H.E. Ambassador Philemon Yang is a seasoned diplomat with a track record of experience. 

Internally, he served as Prime Minister, Head of Government, from 2009 to 2019. In this capacity, he represented the Head of State at various important high-level regional and international meetings. He has held other important government positions, including Vice-Minister of Territorial Administration (1975-1979), Minister of Mines and Energy (1979-1984), and Minister, Deputy Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic (2004-2009). Since 2020 he has been serving as the Grand Chancellor of National Orders at the Presidency of the Republic. 

Internationally, Mr. Philemon Yang served as Cameroon’s High Commissioner to Canada (1984-2004), where during 14 years he doubled as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. He has led Cameroonian delegations to high-level economic summits in Washington D.C, London, New Delhi and several other capitals. At the African level, he took part in various sessions of the African Union (AU) Conference of Heads of State and Government, including the Summit on the institutional reform of the African Union. He has held the position of Chairperson of the Panel of Eminent Africans of the African Union, since February 2020. This Panel is, among other things, responsible for examining candidacies for important positions within the African Union, such as those of African Union Commissioners.

As far as UN activities are concerned, Mr. Philemon Yang was Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. He is also fervently committed to humanitarian issues, respect for human rights and dignity, the rule of law, respect for nature and the environment, the fight against climate change, and the reform and renewal of the UN. 

His vision and commitment are based on the ideals, objectives and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter concerning peace, security, economic and social development, and respect for human rights, including the advancement of women, children and people with disabilities. 

Born on June 14, 1947 in Jikejem-Oku in the North-West Region of Cameroon, Ambassador Philemon Yang is a Cameroonian politician, and a magistrate by training. He is a graduate in law from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon. After that he also graduated from the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM). Mr. Yang went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in International Law from the University of Ottawa, Canada, and a Master of Business Administration from Century University in the USA. He is married to Linda YANG and father of three children.

H.E. Albert M. Muchanga, born on May 21, 1959, a Zambian national was elected as the new commissioner for Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission. Mr. Muchanga was the Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office in charge of Parliamentary Affairs in Zambia. H.E. Muchanga was also a former Ambassador to Ethiopia with extra accreditation to the African Union. He has both at home and abroad dealt with issues broadly related to international economic policy analysis and implementation as well as regional integration, foreign policy analysis and implementation.

As Senior Vice President for Research, Technology & Society, James Manyika focuses on advancing Google’s most ambitious innovations in AI, computing and science, and on areas with potential for beneficial impact on society. He is also responsible for leading and overseeing Google Research and Google Labs. 

Appointed by President Obama, James served as Vice Chair of the Global Development Council at the White House, serves as Vice Chair of the US National AI Advisory Committee (established by Congress to advise the President), and is Co-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s AI Advisory Body. James is Chair and Director, Emeritus of McKinsey Global Institute, a Visiting Professor at Oxford, and has been a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Committee on Responsible Computing. H

e is a Distinguished Fellow of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute, a Distinguished Fellow in Ethics in AI at Oxford, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A Rhodes Scholar, James has DPhil, MSc, MA from Oxford in AI and robotics, mathematics and computer science, and a BSc from the University of Zimbabwe.

Professor Benedict Oramah, a renowned Nigerian economist, who was appointed President and  Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export–Import Bank (“Afreximbank” or the “Bank”)  in 2015 after serving with distinction in other leadership positions at the Bank since 1994.  Afreximbank, a leading African multilateral finance institution, has made impressive strides under  Prof. Oramah’s leadership growing its assets by six- fold from about US$6 billion at the end of 

September 2015, when he assumed office, to US$37.3 billion by December 2023. The Bank has  also diversified its sources of income while achieving impressive Global Credit Ratings and  performance metrics.  

Despite global economic headwinds, under President Oramah’s leadership, Afreximbank achieved very strong year-on-year growth in earnings, profits and dividends pay-out while  sustaining its policy relevance across Africa. 

Prof. Oramah consistently keeps a laser focus on the Bank’s mission to advance regional  integration and industrialization across Africa. Under his leadership, Afreximbank has become a  prime facilitator of the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement and other  continental priorities.  

Prof. Oramah, an agricultural economist and author, holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is a recipient of numerous national honors  including the high Nigerian national honor of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in  2022 by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Commander of the Order of the  Niger (CON) by the Nigerian government, the “Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Valeur” (Knight of the  Order of Valor) by the Cameroonian government, the Officer of the Congolese Order of Merit by  the Republic of Congo and The Order of Friendship by the Russian government. 

Prof. Oramah has also received many awards and recognitions, namely the 2023 Business  Leader of the Year by All Africa Business Leaders Awards; the 2022 Margaret Herz Demant  African Art Award by the Detroit Institute of Arts; the 2017 and 2022 African Banker of the Year by the African Bankers’ Magazine. He has been listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by the New Africa Magazine and Jeune Afrique for multiple years since 2017. He was recognized as the Person of the Year 2023 by Forbes Africa and awarded the 2024 Financial Leadership  Award by the Africa Prosperity Network. 

In addition to being the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Prof. Oramah serves  on the board of several organizations. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Fund  for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), the Chairman of the Management Board of Directors of  the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), the Chairman of the Executive  Committee of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB), the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of  the African Union Covid-19 Response Fund and serves on the Consultative Board on the World  Cocoa Economy of the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO). He is also a member of the  Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) Advisory Council, an Honorary Advisor of the Abia Global  Economic Advisory Council, a member of the Practitioners Advisory Board of the Institute for  Trade and Innovation (IfTI) at Offenburg University, Germany, a Board member of the Coalition  for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) and a member of the Emerging Markets Advisory Council of the  Institute of International Finance (IIF-EMAC).  

Prof. Oramah is happily married and blessed with three daughters.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. The first woman and first African to hold the position. She is an economist and international development expert with over 40 years of experience. Dr Okonjo-Iweala was Chair of the Board of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, African Risk Capacity and Co-Chair of The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, in addition to serving as a Senior Advisor at Lazard and sitting on the Boards of Standard Chartered and Twitter, now X. She is Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Brookings and a Harvard Kennedy School Global Public Leader.
She served as Nigeria’s first female and longest serving Finance Minister (7 years) and was also the first female Foreign Minister. Her 25-year career at the World Bank culminated in her rising to the No.2 position of Managing Director, Operations.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the recipient of numerous honors and has authored several books. She holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from Harvard University and a PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

She was CEO of the Neoenergia Group from 2012 to 2017. Member of the Board of Directors of several companies and multisectoral associations.

With 40 years of experience, she has in-depth knowledge of the electricity sector and diverse professional experiences that combine tactical-operational and strategic aspects in senior leadership positions in large companies. Engaged in different multi-sector coalitions, she actively works towards a more sustainable and inclusive agenda, which includes accelerating climate ambition through the energy transition.

Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Pernambuco, master’s degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. She was a visiting researcher at the “Centre of Environmental Technology” at the “Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine”, London.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem is one of Dubai's leading businessmen. He is the Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DP World and the Chairman of the Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation.

Mr. bin Sulayem’s expertise and visionary leadership spearheaded the rapid expansion of Dubai’s infrastructure, including ports and free zones, contributing significantly to the stellar growth trajectory of the United Arab Emirates. He was also a leader in developing the infrastructure supporting Dubai’s successful tourism industry, among various other sectors.

Aliko Dangote is the founder and President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries  Limited, the largest conglomerate in West Africa. A graduate of Al-Azhar University  in Cairo, Egypt, Dangote began his business career in 1978, trading in rice, sugar  and cement, before he ventured into full-scale manufacturing.  

The Group he founded, currently has presence in 17 African countries and is a  market leader in cement on the continent. One of the Group's subsidiaries,  Dangote Cement Plc, is the largest listed company in West Africa and the first  Nigerian company to join the Forbes Global 2000 Companies list. The Group has  four other subsidiaries: Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, Dangote  Fertiliser Limited, Dangote Sugar Refinery and NASCON Allied Industries, with the  latter two Business Units listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).  

The Group is diversified and operates in major sectors of the Nigerian economy  including agriculture. The Dangote Fertiliser was commissioned on March 22, 2022  while the Dangote Petroleum Refinery was commissioned on May 22, 2023. The petroleum refinery is the largest single train refinery in the world with the capacity  to refine 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day, alongside a petrochemical complex. 

A dedicated humanist and philanthropist, Dangote who is the Chairman of the Aliko  Dangote Foundation (ADF) made an initial endowment of $1.25 billion to the  Foundation in March 2014, enabling it to scale up its work in health, education, and  economic empowerment.  

Aliko Dangote has received many laurels within and outside Nigeria, in recognition  of his achievements and philanthropy. On November 14, 2011, the Nigerian  Government conferred on him the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger 

(GCON), becoming the first person outside government functionaries to bag the  honour. In 2013, he was conferred with the highest national honour in the Republic  of Benin, the Grand Commander of the National Order of the Republic of Benin. In  June 2021, he received the highest civilian honour in Cameroon – the Commander  of the National Order of Valour – from the President of the Republic, Paul Biya. 

In August 2022, Dangote was conferred with the Commander of the Order of Merit  of Niger award by the then President of the Republic of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum  in Niamey, in appreciation for his services rendered to the Republic of Niger and as  well as a tribute to his business acumen and philanthropy. In February 2024, Aliko  Dangote was conferred with an award of the Commander of the Order of the Lion  by the Senegalese President, His Excellency Macky Sall in Dakar, the capital.  

In April 2014, TIME Magazine listed him among its 100 'Most Influential People in  the World. For six consecutive years, 2013 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Forbes  listed him as the 'Most Powerful Man in Africa’ alongside the Egyptian President  Abdel Fatteh el Sisi. In December 2014, he was named ‘Forbes Africa Person of the  Year.’ In September 2015, he was named ‘African Businessman of the Year’ by  London-based IC Publications. In October 2015, Aliko Dangote was listed among ‘50  Most Influential Individuals in the World’ by Bloomberg Markets.  

In January 2020, Bloomberg, in its 2020 Billionaires list of the top 500 billionaires in  the world, ranked Aliko Dangote as the richest man in Africa. He was also ranked  the first in July 2022, in June 2023 and in January 2024. He is, in addition, still the  wealthiest African for the 13th consecutive year, according to both Forbes and  Bloomberg. 

Dangote sits on the board of the Corporate Council on Africa and is a member of  the Steering Committee of the United Nations Secretary-General's Global  Education First Initiative, the Clinton Global Initiative, the McKinsey Advisory  Council, and the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum. He  was named Co-chair of the US-Africa Business Center, in September 2016, by the  US Chamber of Commerce. He is also on the Board of ONE, the anti-poverty group,  co-founded by Bono. 

Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina: A visionary leader transforming Africa
Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, is globally acclaimed for his transformative leadership on development issues, and especially in Africa. Known as “Africa’s Optimist in Chief” for his vision for Africa and innovative ideas, he previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture. He was elected President of the African Development Bank in 2015, and unanimously re-elected in 2020. 

Adesina is an alumnus of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria, and Purdue University, USA, from where he obtained a PhD in Agricultural Economics and won the Outstanding Thesis Award. His tenure as Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister witnessed a revolutionary electronic wallet system that delivered seeds and fertilizers to 15 million farmers, and effectively ended decades of fertilizer sector corruption. 

As President of the African Development Bank, Adesina is spearheading an acceleration of Africa’s development. Under his leadership, the African Development Bank Group increased its share capital from $93 billion to $208 billion in 2019, the highest in the history of the Bank since its establishment in 1964. He has garnered global acclaim for effectively raising the effectiveness, impact, and leadership of the Bank on financial innovations. In 2022, the African Development Bank was ranked as the Best Multilateral Financial Institution in the world by Global Finance. In 2023, the African Development Bank was ranked as the Most Transparent Financial Institution in the world by Publish What You Fund, for its sovereign operations. 

Dr. Adesina led the Feed Africa Summit held earlier this year which attracted 34 heads of state and government and galvanized development partners and private sector and farmers for transformative actions for food self-sufficiency in Africa. The Summit mobilized $70 billion to implement the actions.   

Dr. Adesina is a 2017 World Food Prize Laureate, and recipient of several international and national honors, as well as several honorary doctorates from universities in the US, Africa, and Canada. 

Dr. Agnes Kalibata has been the President of AGRA since 2014, leading efforts to achieve a food-secure and prosperous Africa by driving sustainable agricultural growth and improving the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. From 2019 to 2021, she served as the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, launching a global effort to transform food systems in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. 

