctorate in biomedical informatics.

Hon Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa OON

Chairman/CEO, Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM)

Hon Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa OON

Chairman/CEO, Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM)

Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa OON is a distinguished Nigerian leader, broadcaster, and parliamentarian widely recognized for her advocacy and service.She began her career with 15 years at the Nigerian Television Authority, where her investigative journalism highlighted social justice issues and supported vulnerable Nigerians. She later represented Ikorodu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2015, serving as Chair of the House Committees on Media and Public Affairs and Diaspora Affairs. She championed key legislation, including the Freedom of Information Act and the Violence Against Persons Act, and sponsored the Nigerian Diaspora Commission Bill. After leaving parliament, she became Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs and pioneer Chairman of NiDCOM. A recipient of over 300 awards, she remains a respected advocate for Nigerians at home and abroad.

Thelma Ekiyor

International CEO, Women for Women International

Thelma Ekiyor

International CEO, Women for Women International

Thelma Ekiyor is an award-winning global leader in women’s economic empowerment, philanthropy, impact investing, and international development, with over 25 years’ experience across Africa, Europe, and the UK. She began her career in women, peace and security and has since founded and led several organisations, including SME.NG, Afrigrants, the TY Danjuma Foundation, and the West African Civil Society Institute (WACSI). Thelma is a doctoral researcher on women’s entrepreneurship at Cranfield University, holds an MBA from Imperial College London and an LLB from the University of Buckingham, and serves on multiple boards and investment committees.

Chris Folayan

Executive Officer, Luma Learn AI

Chris Folayan

Executive Officer, Luma Learn AI

Chris Folayan is a global, award-winning serial entrepreneur, author, investor, board director, and mentor with a 25+-year executive track record across industries, including Fintech, EdTech, Gaming, digital music, software development, and e-commerce. He has successfully built and exited multiple multi-million-dollar companies worldwide, and was head of North America for Africa's first Unicorn, Interswitch. And was the founder of Africa's largest ecommerce platform MallforAfrica. He is the co-Founder of Luma Learn AI a platform helping over 175,000 kids with free education in rural Africa.

Ayla Francis Foster

Director, Policy & Government Relations, Humanity United

Ayla Francis Foster

Director, Policy & Government Relations, Humanity United

Ayla Francis Foster is the Director for Policy & Government Relations at Humanity United (HU), which is responsible for pursuing policy change and regulatory actions that cultivate the conditions for enduring peace and freedom through advocacy, grantmaking, and convening. In this role, Ayla leads HU’s policy team and provides strategic coherence for HU’s engagement with the U.S. government and select multilateral institutions. Prior to joining HU, Ayla worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in a variety of roles. Most recently, she served on the inaugural USAID- U.S. International Development Finance Corporation partnership team. Prior to this, she managed USAID’s bilateral relationships with donor governments in Europe and Australia in the Bureau for Policy, Planning & Learning after starting her USAID career in the Bureau for Management. Previously, Ayla worked in corporate citizenship and communications in the private sector, and on Capitol Hill. Ayla is an alumna of The Fletcher School at Tufts University and Baylor University. She serves as a board member at-large for the International Career Advancement Program Fellows Association and is a 2025 Center for New American Security National Security Leadership Fellow.

Anita Ghansah

Associate Professor, Noguchi Memorial at Univ. of Ghana

James M. Glaser

Provost and Executive Vice President, Santa Clara University

James M. Glaser

Provost and Executive Vice President, Santa Clara University

James M. Glaser is Provost and Executive Vice President at Santa Clara University, a position he assumed in July, 2024. He is also a Professor of Political Science. Prior to arriving at Santa Clara, Glaser served as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, a position he held between 2014 and 2024. He is the co-author of the book: Everyday Democracy: Liberals, Conservatives, and Their Routine Political Lives, written with Jeffrey M. Berry and Deborah J. Schildkraut, and published by The University of Chicago Press in 2025.