Before joining AGRA, Dr. Kalibata was Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) from 2008 to 2014, where she spearheaded initiatives that led to Rwanda’s transition from food insecurity to becoming a model of agricultural transformation. An accomplished agricultural scientist and policymaker, Dr. Kalibata holds a PhD in Entomology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She sits on numerous boards and commissions, including the Global Commission on Adaptation, the Global Panel for Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, and the Malabo-Montpellier Panel. 

Dr. Kalibata has received several prestigious awards, such as the Yara Prize (now the Africa Food Prize), honorary doctorates from the University of Liège and McGill University, and the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences. In 2023, she was appointed to the Advisory Committee of COP28, where she contributes to global climate change strategies. Her leadership continues to shape agricultural policy, food security, and climate action across Africa and globally.

Phumzile, a stockbroker by training, is the co-founder and executive Chairman of Afropulse Group Proprietary Limited. She is the Chairman of Delta Property Fund and Metrofile Limited. She is Deputy Chairman of Imperial Logistics and serves as a Non-Executive Director of DP World Limited, Nedbank Group Limited and Nedbank Limited. She is a Member of Council at the University of Pretoria. 

On the 14th of May 2024, she was bestowed on behalf of the President of the French Republic, the distinguished honour of the Ordre National du Mérite (National Order of Merit), by France’s Ambassador to South Africa, His Excellency, Mr. David Martinon. Phumzile previously served as part of President Ramaphosa’s Special Investment Envoy. In 2021 she was appointed as a Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on Investment (PACI), which is chaired by President Ramaphosa.

She has a BCom from The University of KwaZulu-Natal, BCom (Hons) from Unisa, and MCom from The University of Pretoria.

Olushegun (Shegun) Adjadi Bakari, born on October 24, 1979, in Pointe-Noire, Congo, is a citizen of the Republic of Benin and has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since June 2023, following his role as Minister-Advisor in charge of Investments. He studied at the National Institute of Economics (ENEAM) in Benin, where he became the youngest Student Union President in 1999, and later earned a degree in Mathematics from the University of Lille and a Master's in Finance from SKEMA Business School. 

With over 18 years of experience in finance, he worked at Société Générale Group in Paris, where he served as Director of Structured Export Finance for Africa, before becoming CEO of SPIRO, Africa's largest e-mobility platform. Prior to his ministerial role, he advised the President of Togo from 2016 to 2021 on major projects. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he aims to implement 4D diplomacy (Availability, Diaspora, Digital, and Development) to enhance Benin's development and diversify its alliances. He is fluent in English and Yoruba, with French as his native language.

SELIM BORA Summa International Construction Group, Chairman Selim Bora holds a BSc degree in Metallurgical Engineering, from the Middle East Technical University, Ankara and MSc degree in Industrial Engineering from the Alfred University, New York. 

In 1989 Summa Inc. was established by the visionary and prominent construction magnate, the late Mr. Mete Bora to carry out overseas contracting operations. Selim joined the family business in 1993, as Business Development Manager in Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. In 1995 Selim was promoted as Regional Manager of Summa for the Russian Federation, based in Moscow and in 1999 became the Chairman of Summa. 

Summa’s corporate modus operandi is based on out-of-the-box thinking, ingenuity, quality and client satisfaction. Its track record for design, build, operate, and turn-key contract delivery capabilities speaks for itself. Summa operates in 14 countries across 4 continents with particular know-how and focus in Sub-Sahara Africa predominantly in; Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Rwanda, Congo Republic, Niger, Benin, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Under Selim’s leadership, Summa has been ranked as ENR Top 225 International Contractors for the past 18 years. Apart from construction, today Summa is active in Real Estate Development, Hospitality, Healthcare, Energy and Mining sectors. Furthermore, Selim’s belief in the future of Africa has led Summa to become one of the most prolific principal investors in the continent, with investments in Airports, Hotels, Shopping Malls and Residential Real Estate. Selim is passionate about philanthropy and acts as the Chairman of the non-profit Akyurt Foundation which focuses on eldercare. 

Currently acting as the President of the Turkish-Rwanda Business Council under the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK); he is also serving as an advisory board member of the Richard Attias & Associates and previously held the positions of Deputy President at Turkish Contractors Association and Board Member at European International Contractors Association as well as Turkish American Business Council. In 2018, he won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and is the recipient of the Republican Presidential National Order of the Rank of Commander from the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of the Niger and the Republic of the Congo. Fluent in Turkish, English, French and Russian. 

H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat has been Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation since December 2019, and has previously served as the first female Minister of Tourism (Jan 2018 -Dec 2019). Al-Mashat enjoys more than 20 years of international experience in central banking, financial systems, monetary policy frameworks, sustainable development, climate finance, and international cooperation policies and strategies.  

As a co-founder and a member of several advisory boards, international alliances and societies, Al-Mashat pushes forward partnerships and multilateralism as key enablers to accelerate sustainable development, climate action and gender equality. Managing the country’s partnerships with numerous bilateral and multilateral development institutions, she ensures the  alignment and synergies of development finance and activities across different economic sectors.  Her previous roles at the IMF, working with governments in the Middle East & Central Asia, Africa  and Asia, expanded her expertise of development systems and structural reforms in developing and  emerging economies. Al-Mashat has several publications in monetary policy, financial stability and  instructional reforms. In her capacity as Minister, she represents Egypt as Governor in several  international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group, European Bank for  Reconstruction and Development, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, and Arab  Bank for Economic Development; and as Alternate Governor of Egypt at the African Development  Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and Islamic Development Bank.  

Al-Mashat is a member of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)  GenU Global Leadership Council, Founding Member of the Global Energy Alliance for People and  Planet (GEAPP), and Member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Mission Possible for  Climate Action, Co-Chair of the MENA Stewardship Board (WEF); and Member of the New  Economy and Society Stewardship Board (WEF). There were several board affiliations, including  the Egyptian Stock Exchange, the Egyptian General Authority for Free Zones and Investment, the  Arab International Bank, the Arab Investment Bank, and the Middle East Economic Association. 

In June 2021, Al-Mashat launched a book titled “Stakeholder Engagement Through Economic  Diplomacy” for London School of Economics. She contributed several chapters to the International  Monetary Fund’s book, titled, “Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy”, published in 2018  and edited by Maurice Obstfeld the Chief Economist at the time. Moreover, she pioneered an  international inclusive and consultative process to translate climate pledges into implementable  projects in developing countries and transition economies, producing the “Sharm El-Sheikh  Guidebook for Just Financing”, which presents an actionable agenda for all relevant stakeholder  listing their roles in achieving just financing outcomes, and maximizing the effectiveness and  efficiency of existing climate finance architecture. 

Al-Mashat received several international and domestic awards and recognitions; the “2022 Most  Visionary and Outstanding Minister of International Cooperation in Africa” Award by the Institute  for African Studies Elliott School of International Affairs George Washington University and the  GE7 Initiative; the “2019 Global Champion Award” from the World Tourism and Travel Council for  launching the Egypt—Tourism Reform Program that has created resilience to the sector; the “2019  Global Leader’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry”, as the Ministry of Tourism  has contributed the most to the global travel and tourism industry in 2018 and 2019 as Egypt’s  tourism revenues recorded a new historical high; the “2019 United Nations World Tourism  Organization Destination Marketing Award”, for best promotion video for a destination; and the  “2019 Leadership in Tourism Award” from the International Institute for Peace and Tourism. She  was selected among the top 50 most influential women in the Egyptian economy in 2015; the 2014  and 2015 “Choiseul Institute 100 Africa: Economic Leaders for Tomorrow”; the 2014 Young Global  Leaders (YGL) by the World Economic Forum (WEF); the 2014 top 10 most powerful women in  the Egyptian Banking Sector. She was also selected to the Government of France’s 2013  International Visitor Leadership Program; the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award, School of  Business, American University in Cairo (AUC), and the 2004 Ibn Khaldoun prize for the best paper  on one or more Middle Eastern countries given by the Middle East Economic Association. The  paper titled “Monetary Policy and Public Debt Management: An Empirical Assessment of the  Egyptian Experience”.  

Al-Mashat received her PhD an MA in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park,  USA, and BA in Economics from the American University in Cairo (AUC). She completed  Executive Education certificates in Leadership and Public Policy from the Kennedy School of  Government at Harvard University and Transformational Leadership from Said Business School at  Oxford University.

Publications & Research    

• Al-Mashat, R. (2022), “Beyond Pledges: Inclusive Partnerships to move Towards Climate  Resilience” World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum, Switzerland. 

• Al-Mashat, R. and Hamza, R. (2021), “Stakeholder Engagement through Economic Diplomacy:  Egypt Fostering Multilateralism & International Cooperation” Policy Reform in the Making,  London School of Economics. 

• Al-Mashat, R. Bejjani, A. and Dusek, M. (2020), “4 Ways Stakeholder Capitalism Can Create a  More Resilient Post-COVID MENA Region,” World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum,  Switzerland. 

• Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "First Principles", in Adrian, T., Laxton,  D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International Monetary  Fund, USA. 

• Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Managing Expectations", in Adrian, T.,  Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International  Monetary Fund, USA. 

• Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Nuts and Bolts of a Forecasting and  Policy Analysis System", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers  of Monetary Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. 

• Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Transparency and Communications",  in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy,  International Monetary Fund, USA. 

• Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Canada: A Well-Established System",  in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy,  International Monetary Fund, USA. 

• Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "Czech Republic: Transition to the  Frontier", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary  Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. 

• Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "India: Stabilizing Inflation", in Adrian,  T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy, International  Monetary Fund, USA. 

• Al-Mashat, R., Clinton, K., Laxton, D. and Wang H. (2018) "United States: Federal Reserve’s Dual  Mandate", in Adrian, T., Laxton, D., and Obstfeld, M, (eds), Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary  Policy, International Monetary Fund, USA. 

• Al-Mashat, R., Bulir, A., Dincer, N., et. Al, (2018) “An Index for Transparency for Inflation Targeting Central Banks: Application to the Czech National Bank”, IMF Working Paper,  International Monetary Fund, WP/18/210.

• Aichi, A., Al-Mashat, R., et. Al, (2018) “Estimates of Potential Output and the Neutral Rate for the  US Economy”, IMF Working Paper, International Monetary Fund, WP/18/152. 

• Dimian, Hany, and Al-Mashat, R. (June 2014) "Helping Advance the Economic Policy Making and  Management Process in Egypt: Initial Institutional Aspects for the Executive Branch", Rockefeller  Brothers and Japan International Cooperation Agency. 

• Al-Mashat, R., and Billmeier, A. (2012) "Push or Pull? The Determinants of Remittances to Egypt",  Review of Middle East Economics and Finance, 8 (2), article 2. 

• Al-Mashat, R. (2011). "Assessing inflation and output variability using a New Keynesian model: an  application to Egypt", in D. Cobham and G. Dibeh (eds), Money in the Middle East and North  Africa: Monetary Policy Frameworks and Strategies, London: Routledge. 

• Al-Mashat, R. (2011). "The Evolution of Monetary Policy in Egypt and Steps towards Inflation  Targeting", in D. Cobham and Mongi Boughzala (eds), Inflation Targeting in MENA Countries: An  Unfinished Journey, Palgrave Macmillan. 

• Al-Mashat, R, (2011), "Egypt: Monetary Policy & the Pass-through from Relative Price Shocks",  paper presented at the II Workshop on the Economics of the Mediterranean and the Euro Mediterranean Process, CREMed, Barcelona, Spain, June. 

• Al-Mashat, R. (2009). ‘Monetary policy in Egypt: a retrospective and preparedness for inflation  targeting,’ In H. Kheir-El-Din (ed.), What Drives Prices in Egypt?, Cairo: American University in  Cairo Press for the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies Publication. 

• Al-Mashat, R., and Billmeier, A. (2008). ‘The monetary transmission mechanism in Egypt,’ Review  of Middle East Economics and Finance, 4 (3), article 2. 

• Al-Mashat, Rania, (2008) “The Exchange Rate Pass-through in Egypt,” The Central Bank of Egypt  Working Paper Series, forthcoming. 

• Al-Mashat, Rania, (2008) “Modelling and Forecasting Inflation in Egypt: Do Monetary Aggregates  Matter?”, The Central Bank of Egypt Working Paper Series. 

• Al-Mashat, Rania and Andreas Billmeier (2007), “The Monetary Transmission Mechanism in  Egypt”, IMF.Working Paper, International Monetary Fund, WP/07/285. 

• Al-Mashat, Rania, (2006) “The Central Bank of Egypt’s Core (Underlying) Measures of Inflation,”  The Central Bank of Egypt Working Paper Series. 

• Al-Mashat, Rania, (2006) “Estimating the Nominal and Real Money Gaps in Egypt,” The Central  Bank of Egypt Working Paper Series.  

• Al-Mashat, R., “Vietnam’s Experience with Rapid Money Growth and Low Inflation”, Selected  Issues Paper, Country Report, SM/04/379, International Monetary Fund, 2004.

• Al-Mashat, R., “The Evolving Role of the State”, Selected Issues Paper for Vietnam, Country  Report 03/381, International Monetary Fund, 2003. 

• Al-Mashat, R., and Amine Mati, “Currency Crises in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA):  What are the Early Warning Signs,” Proceedings of the Conference on Rising to the Challenge:  International Crisis and Economic Management in Egypt, June 2003. 

• Al-Mashat, R., “Monetary Policy Transmission in India”, Selected Issues Paper, Country Report  03/232, International Monetary Fund, 2003. 

• Al-Mashat, R., “Financial Sector Development and Economic Growth in Egypt 1960-1999,” Global  Development Network and Economic Research Forum for Arab Countries, Iran and Turkey, 2002. 

• Al-Mashat, R., “Economic Trends in the MENA Region, 2002”, contributed to Chapter 2 on  Financial Markets in MENA, ERF for Arab Countries, Iran and Turkey Publication, 2002. 

• Al-Mashat, R., “Membership Overlaps in Regional Trade Arrangements in Eastern and Southern  Africa: Potentials, Limitations and Policy Recommendations”, Mimeo, Policy Development and  Review Department, International Monetary Fund, January 2002. 

• Al-Mashat, R., “Monetary Policy and Public Debt Management: An Empirical Assessment of the  Egyptian Experience”, Proceedings of the Economic Research Forum Seventh Annual Conference,  January 2002. 

• Al-Mashat, R. and Grigorian, D., “Economic Reforms in Egypt: Emerging Patterns and Their  Possible Implications”, The World Bank Policy Research Paper No. 1977.

Ms. British A. Robinson serves as the Coordinator for Prosper Africa, a U.S. Presidential, national security initiative aimed at strengthening the strategic and economic partnership with African countries. She collaborates closely with the White House National Security Council and 17 U.S. federal agencies to forge partnerships with businesses, investors and government leaders. Robinson is a visionary leader with decades of experience in public-private partnerships, social impact investing, corporate social responsibility, global public health, education, and government policy. 

She launched her career at Citibank in retail banking and private wealth. For more than a decade she worked with the U.S. Jesuit Conference as National Director of the Office of Social and International Ministries, where she managed their socially responsible investing program. Robinson began her career in government at the U.S. Department of State working on the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) as Deputy Coordinator/Director of Private Sector Engagement, where she oversaw public-private partnerships to strengthen the world’s largest global health program addressing HIV/AIDS. She recently served as President & CEO of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. 

In 2022, Robinson was recognized for her distinguished career by Forbes’ 50 Over 50 for Impact – a list of entrepreneurs and changemakers helping to make the world a better, more equitable place. She holds a master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University, a bachelor’s degree in public policy and business administration from George Washington University, an honorary doctorate from Fairfield University, and an honorary doctorate in international affairs from the American University. 

Olivier Laouchez, from Martinique (French Caribbean) is a serial entrepreneur renowned for his role in developing the Trace group and promoting African culture globally. After studying at ESCP Business School in Paris, he launched Antilles TV, the first private television channel in the French West Indies, and later managed Secteur Ä, a leading independent hip-hop label in France. In 2003, backed by Goldman Sachs, he founded Trace, a media group dedicated to Afro-urban culture. 

Today, Trace operates in 190 countries reaching over 350 million fans. Trace is a leader in Afro-urban culture, fueled by the global popularity of Afrobeat and Amapiano. Since 2021, Trace has diversified into education with Trace Academia, an online platform for vocational training. Supported by a coalition of companies, governments, and institutions, Trace Academia has trained over 300,000 learners across Africa. Trace has also launched music monetization platforms, allowing over 40,000 artists to receive royalties. In 2023, the inaugural Trace Awards in Rwanda honored Africa's top artists, reaching 500 million viewers worldwide. 

Olivier is a sought-after speaker on creative industries and youth success. He is a Knight of the French National Order of Merit and cofounder of the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery. He resides in South Africa with his family.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo served as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for two consecutive terms, from May 2015 to May 2023. He held the position of Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Nigeria, from 1999 to 2007, leading significant judicial reforms that would become models for other states in the Federation. 

Before his political career, Professor Osinbajo was a Professor of Public law at the University of Lagos, a founding partner of SimmonsCooper, a prominent commercial law firm in Nigeria, and earned the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He served in the Justice Sector of the UN mission in Somalia, and was a member of the UN SecretaryGeneral’s committee on Rules on the Conduct and discipline of Peace Keeping forces. He was Ethics advisor to the board of the AFDB, and served as an independent director of CITIBANK Nigeria.

In public service, Professor Osinbajo played key roles in the formulation and implementation of various government initiatives and policies, notably in the areas of economic reform, social investments, human Capital development, digital and creative economy, climate action and energy security in African nations. He chaired the National Economic Council comprising governors of all the States of Nigeria, the Inter-Ministerial Energy Transition Implementation Working Group, which was responsible for the development and execution of the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan in 2022. Three National development plans were formulated and implemented under his leadership and he led the successful implementation of Nigeria's Economic Sustainability Plan, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Beyond his tenure in office, Professor Osinbajo remains dedicated to advocating for climate action globally. In 2023, he was appointed as the first Global Advisor to the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and Board Chair of the Climate Action Platform for Africa (CAP-A). He founded the North East Children’s Trust, for the creation of sustainable learning ecosystems for vulnerable children made orphans by the insurgency in North East Nigeria, co-founded Future Perspectives, an organisation focused on innovation, founded Climate Positive, an independent climate action not-for-profit, and currently serves on the Board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. He also serves as Guardian of the UNDP led Africa Innovation Foundation (timbuktoo).

Sara Sabry is an astronaut, activist, and advocate for change. As the first Egyptian astronaut, the first Arab woman in space, and the first woman from the African continent to go to space, Sabry has made history with her contributions to space exploration. 

Sabry founded and serves as Executive Director of Deep Space Initiative (DSI), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing accessibility and opportunity in the space field while enabling deep space exploration for all. Her leadership has enabled DSI to provide opportunities in research and education that are open to all audiences, regardless of nationality or resources. 

Sara Sabry is a Mechanical and Biomedical Engineer currently pursuing her PhD in Aerospace Sciences, where she conducts research at the NASA-funded UND Humanspaceflight lab. Her contributions to the space field are complemented by expertise in Mechatronics, Robotic Surgery, Stem Cell Development, Augmented Reality, Formula 3 Car design, and Bioastronautics. Additionally, during her studies, Sabry dedicated four years to working as a yoga instructor and CrossFit coach, showcasing her commitment to health and wellness alongside her academic pursuits. 

Sabry, an acclaimed international speaker, is dedicated to amplifying the representation of Egyptians, Africans, and Arabs on global platforms. Through the lens of her remarkable journey to space, she inspires audiences to conquer life's challenges and to look beyond borders. Sabry shares insights on transitioning from engineering to entrepreneurship, recounts her journey to space and the Overview Effect, and emphasizes the pivotal role of space tech in addressing urgent climate issues on Earth. A dedicated advocate for equality and human rights, Sara Sabry champions inclusivity on the global stage. Her humanitarian efforts focus on addressing human rights issues and empowering marginalized communities. 

While she advocates on international platforms, Sabry is equally committed to making a direct impact at the grassroots level. She has volunteered across Africa, contributing to a women’s empowerment center in Uganda, teaching in South Africa, and engaging in marine conservation in Madagascar. These on-the-ground experiences have further solidified her dedication to humanitarian causes and social justice.

As Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Brad Smith is responsible for spearheading the company’s work and representing it publicly on a wide variety of critical issues involving the intersection of technology and society, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, privacy, environmental sustainability, human rights, digital safety, immigration, philanthropy, and products and business for non-profit customers. He leads a team of roughly 2,000 business, legal and corporate affairs professionals located in 54 countries and operating in more than 120 nations.

Igor van den Essen was appointed Regional Managing Director for the Africa and Europe Region and part of the management team in July 2022.

During his career, Igor has held a number of leadership positions in HR, Labor Relations and (General) Management. A career of almost 30 years has taken him all over the world – from China to Denmark and from Qatar to the Netherlands – and across some of the world’s biggest companies, including Philips and Maersk. In 2016, Igor joined APM Terminals as Head of HR and Labour Relations. In 2019, he was appointed as Head of Terminals in Europe.

In July 2022, Igor was appointed Regional Managing Director for the Africa & Europe region and part of APM Terminals’ global management team. His strong experience in HR helps him to lift standards of excellence in the region, which includes 11 ports and terminals in the Africa and 13 ports and terminals in the Europe region. As Regional Managing Director, Igor is responsible for managing this portfolio commercially and operationally – lifting standards for customers, governments, partners and our people in the region.

Anna Bjerde is the Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank. In this role, she spearheads the World Bank’s work on the most pressing development challenges overseeing an active portfolio worth $340 billion in programs across client countries. With 30 years of expertise in international development, public policy, and public-private sector partnerships, Ms. Bjerde drives the World Bank’s operational complex for swift and impactful results. Under her leadership, the World Bank achieved record levels of climate-related project financing and initiated bold and ambitious programs, including bringing clean electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.

Dr. Peter Ndegwa (CBS) is the Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom Group PLC, a $2.5 Billion business, the leading technology company in Africa and the pioneer of M-PESA, the world’s most advanced mobile payment system. With a customer base of over 53 million, Safaricom operates as Safaricom PLC in Kenya and Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC in Ethiopia and is recognized as the top employer in both countries and Africa. 

A champion of  sustainability and social impact, Dr Ndegwa has demonstrated passion and commitment to driving purpose and being the biggest supporter of communities. He holds the position of Founder of Safaricom Foundation and is a trustee of M-PESA Foundation, where he has personally championed and launched big social impact programmes in health, education and economic empowerment such as Ndoto Zetu, Citizens Of The Future, and taking healthcare services closer to the people through free medical camps. 

He has over 30 years of leadership experience across Telecommunications, Financial Services, and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors in Africa and Europe. His expertise spans Telecommunications, General Management, Commercial, Strategy, and Finance Operations, making him a transformational leader driving innovation and sustainable growth in the digital economy. Under his leadership Safaricom is transitioning from a telecommunications to a technology company. 

In 2024 it became the first company to surpass one billion dollars in earnings (EBIT) in the region and has grown to become one of Kenya’s biggest brands and strongest supporter of the society. Amongst his key achievements, Dr. Ndegwa led Safaricom PLC in collaboration with other global partners to set up Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC which was awarded a license to operate in April 2021. As of December 31st 2024, Safaricom Ethiopia covered over 48.5% of the Ethiopian population with over 7.1 million customers acquired on the Safaricom network, and 1.4 million customers on M-PESA.

Chidi Blyden is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). As Deputy CEO, Ms. Blyden supports the CEO in the daily management of the agency and delivering on MCC’s mission to reduce global poverty through economic growth. 

Before joining MCC, Ms. Blyden served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, where she managed the Department of Defense’s (DOD) relationships with 53 African nations. She has held various roles, honing her policy, national security, and practitioner skills throughout her career in the government, academia, and non-profit sectors. Ms. Blyden is an expert and socio-cultural advisor on Africa’s conflicts, security, and development issues. Her work has focused on the impact of culture in developing policy and community-centric approaches to security challenges in African nations. She was the first Africa Director at the Center for Civilians in Conflict, where she led the design and implementation of culture-specific training for the Nigerian Armed Forces on civilian harm. 

Ms. Blyden has over 15 years of government service and served in the Obama Administration as a Special Assistant in DOD’s Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy - African Affairs and as the Africa Peacekeeping Advisor in DOD’s Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy - Stability and Humanitarian Affairs. She served as a Professional Staff Member in Congress on the House Armed Services Committee, advising on Africa and South America’s defense equities. 

She is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University in the Security Studies Program and is an alumnus of Texas A&M University and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. Ms. Blyden is affiliated with the Leadership Council for Women in National Security and the Truman National Security Project and serves on the Leadership Council for Memunatu Magazine, a nonprofit that promotes literacy and leadership for teen girls in Africa and the diaspora.