Ashifi Gogo

CEO, Sproxil

Ashifi Gogo

CEO, Sproxil

Ashifi is a social entrepreneur and an innovator in digital infrastructure. He developed Sproxil's product verification technology, which has been used on over 4.5 billion product units to protect patients from substandard and falsified medicines. Ashifi also co-founded AISHA Technologies, leveraging WhatsApp's global adoption to deliver personalized healthcare advice via voice notes in local African languages, accelerating the patient journey to wellness. His newest venture, DPI Platforms PBC, is a public benefit corporation focused on deploying digital public infrastructure at scale through innovative business models. Named to Fortune’s "40 under 40" and a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Ashifi holds a PhD in Engineering from Dartmouth College.

Elizabeth Hoffman

Executive Director, The ONE Campaign

Elizabeth Hoffman

Executive Director, The ONE Campaign

Elizabeth Hoffman is Executive Director for North America at ONE, bringing deep expertise in government relations and international policy. She previously served as Director of Congressional and Government Affairs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, leading efforts to strengthen engagement with Congress. At the National Endowment for Democracy, she managed Capitol Hill and executive branch relations and oversaw the budget process. Elizabeth also served on the House Committee on Homeland Security and held multiple House roles focused on foreign policy, national security, and human rights. She began her career at the George W. Bush Institute, supporting Burmese political leadership development.

John Kamara

Founder, AI Centre of Excellence Africa (Kenya)

John Kamara

Founder, AI Centre of Excellence Africa (Kenya)

John Kamara is a globally recognized AI and data transformation expert, entrepreneur, and ecosystem builder with extensive experience driving AI adoption, capacity development, and research commercialization across multiple sectors. He is the Founder and CEO of AICE Africa (Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence Africa), pioneering AI-driven solutions to accelerate digital transformation across the continent. John is also the founder of Adanian Labs, established in 2020, which has supported over 60 startups across South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia. John is actively involved and heavily invested in new technologies focusing on IoT (Internet of Things) and has held growth leadership roles at companies including PocketKings Ireland, Google, eir Ireland, Digicel, and BMC Software.

Joe Kinvi

Founder and CEO, Borderless

Joe Kinvi

Founder and CEO, Borderless

Joe Kinvi (CA) is a systems-focused entrepreneur building connective infrastructure for diaspora capital and innovation across Africa. He is the founder of Borderless, the investment infrastructure for the African diaspora. Joe's work sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, investments, and community building, grounded in the belief that trust-based capital flows and market-driven innovation will drive sustainable prosperity across Africa. Previously, Joe held leadership roles at high-growth tech companies, including Touchtech Payments (acquired by Stripe), Stripe, and Paystack. He is the founding president of APNI, Ireland's largest professional network, and a board member of ABAN.

Richard Kiplagat

Partner and Group Executive Director, Africa Practice

Richard Kiplagat

Partner and Group Executive Director, Africa Practice

Richard Kiplagat is a seasoned strategic advisor and governance leader with over 30 years of experience advancing economic development and policy across Africa. He serves as Chairman of Prudential Life Assurance Kenya and NCCK Jumuia Investments, and holds board roles at Africa Practice, Centum Investments PLC, Brand Africa, and the Africa Hydrogen Partnership. He has advised investment consortia responsible for more than US $5 billion in investments across the continent and contributed to foundational workshops for the African Union’s Agenda 2063. As Chair of the Africa Hydrogen Partnership Advocacy Taskforce, he supports policy frameworks and standards to accelerate Green Hydrogen adoption. Previously, he held leadership roles at Microsoft Africa and SAP. Educated at the University of Toronto and Harvard Kennedy School, he is also a conservation advocate and outdoor enthusiast.

Shomari Lewis-Wilson

Equitable Research Ecosystems Lead (UK), Wellcome

Shomari Lewis-Wilson

Equitable Research Ecosystems Lead (UK), Wellcome

Shomari leads the Equitable Research Ecosystems team for the UK. This team oversees significant investments, partnerships and initiatives across the UK research ecosystem. Their goal is to broaden the range of people leading, participating in and benefiting from science.