Victoria Kwakwa, a Ghanaian national, is the Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa. An economist and development expert with over 30 years of experience, Dr. Kwakwa leads the Bank’s engagement with 26 countries. She oversees an active portfolio of 313 operations totaling $58 billion and an extensive program of cutting-edge analytic work, technical assistance, and policy advice. At the core of Ms. Kwakwa’s vision is a stable, integrated and resilient region with dynamic economies and prosperous societies in which all citizens, notably women, children and youth enjoy equality of opportunity. Prior to her appointment on July 1, 2022, 

Dr. Kwakwa served as the Vice President for East Asia Pacific from April 2016 to August 2021. Dr. Kwakwa brings to this role a deep knowledge of Bank Group operations, and strong experience working on issues related to debt and macroeconomic resilience, reforms for economic competitiveness and growth, and fiscal decentralization. Her work has spanned a wide range of development issues including rural development, infrastructure services provision and financing, climate resilience and mitigation, developing human capital, and leveraging the potential of urbanization for development. Dr. Kwakwa began her career at the World Bank as a Young Professional. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and statistics from the University of Ghana, and a master’s degree and PhD in economics from Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Kwakwa can be found on Twitter @VictoriaKwakwa. 

A seasoned global leader with 30 years of expertise in financial and operational leadership, specializing in the Agri and Food sectors across Developing and Frontier markets. Renowned for his thought leadership in Africa, he excels in high-level corporate and policy relationships. 

Currently the CEO of Africa Improved Foods BV, Kigali, he previously served as the Group CEO of TGI Agribusiness and President at Olam International Ltd. A solid educational background coupled with his experiences have led him to teach at the UCT, Cape town and HBS, Boston. 

Given his proven track record in transforming businesses, he is a prominent speaker, author, and advocate for sustainability and governance. He has been an international cricketer too.

Linda Mabhena-Olagunju is the founder and CEO of DLO Energy Resources Group (Pty) Ltd which owns one of Africa’s largest wind farms. She has been featured Oprah Winfrey’s Power List as well as on the cover of Forbes Africa. She is considered one of the most influential women in Africa and her work has been recognised in business and she is the recipient of the 2017 Veuve Clicquot Businesswomen Award as well the prestigious CNBC all Africa Business Leaders Awards. 

Over and above her roles in the energy sector Linda is an experienced executive and has served on the boards of the University of Oxford, Swiss Port, Energy For Access, Zayed Future Energy Award and City Power. She is currently serving as an advisor on Gender to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy for the Republic of South Africa, in addition to this she serves an advisor to Concordia a USA based NGO. Linda is a pioneer in the renewable energy sector and an advocate for women. 

Doreen Bogdan-Martin took office as Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023. With over three decades of leadership experience in global telecommunications policy, Ms. Bogdan-Martin has emphasized the need for digital transformation to achieve economic prosperity, job creation, skills development, gender equality, and socio-economic inclusion, as well as to build circular economies, reduce climate impact, and save lives. 

Her historic election by ITU Member States in S​eptember 2022 made her the first woman ever to head the nearly 160-year-old organization. Known for mobilizing innovative partnerships, she aims to promote meaningful connectivity, intensify cooperation to connect the unconnected, and strengthen the alignment of digital technologies with inclusive sustainable development.

Damilola Ogunbiyi is the CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (UN  SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. With Mrs. Ogunbiyi at the  helm, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has entered into working relationships with over  200 partners, supported over 90 countries globally, and secured commitments of more than 

$600 billion in energy finance. This has been achieved through programmes such as Universal  Energy Facility, Powering Healthcare, Women and Youth at the Forefront, Cooling for All, and  Clean Cooking; and innovative initiatives such as UN Energy Compacts, Energy Transition  Plans, Universal Integrated Energy Plans, the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI), and  the Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative (AREMI) among many others. Through  her leadership, SEforALL has grown its global influence and country support providing clear  pathways to accelerate progress towards universal energy access, ending energy poverty,  and advancing the global just and equitable energy transition. 

Prior to joining SEforALL, Mrs. Ogunbiyi was the first female Managing Director of the Nigerian  Rural Electrification Agency where she initiated the Nigerian Electrification Project, a USD 550  million facility which is a joint World Bank and African Development Bank programme that to  date provided energy access to over 5 million people across Nigeria. She also conceptualised  the Energizing Economies Initiative, estimated to impact 1.2 million SMEs. 

Before joining the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), Mrs. Ogunbiyi was the first female  General Manager of the Lagos State Electricity Board. Under her leadership, five independent  power projects were completed to deliver over 55 megawatts of power to Lagos State  hospitals, schools, and government facilities. 

Mrs. Ogunbiyi is a member of the Global Leadership Council (GLC) of the Global Energy  Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), an Advisory Board member of the Center on Global  Energy Policy, a member of the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International  Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a member of the Clean Cooking Alliance Advisory  Board, a member of the Advisory Board of University of Oxford’s Future of Cooling  Programme, and Co-Chair of UN–Energy. 

She is a global leader and advocate for the achievement of the Sustainable Development  Goals (SDGs) with a focus on SDG7, which calls for access to reliable, affordable, sustainable,  and modern energy for all by 2030. 

Shortened Version 
Damilola Ogunbiyi is the CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for  Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. With Mrs. Ogunbiyi at the helm,  Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has entered into working relationships with over 200  partners, supported over 90 countries globally, and secured commitments of more than $600  billion in energy finance. Through her leadership, SEforALL has grown its global influence  and country support providing clear pathways to accelerate progress towards universal  energy access, ending energy poverty, and advancing the global just and equitable energy  transition. 

She is a global leader and advocate for the achievement of the Sustainable Development  Goals (SDGs) with a focus on SDG7, which calls for access to reliable, affordable,  sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030.

Claver Gatete is the tenth Under Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, appointed in October 2023. Prior to this, he served as Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Nations. He has also served as Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, and Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda. He also served as Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Iceland. 

Mr. Gatete is a seasoned diplomat and economist with acclaimed recognition on Africa’s development issues. He was awarded Finance Minister of the Year in 2015 and 2016 at the African Bankers Awards and by Global Capital respectively. He has held various roles on a number of Presidential initiatives, boards and advisory councils. He holds Master's and Bachelor’s degrees in agricultural economics from the University of British Columbia.

Dr. James Mwangi is Group CEO of Equity Group Holdings, credited with democratizing financial access, leading Equity to become an integrated  financial services Group operating in 6 African countries with a client base  of over 17m, and an asset base of USD 13B+. James established Equity  Group Foundation to scale shared prosperity, mobilizing support of like minded partners to commit USD 582M+ for social impact. James is an  honoree of the 2021 Meaningful 100 Business designation; the 2020 Oslo  Business for Peace Award; the 2007 G8 Global Vision Award citing him as  “an initiator of a concept of the future that will shape the world economy”;  recognized in the FT’s 2009 list of ‘Top 50 thought leaders in emerging  markets’ and the ‘Top 20 most influential people in Africa’; is the holder of  the 2012 EY World Entrepreneur of the Year award, and he was named one  of the Bloomberg 50 in 2019. 

Equity Group, with James as its Managing Director and CEO, has developed and is implementing the `Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan’ and is its chief champions and global advocates with worldwide partners,  governments, and international institutions. 

Dr. James Mwangi is one of Africa’s most renowned thought leaders, a disruptive entrepreneur and philanthropist. As a champion of sustainable, social-economic transformation, James believes that individuals and societies have the potential to solve their socio-economic challenges sustainably, if they are given the opportunity and access to resources. As a champion of financial inclusion, James is credited with democratizing financial access, by removing entry barriers in Kenya and the region. 

Cina Lawson is Togo’s Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation. Drawing from over 20 years of experience and expertise in digital policy and regulation, she has led Togo’s successful transition to an inclusive digital economy. Lawson began her career at the World Bank in Washington, D.C, assisting governments in emerging markets in executing regulatory reforms. She then worked for Alcatel-Lucent in Paris before joining Orange Group in New York City as Manager of Corporate Strategy and Business Development. 

As a minister, she transformed the regulatory environment to foster innovation, competition, and private investments. She has been uniquely innovative in championing private sector investment in the public’s interest via joint ventures and partnerships with global enterprises (e.g., Google, CSquared, Asseco, Axian). Under Lawson’s leadership, Togo became the first West African country to deploy 5G services. Over the last decade, she increased digital service penetration so that a majority of the population now has access to mobile telephony (from 33% in 2010 to 78% in 2021) to mobile internet (from 1% in 2010 to 74% in 2021), and to mobile money (from 1% in 2013 to 57% in 2021). Lawson also used digital means to better enable financial inclusion. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, she initiated and launched the digital cash transfer program Novissi, which distributed $34M in financial aid to a quarter of Togo’s adult population. 

Lawson’s leadership has gained international recognition, including from the World Economic Forum, SXSW, and Forbes. In 2019, she received the Harvard Alumni Public Service Award, becoming the first African female public servant honoree since its establishment. Lawson graduated from Sciences Po Paris and earned a Masters of Public Policy from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. She speaks Fluent French, English, and Ewe (Mina).

Paula Ingabire is a Rwandan technology enthusiast currently serving as the Minister of ICT and Innovation in the Government of Rwanda. Prior to her appointment as Minister, she served as Head of the ICT Business Development Department at the Rwanda Development Board where she led the implementation of National ICT programs notably eGovernment and Cyber Security and coordinator of the Kigali Innovation City, a project designed to nurture and strengthen a Pan-African Innovation eco-system. She coordinated the creation of Smart Africa, an initiative that seeks to leverage broadband infrastructure as a driver for Africa’s socio- economic growth.

She is a graduate of the MIT’s School of Engineering & Sloan School of Management, in System Design and Management. With 10 years’ experience leading ICT programs for economic development, she’s a keen advocate of the role of innovation and emerging technologies towards driving economic growth. 

Paula was named by Apolitical (2019) among the Top 20 of the World’s 100 most influential people in digital government. She serves on the Global Council of the World Summit Award Board of Directors, World Economic Forum Cyber Security Board and Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Global Network Advisory Board.

As Power Africa Coordinator, Richard oversees the U.S. government’s decade long initiative to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. With over 200 partners from the private sector, African countries, other donor nations, and multilateral institutions, Power Africa is one of the largest public-private initiatives in existence and collectively is transforming the face of Africa. 

Richard joined Power Africa after serving as the Mission Director for USAID/Uganda. In that role, he oversaw an expansive assistance portfolio encompassing health (HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, reproductive health, infectious diseases), economic growth, education, democracy/governance, and humanitarian programs. Prior to Uganda he was the Deputy Coordinator for Power Africa based in South Africa, supporting the initiative’s work directly on the continent. Before that, Richard was a USAID legal officer based in Pretoria, Bangkok, Baghdad and Washington, D.C. where he supported USAID numerous USAID missions working to advance the Agency’s development objectives. 

Prior to joining USAID as a Foreign Service Officer, Richard worked at Dell Inc in Austin, Texas, where he helped lead global site selection efforts as well as Dell’s corporate social responsibility activity in India. Before joining Dell, he was a Vice President at Wachovia Securities, an investment bank in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he managed a $1B portfolio of syndicated credit in the aerospace, health and government contracting sectors. Prior to joining the bank he was an attorney with McGuireWoods, a major US law firm, where he primarily focused on capital markets debt transactions. 

Richard is a graduate of Harvard Law School (JD ’98) and Brigham Young University (BA ’95). He and his wife, Diana, have three daughters.

Makhtar Diop is IFC’s Managing Director. He assumed this position on March 1st, 2021. Prior to this appointment, he was the World Bank’s Vice President for Infrastructure, where he led the Bank’s global efforts to build sustainable infrastructure in developing and emerging economies. In this role, he oversaw the Bank’s critical work in energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and public-private partnerships.

Prior to this, Mr. Diop served for six years as the World Bank’s Vice President for Africa, where he oversaw the delivery of a record-breaking USD$70 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa to help tackle development challenges such as increasing access to energy; boosting women’s and youth’s economic empowerment; and promoting an enabling environment for more innovation and technology adoption. A passionate advocate for Africa’s right to clean and affordable electricity, he also called for greater investment in renewable energy and pushed for stronger regional interconnectivity in the power and transport sectors. He previously served as World Bank Director for Finance, Private Sector & Infrastructure in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region; Country Director for Brazil, where he helped finance major infrastructure work; and Country Director for Kenya, Eritrea, and Somalia.

Mr. Diop brings to the post a deep level of experience and understanding of development challenges and a firm grasp of the public/private sector interface. His main priorities will be to mobilize investments in the poorest and most fragile countries and create the conditions for a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable recovery. In addition to his international organization experience, Mr. Diop, an economist by training who started his career in the banking industry before joining the IMF and later the World Bank, has extensive private sector experience. He has also held government positions, most notably as Minister of Economy and Finance of Senegal, where he played a key role in instituting structural reforms that helped build a strong foundation for Senegal’s growth in the late 1980s.

A recognized opinion leader in the economic and social development field, Makhtar Diop has been named one of the 100 most influential Africans in the world. In 2015, he received the prestigious Regents’ Lectureship Award from the University of California, Berkeley.

Mr. Diop holds degrees in economics from the Universities of Warwick and Nottingham in England.

Ms. Sanda Ojiambo was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Global Compact Office by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in April 2022. She has held the position of CEO & Executive Director of the UN Global Compact since June 2020. Ojiambo has led the organization through transformative times, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she launched a new strategy to enhance the global impact of businesses upholding the Ten Principles and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through accountable companies and supportive ecosystems.

Ojiambo's leadership has been marked by her dedication to increasing business engagement with UN partners to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Under her guidance, the UN Global Compact has expanded significantly, with membership nearly doubling to over 20,000 companies. She has spearheaded the establishment of regional hubs in Abuja, Dubai, Panama City, and Bangkok, bringing the UN Global Compact closer to businesses worldwide.

Her career spans more than 20 years across public, multilateral, and private sectors. She has a profound understanding of the intersection between business and development, having worked on numerous public-private partnership initiatives and cultivated relationships with key business entities and civil society organizations.

Ojiambo's academic background includes a Master of Arts in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota, USA, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Development from McGill University, Canada. Her diverse experiences and strong educational foundation have positioned her as a pivotal figure in promoting sustainable business practices on a global scale.

The UN Global Compact, under her leadership, remains the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, with more than 20,000 participating companies, 5 Regional Hubs, 62 Country Networks covering 78 countries and 14 Country Managers establishing Networks in 20 other countries. The initiative continues to drive businesses to integrate the Ten Principles in human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption into their core strategies, thus fostering a more sustainable and inclusive global economy.

Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa is UNDP Assistant Administrator, and Director, Regional Bureau for Africa at the rank of Assistant Secretary General. She leads over 4000 staff implementing a $1.2 billion annual development programme in 46 African countries. She is deeply passionate about equality, inclusion, reshaping narratives on Africa, mobilizing for youth entrepreneurs and the dignity of Africa’s people. Her vision “Africa’s Promise: The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa” employs an opportunity lens to development practice in Africa. She established the Africa Influencers for Development (AI4D) to ensure that Africa’s Money works for Africa’s Development; the Africa Young Women Leaders Initiative; Africa Innovates Magazine; and the Africa Borderlands Centre. She leads UNDP Africa socioeconomic response and recovery from COVID 19 and (Co) Chairs the UN Africa Regional Collaborative Platform which oversees implementation of the Secretary General’s regional UN reform. She spent 10 years as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Lesotho. As Chief (Africa) at UN OCHA, she led response to natural disasters, emergencies and transitions to recovery. Before the UN, Ms. Eziakonwa worked for “Initiatives of Change” serving as international coordinator of its’ “Creators of Peace – Women’s Initiative”. She is an alumni of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programme and has a Bachelors in Education from University of Benin Nigeria.

Alain Ebobissé, CEO, Africa50 Mr. Ebobissé is the CEO of Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment and asset management group capitalized by the African Development Bank and over 32 African countries and central banks. 

Prior to Africa50, he was Global Head for the World Bank Group’s Global Infrastructure Project Development Fund (“IFC InfraVentures”), overseeing a team of experienced infrastructure specialists in the development of and investment in numerous infrastructure projects in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He also served as Chief Investment Officer in the Global Infrastructure and Natural Resources Department of the International Finance Corporation and held several positions in the financial sector in France.

Alex Okosi is a seasoned global media and technology executive with over 20 years of experience building successful global businesses and brands. He is known for developing high-performing teams, creating groundbreaking content, and discovering entertainment talent. As Managing Director of Google for Africa, Mr. Okosi is responsible for Google’s operations in Africa, including programs to help businesses and economies across the continent grow, as well as expanding access and providing tools to help the next billion users get the most out of the web. 

As Managing Director of YouTube EMEA Emerging Markets, Alex built a profitable growth strategy for YouTube in the region and ensured the success of creators across music, art, gaming and media. He was instrumental in establishing the $100 million Black Voices Fund in EMEA and partnered with Idris Elba to launch the annual Africa Day benefit concert.

Michael Miebach is Chief Executive Officer of Mastercard and a member of its Board of Directors. He is leading the company into a more digital world where Mastercard powers economies and empowers people by harnessing innovation and the continued application of new technologies. The company is helping to shape the future of seamless commerce while bolstering cyber services and data-powered insights. For much of the past decade, Michael was critical to setting the strategy that transformed the company’s offerings from a consumer card-centric business to a platform supporting choice in how businesses, people and governments make payments. This strategy helped Mastercard diversify into new areas including real-time payments, open banking, digital identity and other value-added services. His collaborative approach creates scalable and trusted solutions for the exchange of payments and data. 

Upon joining Mastercard in 2010, he helped shape the company’s financial inclusion efforts to deliver a commercially sustainable social impact. Michael is a member of The Business Roundtable, The Business Council, the U.S.-India CEO Forum, the International Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and The International Business Council of the World Economic Forum. He is a trustee of the United States Council for International Business and serves on the board of directors of IBM, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, the Metropolitan Opera and the World Resources Institute.

Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Media, has made her mark through various endeavors in the corporate world. Abudu oversees EbonyLife Media, comprising EbonyLife Films and EbonyLife Studios, as well as the EbonyLife Creative Academy, a school aimed at accelerating filmmaking skills and EbonyLife Place, Nigeria’s first luxury entertainment resort. 

Abudu's success includes the launch of Blood Sisters, Netflix's first Original Nigerian series. The show made the Netflix Global Top ten list with over 11 million hours viewed. EbonyLife Media has secured several production collaborations with international studios to include: Sony, AMC Networks (USA), Netflix, Starz and Lionsgate, BBC, Westbrook Studios, and Will Packer Productions. 

A recent Executive Fellow of Harvard Business School and the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University, Abudu has partnered with Idris Elba's Green Door Pictures to elevate African talent and its diaspora through new TV and film projects. This partnership focuses on nurturing emerging talent and promoting a more inclusive and diverse media landscape. In August 2023, she was appointed Creatives Champion for the upcoming UK-African Investment Summit by the UK Government. 

In February 2024, Mo Abudu made history as the guest programmer for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, curating the groundbreaking "Echoes of Africa" series—the first-ever showcase of African cinema at the esteemed institution. On March 8th, 2024, she was named Forbes Africa's Business Woman of the Year and later in the month, she joined the board of directors for the International Emmys. 

H.E. Wamkele Mene was elected by the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States & Government of the African Union, to the position of Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat. 

Prior to being elected Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, he served as Chief Director: Africa Economic Relations, at the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa. In this role, he was South Africa’s chief trade negotiator in the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTA negotiations. During his tenure as chief negotiator, South Africa ratified both the AfCFTA and Tripartite FTAs agreements. 

Prior to assuming this position, H.E. Wamkele Mene occupied the position of Director: International Trade Law & Investment Law at the Department of Trade & Industry, a role in which he was principal legal counsel on international trade law and international investment law. 

From 2010 until 2015, H.E. Wamkele Mene represented South Africa at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. He was elected to the position of Chairman of the WTO’s Committee on International Trade in Financial Services. 

Prior to joining the Department of Trade & Industry of South Africa, H.E. Wamkele Mene worked for Wall Street based law firms in the London and Hong Kong offices.

H.E. Wamkele Mene has written and lectured internationally on international trade law, international investment law and international business law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Law) degree from Rhodes University in South Africa, a Master of Arts in International Studies & Diplomacy (with specialization in International Economics) from the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), University of London and a LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Banking Law & Financial Regulation from the Law Department of the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE). 

Dr. Kevin Kariuki has since April 2020 been the Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank and oversees the Bank’s work on the expedited and sustainable alleviation of energy poverty, including pursuit of universal energy access, as well as the advancement of climate-resilient and low-carbon development trajectory, in Africa.

Under his watch, the Bank’s public, and private sector energy portfolio, increasingly predominated by renewable energy, is rapidly growing, and is currently valued at about USD 10 billion.  On the policy front, Dr. Kariuki has overseen amendment of the Energy Policy to preclude new investments in coal and the enactment of a new Policy and Strategy for climate change and green growth that underpin an ambitious Plan for the Bank’s Paris Alignment.

A chartered engineer with over 30 years’ experience, Dr. Kariuki was formerly Head of Infrastructure and the global lead on power at Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) – an affiliate of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development.

Dr. Kariuki has led the development of over US$2b of privately financed infrastructure projects, including the USD650m 147MW Ruzizi III Hydropower Project (Burundi, DRC and Rwanda); the US$902m, 250MW Bujagali Hydropower Project in Uganda; and the US$650m, 1,280 Gb/s, 17,000km submarine optic fibre cable linking South and East African countries with other international broadband cables in South Africa, India and France.

Dr. Kariuki is a frequent global speaker on private sector participation in infrastructure, including public-private partnership programs and was the 1996 joint-winner of the Institution of Electrical Engineers Premium Award.

Dr. Kariuki holds a PhD in Reliability of Power Systems from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Julie Monaco is the Global Head of Citi’s Public Sector Banking division. Julie leads the banking coverage team in 98 countries that is responsible for providing a full range of financial services (transaction banking, capital markets, advisory, sales and trading) to public sector entities in 160 countries. These clients include central banks, central government agencies, state and local governments, supranationals, development banks, non-government organizations and academic institutions. 

Julie is a member of the Supervisory Board of Citi, Ukraine, and has also served on the Board of Citi, Canada. Her leadership extends to her role as the Chair of the Board of the Business Council for International Understanding, where she fosters global business relations. Additionally, Julie serves on the Board of Advisors of the Astana International Financial Centre in Kazakhstan. She is also actively involved with the Council on Foreign Relations, and is part of the OECD’s inaugural Blue.Net Executive Consultation Group, where she supports a global standard for sustainable infrastructure. Julie also served as the first Co-Chair at the founding of the World Bank’s Global Infrastructure Facility and was instrumental in Citi becoming the first financial institution invited to join the World Economic Forum’s Partnership Against Corruption Initiative. 

Julie is deeply committed to promoting gender equality and the advancement of women. Julie’s extensive achievements earned her a place on the American Banker’s list of “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance” for 14 consecutive years. Crain’s has also acknowledged her as “Notable Women in Banking and Finance.” In 2018, Julie received MIGA’s Gender CEO Award for promoting the advancement of women and contributing to the World Bank Group’s goals. Julie is an active member on Citi Women’s Senior Steering Committee where she expands her leadership in matters of workplace, education, and inclusion. Julie is also the Founding Chair for the International Women of the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University as well as Chair of the Board of Advisors. 

Julie has 37 years of experience in the financial services industry, always in leadership roles managing the P&L of global businesses. Prior to joining Citi in 2007, she spent six years at JPMorgan Chase in leadership roles in its cash, trade finance, cards and transaction services-related FX businesses. Julie also held senior positions at Deutsche Bank and Bankers Trust in cash management and trade finance. She holds an MBA in Finance from New York University and a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University. 

Larry Madowo is an International Correspondent for CNN based in Nairobi. He is also the host of African Voices Changemakers, a long-running CNN series which profiles outstanding individuals from across the continent. Since joining the network in 2021, Madowo has covered some of the biggest stories from around the globe and brought in a unique perspective from his region, delivering insight into the political, economic and cultural influences of the African continent to CNN’s global audience. 

He joined CNN from the BBC, where he served as the network’s North America Correspondent in Washington, D.C. In that role he covered major U.S. news stories including the Covid-19 outbreak, the 2020 presidential election and the protests following the death of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin. He also was a fill-in anchor for the network’s flagship BBC News America show that airs globally and on PBS stations across the United States. Madowo previously served as the BBC Africa Business Editor, where he oversaw the launch of six syndicated shows in three languages and managed more than two dozen business journalists based in London and four African countries. 

Before joining the BBC, he worked for NTV Kenya and CNBC Africa, where he anchored the business channel’s daily market shows Open Exchange, Power Lunch and Closing Bell in Johannesburg. Named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2020, Madowo started his broadcasting career at Kenya Television Network at the age of 20.

Folly Bah Thibault is a journalist, Principal Presenter for Al Jazeera English, based in Doha, Qatar. She has covered some of the world's biggest news stories and interviewed top leaders and newsmakers, including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Bill Gates and Nobel laureates Malala Yusufzai, Wole Soyinka and Dmitry Muratov. 

Folly is also a Global Champion for Education Cannot Wait, the UN’s Global Fund for Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises. She founded the NGO ‘Elle ira à l’école’ Fondation Kesso Bah- which promotes the education of young girls in Guinea and the West Africa Region.