Jen MacBruce

Director, Investment Finance, MEDA

Jen MacBruce

Director, Investment Finance, MEDA

Jen MacBruce is a seasoned financial services leader and strategic advisor with over 15 years of global experience across investment management, product development, and risk strategy. She has led multifunctional teams in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, combining deep technical expertise with a proven track record in financial modeling, macroeconomic analysis, and innovation-driven growth. As a trusted advisor to SMEs, nonprofits, and mission-driven enterprises, Jen helps organizations unlock clarity, scale impact, and navigate complexity. Her approach bridges strategy and execution—refining business models, strengthening governance, and guiding investment decisions with financial rigor and operational pragmatism. She has partnered with leadership teams through restructuring, capital raises, and market expansion, always with a focus on sustainable value creation. Jen also advises founders and early-stage teams on building resilient businesses from the ground up—aligning innovation with long-term growth, refining business models, and preparing for capital raises. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Chartered Investment Manager (CIM), and Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designations. Jen earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Toronto and her MBA in finance from the University of Birmingham. Currently advising across Canada and the U.S., she brings board-level perspective and a collaborative mindset to every engagement. Beyond her professional work, Jen serves on several nonprofit boards and is deeply committed to advancing equity for women in finance.

Latanya Mapp

Managing Partner, Culture Seekers LLC

Latanya Mapp

Managing Partner, Culture Seekers LLC

Latanya Mapp is a globally recognized strategist, former diplomat, and visionary executive with over three decades of leadership across the United Nations, U.S. foreign service, philanthropy, and global NGOs. As former President and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the Global Fund for Women, Ms. Mapp scaled organizations to global impact, overseeing hundreds of millions in philanthropic investment and advocacy. She is currently serving as LSI Fellow at the University of Chicago.

Collen Masimirembwa

Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer, African Institute of Biomedical Science & Technology (AiBST)

Todd McDonald

President, Liberty Bank and Trust Co.

Todd McDonald

President, Liberty Bank and Trust Co.

Todd O. McDonald is President of Liberty Bank and Trust, a historic Black-owned Minority Depository Institution and Community Development Financial Institution headquartered in New Orleans. Since succeeding his father in 2022, he has continued to build Liberty Bank’s legacy as the first Black-owned bank to surpass $1 billion in assets and the nation’s leading mission-driven community bank. Under his leadership, Liberty has expanded to 19 branches across 11 states, launched technology-driven banking solutions, and introduced innovative products that advance financial inclusion for individuals and small businesses. A Morehouse College graduate with an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, McDonald also serves as Chairman of the National Bankers Association and was named to Forbes’ inaugural BLK50 list for his impact on economic equity and community development.

Victor Mero

PhD Candidate, University of California, Berkeley

Victor Mero

PhD Candidate, University of California, Berkeley

Victor Mero is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at UC Berkeley and a graduate researcher in the Marshall Lab. His research focuses on mathematical modeling of mosquito-borne diseases, integrating vector ecology with epidemiological data to inform malaria control strategies. Victor has extensive experience developing digital surveillance systems for national malaria programs, including working with the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania. He is passionate about translating modeling research into practical public health interventions across Africa.

Dr. Janet Midega

Senior Research Manager, Drug Resistant Infections,Wellcome Trust, UK

Dr. Janet Midega

Senior Research Manager, Drug Resistant Infections,Wellcome Trust, UK

Janet Midega is Research Lead for Epidemics and Epidemiology at Wellcome, where she is providing scientific leadership, program development and management support to the Infectious disease program on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). At Wellcome, she continues to lead the work on the global burden of AMR since 2018, working closely with IHME and the University of Oxford and other funders; BMGF and the UK Department of Health. Within the AMR portfolio, Janet leads Wellcome’s work on AMR surveillance and epidemiology to inform evidence-based interventions, working closely with ministries of health and other partners in low and middle countries especially in Africa and Asia. Janet also leads research activities at the intersection of science and policy. Prior to joining Wellcome, Janet was a research scientist at Imperial College, London and University of Oxford, Big Data Institute; in collaboration with the KEMRI- Wellcome Trust Research Programme where she worked for over 15 years conducting academic research on the genomic epidemiology of malaria. Janet is also a Senior Fellow in Public Health at the Aspen Institute, Washington DC, USA. Outside of work, Janet has been a parent governor at her Childrens primary school, President of the Rotary club of Kilifi in Kenya and a keen supporter of the Stroke Association, UK.