Aisha is the Director-General at the Centre for Black and African Arts & Civilisation (CBAAC), an agency under the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy. Previously, she served as the Special Adviser on Digital Communications Strategy to the Federal Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning and was the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor of her home state, Kebbi in North-West, Nigeria. 

In addition to her governmental roles, Aisha is a passionate advocate for youth and women empowerment. She spearheads various development initiatives, leveraging her influence as a celebrated Communications Strategist and Creative Artist to champion policies and programmes that enhance the lives of young people and women across Nigeria. Her commitment to empowerment aligns with the nation's broader goals of promoting inclusive growth and ensuring equitable opportunities for all.

Ibrahima Cheikh Diong is a distinguished leader with over three decades of experience in development finance, climate finance, disaster risk management, investment promotion, private sector development, infrastructure development, and international development. He served as the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Group Director General of the African Risk Capacity (ARC), a specialised agency of the African Union (AU) focused on enhancing African governments' capacity to manage extreme weather events and natural disasters. Under his leadership, ARC has significantly strengthened disaster risk management and financing across Africa, providing innovative insurance solutions and technical assistance to member states. 

Prior to ARC, Ibrahima held senior positions at the World Bank, where he played a pivotal role in shaping policies and strategies to foster economic development, private sector development, and financial stability in African nations. He also served in various governmental and diplomatic capacities in Senegal, including Chairman of the Board of Senegal Airlines, Ambassador at Large, Director General of International Cooperation, Permanent Secretary of Energy, Minister, and Special Adviser to the President. 

Recognised for his leadership and contributions to development finance and disaster risk management, and his passion to see Africa thrive, Ibrahima's work has significantly improved the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable. He has a strong ability to work with diverse cultures, a solid strategic acumen, and a proven ability to lead complex development initiatives. Importantly, his career reflects a deep commitment to advancing Africa's sustainable development and contributing to Africa’s Agenda 2063

Hassanein founded AXIAN Group with his brother Amin Hiridjee in 2015, to pursue his belief that Africa’s potential can be unleashed through inclusive economic development, innovation, and positive impact. Bringing together more than 7,500 employees across 17 countries, Hassanein has turned AXIAN Group into a major player in five high-growth sectors vital for Africa’s sustainable development: telecoms, financial services, energy, open innovation and real estate. 

The Group has experienced rapid growth – reaching over USD 2.5 Billion in turnover in 2023. Hassanein and AXIAN’s vision reflects the principles of the United Nations Global Compact, where he actively participates in the Africa Business Leaders Coalition (ABLC) initiative, advocating for public-private partnerships and tangible solutions that promote bold action and sustainable growth. 

In 2022, Hassanein was awarded CEO of the Year by the Africa CEO Forum, in recognition for his actions which promoted the continent’s economic and social development. Hassanein has also established the AXIAN Foundation, through which he oversees initiatives to protect vulnerable people. As a contemporary art collector, he also established the H Foundation, which since 2018 is officially recognized as a public utility in Madagascar for supporting African artistic creation through two exhibition spaces in Antananarivo and Paris. 

Prior to AXIAN, Hassanein took over the family business in Madagascar, which has spanned for over half a century. He graduated from the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP Europe).

Cristina Duarte  Mrs. Cristina Duarte has been the United Nations Special Adviser on Africa and Under-Secretary-General of OSAA since 1 August 2020. She is the strategic adviser to the Secretary-General on African Affairs.  

Prior to joining the UN, Mrs. Duarte served as Cape Verde’s Minister of Finance and Planning for 10 years. She has also served as Director of a World Bank reform program and Vice President of Citibank giving her a valuable exposure on the functioning of international finance systems. When Mrs. Duarte left Government in 2016, she was invited to governance and advisory positions in various international and regional organizations; namely, Member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration, Member of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs, a Member of President Paul Kagame’s Advisory Committee on African Union Reforms, a Member of the Board of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and a Member of the Board of the Institute of African Leadership for Sustainable Development (UONGOZI Institute). 

Mrs. Duarte is committed to public service. Cristina holds a master’s in international management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policies from the Instituto Superior de Economia in Lisbon.

Ms. Chido Mpemba is serving as the youngest diplomat and political appointee in the Cabinet of the African Union Chairperson. In this role she represents the largest demographic in Africa of over 870 Million youth across the 55 Governments in the African Union. She has committed her career to uplifting local communities and championing pivotal initiatives in financial economic empowerment , gender empowerment , climate change , mental health , education , and digital transformation. 

She also serves as the youngest appointed Commissioner & Co-Chair for the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection leading the work with Ministers and thought leaders from across the globe. She is an advisory board member for the European Union Global Gateway Africa initiative and a Global Leadership Council Member for UNICEF Generation Unlimited.

Iyinoluwa “E” Aboyeji, OON is currently the Founding Partner of Future Africa, Africa’s largest seed stage investor which has invested millions of dollars into over hundred startups across Africa. Prior to that he co-founded two of Africa’s seven unicorns; Andela and Flutterwave. Iyinoluwa has served his country as the youngest member of Nigeria’s Presidential Council on Industrial Policy and Competitiveness and has been recognized as one of the youngest recipients of a national award as the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). He has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree amongst other awards and fellowships.

Malik Afegbua is a Nigerian filmmaker, artist, and creative technologist renowned for his innovative approach to arts using AI technology. In January 2023, he gained global attention with "The Elder Series," a collection of AI-generated images depicting seniors in stylish, colorful attire on a fashion runway. This project garnered praise for its positive portrayal of elderly individuals while also sparking debate about AI's impact on human creativity in art. 

Afegbua's work challenges societal stereotypes about aging, particularly in the realms of technology and digital media. As a multifaceted storyteller, he seamlessly blends African heritage with futurism, adapting his medium to each narrative. His projects intentionally fuse artistic vision, lived experiences, and cutting-edge technology to push boundaries and highlight overlooked perspectives. Operating at the intersection of human creativity and machine intelligence, Afegbua's diverse skill set encompasses scriptwriting, film directing, and developing interactive AI and immersive experiences. His creations span written prose, cinematic visuals, and innovative technological solutions, all designed to evoke emotions and spark crucial conversations about our evolving world. 

Afegbua's work actively challenges ageist narratives in tech and society, promoting intergenerational understanding and envisioning a future where digital spaces represent all ages and backgrounds. By leveraging AI and other technologies, he strives to rectify biases in digital domains while telling richer, more inclusive stories. Through his intentional, cross-disciplinary approach, Afegbua invites audiences to reimagine a digital future that honors heritage, embraces elders, and harnesses technology for storytelling. His creations serve as a call to action, encouraging viewers to envision and work towards a more inclusive digital landscape that truly represents the diversity of human experiences across age groups and cultural backgrounds.

Tania Habimana is a bilingual, award-winning entrepreneur and business news anchor of Belgian-Rwandan heritage. She is the host of "Startup Caps" on CNBC Africa, a groundbreaking show that highlights venture capital trends across the continent. Previously, Tania was the lead anchor for CNBC Africa's flagship business and financial markets program, "Closing Bell." 

Before her role at CNBC Africa, Tania co-founded Nonzēro Africa, a pan-African marketing agency focused on SME development and impact-drivan programs throughout the continent. In addition to her media career, Tania serves on multiple advisory boards and mentors business enthusiasts and young people worldwide. Her deep understanding of economic and financial data, digital trends, and business is showcased in her engaging talks and her roles as an MC and moderator. 

Throughout her career, Tania has interviewed and led panel discussions with over 400 global leaders, including heads of state and global CEOs across 20 countries and 3 continents.

Dr. Julie Gichuru is the founder and President and CEO of the Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute (ALADI), a pan African organisation that drives progress and influence through African storytelling, knowledge building, agenda setting and leadership development. 

Prior to this, Julie was the Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer at the Mastercard Foundation where she led corporate and programmatic communications, policy & thought leadership and public affairs. Working alongside a dynamic leadership team, she helped develop capacity across Africa and Canada, ensuring a consistent focus on African and Indigenous voices, supporting the shift of development approaches to enable communities to lead in driving solutions. 

Before joining the Foundation in 2019, Julie had a two decade career in media that cut across radio, tv, print and digital media. Following the contested 2007 elections in Kenya, Julie’s compelling news coverage and peace special Voices of Reason resonated strongly with viewers. Her bold calls for non-violent action won her accolades and a number of awards, including the Martin Luther King Salute to Greatness in 2008. 

Following this pivotal period, Julie established the Great Debaters Contest, a high school debate platform focused on elevating debate and dialogue to counter violent and extreme responses to political disagreement. This contributed to the development of a new wave of engaged and enlightened Kenyan youth. Her career evolved with a sustained focus on African leadership, growth and development and she established the celebrated Africa Leadership Dialogues platform. 

Julie has worked closely with numerous global and regional institutions to drive agenda setting and impactful dialogue. She is a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network/Africa Leadership Initiative and is a Tutu Fellow under the Africa Leadership Institute. She is also an alum of the Young Global Leaders under the World Economic Forum. 

She has received numerous awards and recognitions, and in 2022 received a doctorate from Concordia University for her pioneering journalism, peace advocacy and championing of African leadership. 

Julie attended university in the United Kingdom where she earned her LLB Law from the University of Wales Cardiff Law School in 1996, and an MBA with a focus on World Trade Law and International Business from Cardiff University’s Business School in 1998. 

Julie is Kenyan and was born and brought up in Nairobi. She is a dedicated wife and mother and a passionate afro-optimist.

Charles Murito is Google's policy lead for Sub-Saharan Africa He joined Google from his role as Acting MD & Chief Commercial Officer, Programming at Wananchi Group (Zuku) and previously held positions as Director, Business Development & Strategy, Middle East & Africa for Turner Broadcasting Ltd; based in London, he was responsible for developing and articulating the business development strategy of the company in Africa and the Middle East. 

Prior to Turner Broadcasting, Charles also spent time working for Warner Bros. in the US & UK as well as MTV Networks Africa. He holds an MBA from Cass Business School, London, UK

Peter Bakker is a distinguished business leader, who since 2012, has led the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) as the President & CEO. WBCSD is the premier global, CEO-led community of over 230 of the world’s leading sustainable businesses working collectively to accelerate the system transformations needed for a net zero, nature-positive, and equitable future. 

Prior to WBCSD, Peter was the CEO of TNT NV, the global transport, postal and logistics company. TIME Magazine recently named Peter as one of the Top 100 Climate Leaders in Business. He was also a recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award (2009), the Sustainability Leadership Award (2010) and the Prix Voltaire International (2023). He received the royal order Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2018 in recognition of his long-lasting commitment to engaging business in tackling global sustainability issues. 

Peter holds several corporate sustainability advisory board positions, including as Director of GenZero, Commissioner of the Business Commission to Tackle Inequality and Member of the Energy Transition Accelerator High-Level Consultative Group. 

Clare Akamanzi is an accomplished business executive and international trade and investment lawyer who was named NBA Africa CEO in December 2023. She oversees the NBA’s business and basketball development efforts in Africa and is responsible for continuing to grow the popularity of basketball, the NBA and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) across the continent, including through grassroots basketball development, media distribution, corporate partnerships, and social responsibility initiatives that improve the livelihoods of African youth and families. 

Prior to joining the NBA, Akamanzi spent six and a half years as CEO of Rwanda Development Board (RDB). She was recognized by Forbes as one of Africa’s Top 50 Powerful Women in 2020.

Rachel Adams, PhD is the Founder and CEO of the Global Centre on AI Governance. She is a Research Associate of the Leverhulme Center for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge, and of The Ethics Lab at the University of Cape Town. She holds degrees in English Literature, International Human Rights Law and Philosophy. She serves on numerous international expert committees including UNESCO, the UN, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Global Partnership on AI. She advises policy-makers around the world on AI governance, and was one of the lead drafters of the African Union Commission's Continental AI Strategy. 

In November 2024, Rachel's third book The New Empire of AI: The Future of Global Inequality will be published with Polity Press.

Dr. Acha Leke is a Senior Partner in McKinsey’s Johannesburg office, Chairman of McKinsey’s Africa practice, and a member of McKinsey’s Shareholders Council – its global governance board. He started his career at McKinsey & Company as a Summer Associate in South Africa in 1998. He rejoined the Firm in Atlanta in 1999 and transferred back to Johannesburg in 2002 to help expand the Firm’s activities across Sub- Saharan Africa. Acha relocated to Lagos in 2010 to open up the Firm’s newly established office in Nigeria, and returned to South Africa in 2014. He leads the Firm’s Private Equity Practice in Africa and is a member of the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) Council. Until December 2018, he led the Firm’s Public and Social Sector Practice in Africa and was also the Senior Partner in charge of Global Recruiting for McKinsey worldwide.

Acha serves governments, multinational, and private sector institutions across Africa on issues of economic development, tax administration, growth strategies, holistic transformations, and investment decisions. He has worked across over 20 African countries to date.

Prior to McKinsey, Acha worked as a part-time Consultant on novel techniques to linearize High Power Amplifiers for wireless applications, while completing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. He also received an M.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from Stanford University, as well as a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering summa cum laude, with a minor in Economics, from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he graduated as Valedictorian (first Black Valedictorian in the School’s history) and was elected to Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu.

Acha is a co-founder and member of the Global Advisory Council of the African Leadership Academy, a co-educational boarding school which aims to develop the next generation of African leaders.  He is also a co-founder of the African Leadership Network, a network of the current generation of African leaders who aspire to bring prosperity to the Continent. He is a World Economic Forum (WEF) Young Global Leader Alumni (2008), and has received numerous recognitions including Africa’s Young Investment Professional of the year (Africa Investor, 2008); Top 40 men under 40 in South Africa (Destiny Man, 2010); Top 10 Youngest Power Men in Africa (Forbes, 2011); 50 Most Influential Africans (Africa Report, 2012, 2019; Jeune Afrique, 2018); 100 Most Influential Africans (New African, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016; Jeune Afrique, 2019); Top 20 next generation Francophone Africans (Forbes, 2013); Top 40 under 40 in Nigeria (Business Day, 2013); Top 20 Rising Stars in Africa (Euromoney, 2014).

He served on the WEF’s Global Future Council on Economic Growth and Social Inclusion for 2 years, after having served for 8 years on the Global Agenda Council for Africa; he also served on ONE’s Africa Policy Advisory Board. He is a member the Lagos Business School Advisory Board, and of President Kagame’s African Union (AU) Reform Steering Committee. He co-authored McKinsey’s highly acclaimed series of Lions on the Move reports and the latest book Africa’s Business Revolution: How to Succeed in the World’s Next Big Growth Market. He is regularly featured in various media (CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, Economist, FT, Wall Street Journal, Jeune Afrique, Harvard Business Review, etc.). 

Acha is from Cameroon and is fluent in both English and French.

Amos J. Hochstein is the Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security. He previously served as the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State for Global Energy Security. He began his tenure with the State Department in 2011, when he was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Diplomacy. From 2014 to 2017 he served as Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs and led the Bureau of Energy Resources. Hochstein has served in a variety of roles in the private sector and Capitol Hill. He was the Senior Policy Advisor to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and also worked as an advisor to Senators Chris Dodd (CT) and Mark Warner (VA). Throughout his career, he has been a counselor for domestic and international energy companies, assisting in assessing potential new markets, the development of alternative sources of power, and the best strategies to bring them to market. Hochstein has served on the board of the Atlantic Council and as a Non-resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center.

Eva Yazhari is the Managing Partner of Beyond Capital Ventures, an early-stage emerging markets venture capital fund offering a diversified portfolio of early-stage purpose-driven companies in "need-to-have" sectors in India and East Africa, two of the top four emerging markets. Previously, Eva was Vice President at EnTrust Capital Inc. where her team invested over $5 billion into top hedge funds. She specialized in due diligence, underlying fund portfolio analysis, and shareholder activism.

Eva is an active investor and is pioneering equity and power transformation in venture capital at Beyond Capital Ventures, giving ownership to every founder in the portfolio. She is a member of YPO, and serves on corporate boards including Viebeg Medical, CarePoint, XENO, Lal10, and Redwing Labs, in addition to the Barnard Athena Center Leadership Council. Eva is also the co-host of the Beyond Capital Podcast, founder of The Conscious Investor online magazine, and author of ‘The Good Your Money Can Do.’ She splits her time between London and Los Angeles with her family. Eva holds a degree in Mathematics from Barnard College, Columbia University. Her family has ties in Tanzania and Kenya.

Kendra L. Gaither is President of the U.S.-Africa Business Center. She joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2015, bringing a wealth of solutions-oriented global public policy expertise to this role. In addition to providing policy analysis and advocacy support to the private sector regarding trade policy issues across East and Southern Africa, she serves as the Executive Director for the U.S.-South Africa Business Council. Gaither also directs the Chamber’s Coalition for the Rule of Law in Global Markets, which publishes a Global Business Rule of Law Dashboard to bring more attention to the issue from the private sector perspective. She joined the Chamber from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a global initiatives adviser in the College of Engineering and Executive Director of the Center for International Policy and Innovation. During her tenure at the university, she supported the establishment of the Carnegie Mellon University graduate campus in Kigali. 

An alumna of the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship, Gaither began her career in international affairs at the U.S. Department of State. There she spent more than 10 years as a career diplomat and civil servant specializing in international economic and trade issues in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Her overseas Foreign Service assignments include postings at the U.S. embassies in Peru and Mexico. Domestically, she held positions in the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, including as an economic officer on the South Africa Desk, a coordinator for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum and as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary.  

Gaither holds a B.S. in economics from North Carolina A&T State University, as well as an M.A. in international affairs and an M.B.A. in international business finance from The George Washington University. She is a member of the Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT) and a career mentor and volunteer with The Jackie Robinson Foundation. 

Abebe Aemro Selassie is the Director of the African Department, where he oversees the IMF’s operations and engagement with 45 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. 

Under his leadership the IMF has disbursed some $51 billion to support the post pandemic recovery and foster greener more inclusive growth. Working tirelessly alongside the region’s leaders Mr. Selassie strives to strengthen the region’s financial architecture and support Africa reaching its true potential.

Before taking up his current position in 2016, Mr. Selassie gained extensive experience in a wide-ranging career at the IMF. He held various senior positions, including Deputy Director in the African Department, Mission Chief for Portugal during the Euro Area Crisis and South Africa. He has served as the IMF’s Senior Resident Representative in Uganda and earlier in his career, he worked on the Fund’s lending programs with Turkey, Thailand, Romania and Estonia. While in the Strategy, Policy and Review Department he was deeply involved in low-income country and emerging-market programs and policy design issues.

Before joining the IMF in 1994, he worked for the Government of Ethiopia as Principal Economist in the Office of the President and at the Economist Intelligence Unit in London.

Amadou is currently a Senior Director Portfolio Management and Optimization at Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) where he also previously led the Project Development and Technical Solutions Sector Business Unit, as well as the Transport Sector Business Unit. Amadou auspiciously realized several landmark Infrastructure projects across the continent and served as a Non-Executive Board Director in several AFC investee companies including the US$1.3 billion Bakwena Toll Road Concession Company (South Africa) and the US$350 million Henri Konan Bedie toll bridge in Côte d’Ivoire.

Amadou completed an MBA program at Nottingham University Business School in the United Kingdom in September 2005. His other academic qualifications are an MSc degree in Transportation and Road Engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland in the United States of America.

Kate is a technologist who has received global acclaim for her impact work, most notably for advancing technology access across Africa. She was named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People in AI in 2023 and One of the Young World Entrepreneurs of the Year 2024. Kate is the Founder and CEO of Amini, a leading African startup building the data infrastructure for Africa and the Global South to regenerate natural capital at scale. She is currently Vice Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce Global Environmental and Energy Commission and member of EY’s Glbal AI Advisory Council.

Before Amini, her career spanned leadership positions at global tech companies, including NVIDIA, where she led global developer relations and expansion into emerging markets, and Arm, where she was a pivotal figure in the Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) movement. At Intel, she led the development of the world’s first AI development kit in a USB form factor, the Neural Compute Stick, bringing computer vision and Al to IoT and edge devices to millions for the first time. 

Kate's efforts have been mainly focused on bridging the digital divide, including significant collaborations with the UN. She regularly advises IGOs on the power of tech to drive social impact. Kate aims to impact a billion lives in the Global South through a collaborative approach with both the local and global ecosystems.

Mpumi Madisa was appointed Chief Executive at the Bidvest Group on the 1st of October 2020. Mpumi first joined Bidvest in 2003 and has, over the past number of years, held several key and strategic leadership roles at subsidiary, divisional and Group level. 

Mpumi was appointed non-executive director of the Adcock Board on the 23rd of November 2017, and later Chairman of the Board in February 2021. She is also a Director and Charmain of the board of the United Nations Global Compact Network South Africa (UNGCNSA). Mpumi has a BSc degree in economics and mathematics and a BCom Honours Degree in economics from Wits University. Additional qualifications include a Certificate Programme in Finance and Accounting and a Master of Management in Finance and Investment and from Wits Business School. 

Mpumi’s other accolades include being named, by the Choiseul 100 Africa 2015, 2016 and 2017 study, as one of Africa’s top 200 young leaders who will play a major role in the continent’s future economic development. She was also a finalist in the 2015/16 corporate category of Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government Awards.

Cheick Camara is the VP and Managing Director for ServiceNow Africa, where he leads efforts to expand the company's presence across the continent. He focuses on driving growth and innovation by utilizing ServiceNow's AI-powered platform to help businesses and public sector organizations achieve rapid digital transformation. 

ServiceNow’s intelligent AI powered platform simplifies and optimizes business processes and connecting disparate systems. ServiceNow’s platform allows organizations to improve efficiency, scale innovation, and reduce costs, all without the need for traditional rip-and-replace methods. ServiceNow has a growing footprint in Africa, with operations in South Africa and Kenya, and plans for further expansion. Our commitment to the continent is underscored by our investments in clean energy in Kenya, as demonstrated by a partnership with GivePower in Kenya to implement solar-powered water pumping systems. This initiative is part of ServiceNow’s commitment to using technology for social good and contributing to the continent's sustainable development. 

With over 20 years of experience in finance, technology, and operations, Cheick’s career includes platform engineering and technology leadership roles at Veritas and Symantec. He holds a B.A. in Finance from Washington State University and has completed executive education at Stanford and MIT. Cheick is also deeply committed to philanthropy, particularly in supporting underserved communities. He has developed partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and nonprofits, including a $1 million donation to Benedict College. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley and the College of Engineering at San Jose State University, advocating for diversity, education, and community development.

Terje Pilskog (1971) was named CEO of Scatec in 2022, after serving as EVP Project Development since 2013. He was previously SVP of REC Systems and Business Development in Germany. 

Prior to REC, he was Associated Partner at the management consulting company, McKinsey & Co. 

Pilskog holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from BI Norwegian Business School.

Yvonne Ike is a Managing Director and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa (Ex-RSA) at Bank of America. Yvonne has more  than 25 years’ experience in the financial services sector and since joining Bank of America (BofA) in September  2014, Yvonne established the bank as a leader in providing international financial services in the Sub-Saharan Africa  region.  

Yvonne is an Executive sponsor of BofA Inter-Generational (iGEN) Employee Network. In addition, Yvonne is a Global  Ambassador for the Global Ambassadors Programme with Vital Voices. Yvonne is also a sponsor of the Africa  Recruitment Programme at Bank of America.  

Yvonne is passionate about actively contributing to Africa’s development; in 2017, Yvonne founded Adara  Foundation, an NGO that focuses on women, education and entrepreneurship in Africa. She also serves as a Trustee  of The Aliko Dangote Foundation and the Christopher Kolade Foundation.  

In 2020 Yvonne joined the Global Advisory Council of Oxford University Business School.  

Yvonne has received many international awards including being recognized by the Queen of England as one of the  top 200 business women in the UK to make a significant impact in society and in 2019 she was also recognised as  one of the Top 100 Women CEOs in Africa. 

Wandia Gichuru is the Co-Founder and CEO of Vivo Fashion Group (www.vivofashiongroup.com), a retailing clothing business that she co-founded in 2011 and that now includes Shop Zetu (www.shopzetu.com), a multi-brand e-commerce marketplace dedicated to fashion, beauty and accessory brands that was launched in 2020. Vivo is East Africa’s fastest growing locally designed and locally manufactured fashion business. 

Vivo brands (Vivo Woman, Safari & Zoya) are known for being stylish yet comfortable and affordable. Vivo currently runs 30 stores: 26 across Kenya, 2 in Rwanda, 1 in Uganda, and 1 in Atlanta, Georgia. Shop Zetu hosts over 300 local and international fashion brands and was the Gold Winner of the Kenyan E-commerce Fashion Awards in 2021, 2022, 2023 and again in 2024. 

Prior to starting Vivo, Wandia spent over 15 years as international development adviser and held positions with the UK government, the UN and the World Bank. In addition to running Vivo Fashion Group, Wandia is also a certified life coach and business mentor. She is passionate about changing the way Africa is seen and sees itself through strengthening African brands, talent and creativity, and developing partnerships across Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world. She is particularly keen on creating economic opportunities and transforming lives through fashion and entrepreneurship. 