Masabho Peter Milali

Research Scientist, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Masabho Peter Milali

Research Scientist, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Masabho, PhD, is a Research Scientist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. His work integrates mathematical modeling and machine learning to address major global health challenges, with a focus on HIV, malaria, and cardiovascular disease. He also conducts cost-effectiveness analyses to inform evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies in resource-limited settings.

Sid Mofya

Founder, MOTIF 54

Sid Mofya

Founder, MOTIF 54

Sid Mofya is a Zambian-born investor and strategist working at the intersection of capital, culture, and infrastructure. He is the founder of MOTIF 54, where he advances long-term resource sovereignty and sustainable mineral development across Africa. A former Executive Director at Draper Venture Network, Sid now builds durable bridges between Africa and global capital networks, championing ownership models grounded in stewardship and intergenerational responsibility. Through writing, speaking, and institution-building, he examines how nations and investors design resilient systems so Africa participates fully in shaping the next era of technology, and value creation.

Hugh Molotsi

Innovation Leader and Board Director, Mozilla

Hugh Molotsi

Innovation Leader and Board Director, Mozilla

Hugh Molotsi is a seasoned product and technology leader with more than 30 years of experience creating global solutions for small businesses and consumers. A recognized innovator, Hugh has been instrumental in launching multiple disruptive products and driving digital transformation initiatives. He is also deeply committed to leadership development and advancing diversity and inclusion in technology. Hugh is the former President and CTO of BuyNothing, a gift economy platform with over 15 million members worldwide. Prior to that, he spent 22 years at Intuit, where he rose to the role of Engineering Fellow and Vice President of Innovation. In 2011, Hugh became the inaugural recipient of Intuit’s Founders Innovation Award for his pioneering contributions to Intuit Payments. He currently serves on the boards of Barloworld and the Mozilla Corporation. Hugh is also the co-author of The Intrapreneur’s Journey, a guide to building cultures of innovation within large organizations to empower employees to drive growth. Throughout his career, he has remained passionate about fostering grassroots innovation and ensuring that good ideas are heard—wherever they may originate. Tunde currently serves as Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy at HP Inc., where he leads advocacy strategy across U.S. legislatures and leads HP’s efforts to explore and establish a government affairs presence in Sub-Saharan Africa. His work directly influences HP’s access to public sector sales opportunities exceeding $300 million annually, while shaping policy positions that impact digital equity, education, and skills-first hiring.

Christelle Mombo-Zigah

Strategy and Planning Global Leader, Cloud AI Infrastructure CX at Cisco

Christelle Mombo-Zigah

Strategy and Planning Global Leader, Cloud AI Infrastructure CX at Cisco

Christelle Mombo-Zigah is a global tech leader and founder building AI systems that protect identity and expand representation. Born in France to Congolese parents and now based in Silicon Valley, she bridges culture and innovation with intention. With 17 years of international experience and a leadership role in Cloud AI Infrastructure at Cisco, Christelle has spent her career driving transformation at scale. But her work took a deeper turn when she began examining how AI reshapes how we are seen. She began by building Digital Colorism, an AI bias detection engine focused on identifying identity distortion in AI-generated visuals. She later became the co-founder and CEO of Fairscan AI, a responsible AI governance platform designed to detect bias and ensure compliance, including a healthcare module focused on diverse datasets in medical imaging. Last February, during Black History Month, she launched StyleMyCrown, an AI-powered virtual try-on platform created to celebrate Black hair across the global diaspora without distortion or erasure. At the intersection of AI, beauty, and cultural identity, Christelle advocates for technology that honors textured hair, protects authenticity, and ensures Black communities are not an afterthought in digital spaces. A Stanford GSB LEAD graduate and alumna of La Sorbonne, she is also a children’s book author, multilingual speaker, and proud mother of two daughters. Her mission is clear: build technology that uplifts, represents, and respects.

Rossina Naidoo

Manager, Johannesburg, Bridgespan Africa

Rossina Naidoo

Manager, Johannesburg, Bridgespan Africa

Rossina Naidoo is a Manager in The Bridgespan Group’s Johannesburg office, where she advises African nonprofits and global organizations on strategy, operating models, and the effective deployment of capital across the continent. She also supports philanthropic donors in designing more equitable and effective Africa-focused portfolios. Rossina is a co-author of an upcoming Bridgespan article, developed in partnership with the Gates Foundation and the African Diaspora Network, examining the evolving landscape of African diaspora giving and what is needed to unlock greater, more strategic resources for Africa’s development. Her work focuses on the systems, structures, and partnerships that can enable diaspora communities to contribute more effectively. She holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College in Quantitative Social Science and Studio Art.

Almaz Negash

Founder and CEO, African Diaspora Network

Almaz Negash

Founder and CEO, African Diaspora Network

Almaz Negash, a prominent trailblazer in Silicon Valley, has been recognized as one of the 12 inaugural members of President Biden’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States. Leveraging 25 plus years of experience in international trade, business management, and social innovation, Negash is able to build successful partnerships with a variety of stakeholders, including Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, investors, and entrepreneurs based in the USA and around the world. In 2010, Almaz founded African Diaspora Network (ADN) to inform and engage Africans in the diaspora and facilitate direct collaboration with social entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders to invest and improve the lives of everyone on the continent.She has also been named as one of Silicon Valley 100 outstanding Women of Influence for her significant contributions to social innovation.

Dorothy Nyambi

President & CEO, Mennonite Economic Development Associates

Dorothy Nyambi

President & CEO, Mennonite Economic Development Associates

Dr. Dorothy Nyambi is a dynamic leader with over 30 years of experience in entrepreneurship, investment, and international economic development. She champions inclusive economic transformation, with a strong focus on women, youth, and impact investing, particularly through mobilizing African diaspora capital. As CEO of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), she leads systems change globally, including through the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund and the MEDA Risk Capital Fund. Previously, she held senior roles at AIMS, the U.S. Peace Corps, WHO, and USAID. Bilingual in English and French, Dorothy chairs CAMFED Canada and IDRC’s Board of Governors and serves on multiple governance and mentorship boards advancing women’s leadership.

Javier Gordon Ogembo

Director of Global Oncology Initiative, Professor in Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope

Javier Gordon Ogembo

Director of Global Oncology Initiative, Professor in Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope

Javier Gordon Ogembo, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Immuno-Oncology at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, where he also directs the Global Oncology Initiative. His research focuses on the biology of oncogenic viruses — particularly Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and HPV — and the development of prophylactic and therapeutic strategies, including virus-like particle vaccines and immunotherapies, to prevent infection and virus-associated cancers. Dr. Ogembo earned his Ph.D. in virology and biotechnology from Nagoya University and completed postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School.

Bidemi Ojo

Co-founder/CEO, Gleeworld Pharmacy

Bidemi Ojo

Co-founder/CEO, Gleeworld Pharmacy

Bidemi Ojo is a healthtech founder and software engineer with 15+ years of experience. He is Co-founder/CEO of Gleeworld Pharmacy, he leads Medfinder, an AI-powered platform digitizing offline pharmacies while connecting patients to care, born from his struggle with medication access. Bidemi is a 2025 Builder of Africa’s Future alum and 2022 Mandela Washington Fellow at Rutgers University, New Jersey. He was VP, MWF Alumni Network Nigeria (2023/2024). His startup is backed by Startupbootcamp Accelerator, Amsterdam. He holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. His work is featured in PhD research at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Nebraska.

Toyosi Ogunseye

President & CEO, The Presidential Precinct

Toyosi Ogunseye

President & CEO, The Presidential Precinct

As President & CEO of the Presidential Precinct, Toyosi provides strategic direction for the organization’s leadership development programs, equipping the world’s rising leaders to build thriving, just, and free societies. Toyosi previously served as the BBC’s Head of West Africa Language Services and Senior News Editor for News and Commissioning, a board member for the World Association of News Publishers, Vice President of the World Editors Forum, and the first female editor at Punch, Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper. She has earned more than 25 media awards, including the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Award, and she is a 2014 alumna of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Fredros Okumu

Science Advisor, ASCE at ADN

Akhere Omonkhua

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Africa Research Excellence Fund, AREF

Akhere Omonkhua

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Africa Research Excellence Fund, AREF

Akhere Omonkhua is a Professor of Medical Biochemistry. Her research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of local plants used in disease treatment. She has studied the performance of COVID-19 rapid diagnostic tests in Nigeria and is investigating factors underlying the high dizygotic twinning rate in Igbo-Ora, Nigeria. Her work spans identifying plant compounds involved in managing diabetes and reproductive conditions, research capacity building, and developing postgraduate programmes for African reproductive health researchers. Over time, her interests have increasingly centred on mentoring postgraduate students and early career researchers, leading to her current role as Chief Executive Officer of AREF, which supports African health researchers toward research leadership.

Emmanuel Onakoya

Senior Associate - Growth Equity, Avenue Growth Partners

Emmanuel Onakoya

Senior Associate - Growth Equity, Avenue Growth Partners

Emmanuel Onakoya is a Nigerian-American investor with the last decade spent in financial investing and M&A, including the past five years focused on software and technology investing. He has worked across leading growth and private equity firms including Vista Equity Partners, Updata Partners, and currently Avenue Growth Partners, where he invests in capital-efficient vertical SaaS businesses. Emmanuel brings a strong financial foundation as a CPA, with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Marist College and a Master’s in Accounting from Liberty University. His experience spans transaction execution, growth strategy, and partnering with founders to scale durable software platforms.

Tolullah Oni

Professor and Founder/CEO, Unviersity of Cambridge and UrbanBetter

Tolullah Oni

Professor and Founder/CEO, Unviersity of Cambridge and UrbanBetter

Tolu(llah) Oni is Clinical Professor of Global Public Health and Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge and Founder and CEO of UrbanBetter. Born in Lagos and living in the diaspora, she is a pan-African public health physician and urban epidemiologist working across Africa and globally at the intersection of urbanisation, climate and health. Her work focuses on building institutions, partnerships and evidence for implementable and investable solutions that align health, climate resilience and inclusive urban development. She has over 150 academic publications and is a Fellow of leading global science, policy and innovation networks, advancing diaspora-led pathways for Africa’s healthy sustainable future.

British Robinson

Chair, Africa, Milken International, Milken Institute

British Robinson

Chair, Africa, Milken International, Milken Institute

British A. Robinson is a mission-driven nonprofit executive, diplomat, and development finance leader with experience in blended finance, impact investing, and institutional capital mobilization. She has held leadership roles at Citibank, the U.S. Department of State, and major nonprofits, structuring public-private partnerships and mobilizing capital for high-impact initiatives. She currently serves as Chair, Africa, for Milken Institute International, leading initiatives across the continent. Previously, she was Deputy Assistant Administrator of Prosper Africa, working with global investors to unlock investment opportunities in Africa.

Lamine Savadogo

President, Marison Energy Systems

Ayo Sopitan

Founder & CEO, Metalex Commodities Inc.

Ayo Sopitan

Founder & CEO, Metalex Commodities Inc.

Ayo Sopitan is the Founder and CEO of Metalex Commodities Inc., which supplies carbon-neutral critical metals (copper and cobalt) from Africa. The company offsets its mining and processing emissions via nature-based carbon capture and uses mine waste for affordable housing bricks. Before Metalex, Ayo spent 15 years in consulting and commodity trading at firms including Bank of America, Ernst & Young, and Accenture. He is an investor in over 25 startups and a member of several angel networks. Ayo holds degrees from Bryant and NYU and is a fellow at MIT's Legatum Centre.

Kady Sylla

Director-Africa & Middle East, Myriad USA

President Julie Sullivan

President, Santa Clara University

Kedest Tesfagiorgis

Deputy Director, Global Partnerships & Grand Challenges, Gates Foundation

Darius Teter

Executive Director, Stanford Seed

Darius Teter

Executive Director, Stanford Seed

Darius Teter is leading Seed’s growth and expansion, building upon the success achieved since its inception in 2011. Before joining Stanford Seed, Teter served as vice president of global programs at Oxfam America, where he oversaw regional development and human rights programs in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, humanitarian response to natural disasters and conflict, and managed the research, learning, and evaluation teams. His experience spans the field and geography of international development, from financing infrastructure megaprojects to advising governments on economic policies. Prior to Oxfam, he held leadership positions with the Asian Development Bank, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an independent U.S. government foreign aid agency. Teter holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Yale University and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. He has also completed advanced studies in resource economics at the University of British Columbia.

Pierre Theodore

Executive Director of Population Health, Product Development, Roche - Genentech

Pierre Theodore

Executive Director of Population Health, Product Development, Roche - Genentech

Dr. Pierre R. Theodore is an Executive Director of Product Development and Population Health at Roche Genentech, a global pharmaceutical leader. With a career spanning healthcare delivery, innovation, and global health, he serves on the teaching faculty at Stanford University. He holds board certification in Cardio-thoracic Surgery and general surgery. , Pierre is a champion of health equity, leading efforts to democratize healthcare technologies and break down accessibility barriers; he advocates for private sector interventions to address health disparities. Pierre is the proud father of two accomplished children.

Pawan Varyani

Strategy Director, Academic City University, Ghana & US Foundation

Pawan Varyani

Strategy Director, Academic City University, Ghana & US Foundation

Pawan Varyani leads strategy and partnerships for Academic City University in Ghana and the Academic City University US Foundation. His work focuses on aligning university education with real labor-market needs, employer demand, and global mobility pathways. He is directly involved in building new engineering and technology programs, industry partnerships, and sustainable scholarship models that help African graduates transition into high-impact careers.

Jay Veal, M.Ed.

Founder and CEO, INC Education and BrightMatch.ai

Jay Veal, M.Ed.

Founder and CEO, INC Education and BrightMatch.ai

Jay Veal is the CEO of INC Education, the #1 AA owned private tutoring and education company in the US. The company is a $2.5M brand in the private tutoring space. Jay is now Founder of a new EdTech firm called, BRIGHTMatch.ai which is a platform that assesses student’s learning styles and assigns them a tutor that matches them the best through AI powered learning assessments and tutor/student matching algorithms. He is also Founder/CEO of The Jay Veal Brand which is a Dallas-based premier consulting brand that deploys education, business, and credit consulting. He has been a Black Enterprise contributor for education and credit and is a 19 time award-winning educator and edupreneur. He is graduate of the esteemed Founder Institute out of Silicon Valley for his current edtech startup. In addition, Jay is a Fall 2025 Masters of Scale Summit Alumni and in the Silicon Valley Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Program Fall 2025 Cohort. He is a Forbes Next 1000 Listmaker and has been featured in major media outlets including Black Enterprise, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Rolling Out, Business Insider, NBC, Good Morning Texas, Dallas Morning News, TEDx, SXSW EDU, and more. He served on the board of Rae’s Hope and Big Thought.

Susan Winks

Chief Operations Officer, H3D Foundation

Susan Winks

Chief Operations Officer, H3D Foundation

Dr Susan Winks (PhD, MBA) is the Head of Research Operations and Business Development at the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D) at the University of Cape Town. She leads strategic operations, partnerships, fundraising, and governance to enable interdisciplinary drug discovery in Africa. Dr Winks is also co founder of the H3D Foundation, where she drives ecosystem building initiatives to strengthen Africa’s drug discovery capabilities. Her work includes leading the Grand Challenges African Drug Discovery Accelerator—spanning eight countries—and piloting a process chemistry skills development hub in South Africa focused on cost competitive, greener API manufacturing using flow reactor technology. Her career is dedicated to building sustainable scientific capacity, strengthening R&D ecosystems across the continent, and advancing Africa led innovation for global health impact.

Prof. Prashant Yadav

Council on Foreign Relations, USA