Runa Alam is the co-founder and CEO of Development Partners International (DPI), a leading private equity firm focused on African investments, managing $2 billion across three funds: ADP I, ADP II, and ADP III. DPI is recognized for top-tier financial returns, alongside strong ESG and impact initiatives, including gender balance, climate change, and job creation. ADP III was selected as the first “2X Challenge Gender Balance Showcase Fund” by OECD development institutions. 

With over 35 years of experience in private equity, emerging markets, and investment banking, Runa has invested in Africa for 22 years and serves on numerous African company boards. She has been a key figure in developing private equity in Africa, serving as Chair of the African Private Equity Association (AVCA) and holding leadership roles at EMPEA. Runa is also involved in global development efforts, serving on CARE's board and the World Economic Forum’s Future Challenge Committee on the UN SDGs. She has contributed to education through advisory roles at Princeton and Yale and other pro bono initiatives. Her career began on Wall Street at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. 

A development economist, Runa holds degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Business School, and is a Harry S. Truman Congressional Scholar.

Omar joined the IC Group in March 2003, working across various departments. Having previously been an Associate Vice President in the Equity Finance team at Merrill Lynch, Omar brought a new and dynamic approach to IC Publications. He helped launch African Banker magazine and also the events department. He holds an Honours degree in Languages and Economics and a chartered management accountant qualification.

When his friends and classmates in Nigeria were playing soccer, Masai Ujiri was watching highlights of Hakeem Olajuwon. His love of the game brought him to college in the United States, and when his career on the court was complete, his career off-court began.

He started on the ground as a scout, working for teams traveling the world and searching for talent in gyms all over the globe. Masai was named general manager of the Denver Nuggets in 2011, becoming the first African GM in pro sports, and won the 2013 NBA Executive of the Year award. In Toronto, he has served as director of global scouting and assistant general manager, and in 2013, Masai was named president of the Toronto Raptors. In 2021, after signing a new contract, Masai added the role of vice-chairman of the club to his responsibilities as team president.

Under his leadership, the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Championship, the first team outside the United States to do so. Masai has said that while he is proud to be the first African team president in North American sports, he would consider it a failure if he was the last: “Being first is good, but I don't want to be the only one. There have to be more.” Masai’s belief in equity and diversity is reflected in his organization: he has committed to hiring women, and investing in organizational inclusion and diversity. 

Masai has served as director of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa program. He has travelled with the Prime Minister as part of the Canadian delegation to the 2019 African Union meetings and serves on the advisory board of the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security. He has been named an officer to the Order of Canada for his contributions as an NBA executive and humanitarian. Masai and his wife, Ramatu, live in Toronto with their three children.

In 2003, Masai founded Giants of Africa, an organization which uses sport as a tool to enrich the lives of youth on the continent, and create opportunities for them on and off the court. Masai’s ethos is to “Dream Big,” and now GOA connects with youth – both boys and girls - in 17 African countries.

The summer of 2018 marked 15 years of the organization, and that July, Masai and former U.S. President Barack Obama opened a Giants of Africa court in Alego, Kenya. In 2021, Giants of Africa committed to building 100 basketball courts as part of a continent-wide investment in sports infrastructure. To celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary, the inaugural Giants of Africa Festival united over 250 youth from 16 African nations to Kigali, Rwanda for a week-long celebration of basketball, education, culture, and entertainment in August 2023.

Masai has partnered with Helios Investment Partners to form Zaria Group, focused on catalyzing sports and entertainment infrastructure in Africa through the development, management and commercialization of sustainable multi-use venues, arenas, stadiums and the surrounding ecosystem.
 

Patoranking, born Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, is an internationally acclaimed Nigerian singer, songwriter, and performer, known for his unique blend of reggae, dancehall, and Afrobeats. With a career spanning over a decade, he has achieved significant success with multiple chart-topping hits and collaborations with prominent artists across the globe. His music, often rich with social commentary, touches on themes such as love, empowerment, and justice.

Beyond his contributions to the entertainment industry, Patoranking is deeply committed to social causes. In recognition of his dedication to promoting peace, youth empowerment, and sustainable development, he was appointed as a UNDP Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa. In this role, he leverages his platform to advocate for sustainable development goals, particularly those focused on poverty eradication, quality education, and climate action. His efforts continue to inspire positive change across Africa and beyond, making him a respected figure both in the music world and in global humanitarian circles.

Armando Cabral is a model, father, world traveler, and the Founder and Creative Director of his namesake luxury lifestyle brand. 

Born in Guinea-Bissau, a small country on the coast of West Africa, his family moved to Portugal when he was 4. Lisbon is where he primarily grew up, instilling a sense of European arts, culture, and global citizenship. 

Armando's career in fashion didn’t begin behind the scenes as many do. After being turned down by every agency, he got his start on the runway, where he started modeling while earning his degree in business administration. At 21, he was signed and rose to become one of the top models in the world, representing many of the most prestigious luxury houses: Louis Vuitton, Balmain, Dries Van Noten, and becoming the face of J. Crew Menswear. 

His innate passion for shoes, knowledge of luxury, and experience in fashion led him to notice an opportunity in the market for a brand that offered timeless elegance combined with high-performing pieces positioned at a fair price point. 

The ARMANDO CABRAL inaugural footwear brand was released in 2009 to include bespoke, classic, handsome forms and comfortable, technical function. Armed with his inspiration, ideas, and sheer tenacity, he immersed himself in shoe design and production, intimately involving himself in every detail along the way.

Today, ARMANDO CABRAL continues to evolve into a more diverse footwear and luxury lifestyle collection aimed at amassing loyal fans drawn to expressing themselves through Armando’s unique perspective on African heritage infused with bespoke European craftsmanship.

Chiney Ogwumike is a two-time WNBA All-Star and multi-platform host and analyst, starring on ESPN’s NBA Today and NBA Countdown, Women’s College Gameday, and WNBA Countdown. 
As the 1st overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft from Stanford University, Ogwumike was the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year, became a two-Time WNBA All-Star (2014, 2018) and served as the vice president of the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) from 2018-2022. 

After initially joining ESPN in 2017 to co-anchor SportsCenter across Africa and work as a WNBA and NBA analyst in-studio, Ogwumike became a full-time multi-platform ESPN NBA Analyst by 2018. Not only did she become one of the youngest national sports studio analysts, she was also one of the only full-time professional athletes to simultaneously hold a regular national sports media position. In her role, she makes regular appearances as an NBA studio analyst on SportsCenter, First Take, Get Up!, NBA Today, and NBA Countdown. In August 2020, Ogwumike also became the first Black woman to host a national, daily sports talk radio show. A 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, she also holds the title of Executive Producer, having produced the ESPN Films documentary "144" about the 2020 WNBA season. 

Ogwumike, a proud first-generation Nigerian-American, is deeply passionate about giving back and empowering the next generation. A 6'4" forward and Cypress, she graduated from Stanford University with an International Relations degree under the mentorship of Dr. Condoleezza Rice. 

Ogwumike uses her platform to elevate the women's game through her color commentary and advocacy, serving as the youngest woman on the White House’s inaugural advisory council on African Diaspora Engagement, which aims to strengthen cultural, social, political, and economic connections between the United States and Africa by fostering dialogue between political leaders and members of the African Diaspora, and was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris. Ogwumike has also made numerous trips to Africa with NBA Africa and other nonprofits to help launch youth engagement initiatives, using basketball as a tool for development. Most recently, she and the White House council partnered with NBA Africa in Nigeria to host the country’s first-ever Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA elite camps, which aim to enhance sports infrastructure, engage the continent's unparalleled talent, and destigmatize sports for girls, enabling them to pursue their dreams. 

For the Cameroon-born Ludovic Nkoth (b. 1994), displacement and domesticity occupy a familiar place at the margins of the stories he tells. With gyrating and meandering brushstrokes, Nkoth’s practice in figurative painting broaches the ongoing negotiation of transatlantic migration–a direct rumination on diasporic histories and on his own expatriation to the US at the age of 13. Nkoth explores the formation and fragmentation of identity through depictions of subjects at rest, subjects in thought, leisure, in motion or fragments of subjects just going about their daily lives. Oftentimes their figuration resembles a freeze frame of a cinematic moment. 

Throughout his work, his figures participate in the fictions and lived experiences that comprise his own identity synthesis; each muddled expression and porous boundary imbues his paintings with the tender incandescence of a distant memory. The navigation of both belonging alongside alienation in African and American spaces underscores much of Nkoth’s work, and informs the future-building of kinship, solidarity, and self-determination that is central to his practice. Ludovic Nkoth lives and works in New York City. 

Nkoth completed his BFA at the University of South Carolina, and holds an MFA in painting from Hunter College. Selected solo and group exhibitions include Maison La Roche, Paris, France; FLAG Art Foundation, New York, USA; François Ghebaly, Los Angeles, USA; Simões de Assis, São Paulo, Brazil; Pond Society, Shanghai, China; Massimo de Carlo, London, UK; Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, USA; Ross + Kramer, New York, USA; Jeffrey Deitch, Los Angeles, USA; and Luce Gallery, Turin, Italy. Nkoth’s work is held in the collection of the Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China.

Jahi Wise was most recently Senior Advisor to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. He was previously the Director (Acting) of the Office of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund a first of its kind $27 billion
 program designed to establish a national clean financing network. He joined EPA from the White House Climate Policy Office where he served as Special Assistant to the President for Climate Policy and Finance. In this role, Jahi was a principal advisor to National Climate Advisors Gina McCarthy and Ali Zaidi on the development and implementation of the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies on climate finance, economic development, climate-related financial risk and equitable climate investment.  

Prior to joining the Administration in January 2021, Jahi held various climate policy and finance related roles in the public, private and non-profit sectors. He also practiced law as an energy and infrastructure project financeattorney.He received his J.D. and MBA from Yale Law School and Yale School of Management and his B.A. from Morehouse College.

Wawira Njiru is the Founder and CEO of Food 4 Education, a social enterprise on a mission to eradicate childhood hunger in Africa and unlock the potential of a new generation, one hot, nutritious, and affordable school meal at a time.

A trained nutritionist and seasoned entrepreneur, Wawira is the architect behind F4E’s blueprint to scale sustainable school feeding in Africa. Designed to be locally rooted, scalable, and replicable, this innovative model works in partnership with smallholder farmers, parents, logistics suppliers, and government to deliver excellence from source to spoon. Under her leadership, the organization has grown from feeding 25 children in 2012 to serving 400,000 children a day and counting. Today, F4E directly employs more than 3000 people – mostly parents – and impacts thousands of businesses across local supply chains in Kenya with plans to expand across the continent.
 

As a leading industry voice in shaping food systems of the future, Wawira has received numerous prestigious awards for her work, including in 2024 the Skoll Award for Social Innovation, the Elevate Prize, and UPenn's Lipman Family Prize. She was the first recipient of the 2018 Global Citizen Youth Leadership Prize presented by Cisco, the 2021 United Nations Person of the Year, and the recipient of the World's 50 Best 2022 Icon Award. She is a 2021 Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum, a 2020 Ford Foundation Global Fellow, and a 2018 Rainer Arnhold Fellow. In 2024, F4E was recognized as one of TIME 100’s Most Influential Companies which highlights the exceptional companies making an impact around the world.

David Pilling is Africa Editor and columnist at the Financial Times. He covers business, politics and development and has been an FT foreign correspondent and commentator for more than 20 years. Before covering Africa he was Asia Editor and Assistant Editor and has held positions as Tokyo Bureau Chief, Pharmaceuticals Correspondent, Deputy Features Editor and Buenos Aires/Santiago Correspondent.

Pilling is the author of two books, The Growth Delusion (2018), shortlisted for the Orwell Prize, and the highly acclaimed Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival (2016).

He is a regular moderator and speaker both at the FT and for organisations such as the World Bank and OECD. In 2023, he briefed senior officials at a G7 meeting in Kamakura. He has won several prizes for his columns, features and reporting.

Joakim Noah played 13 years in the NBA (9 with the Chicago Bulls). He was a 2 time NBA all star (2013/2014), 2014 Defensive Player of the Year and 2015 winner of the J. Walter Kennedy award for citizenship. He made the All NBA First Team in 2014. 

Prior to playing in the NBA, Joakim starred at the University of Florida where he won back to back National Championships in 2006 and 2007, winning Most Outstanding Player in 2006. 

In 2010, along with his mother, the sculptor and expressive art therapist Cecilia Rodhe, Joakim started the Noah’s Arc Foundation, which aims to give youth a stronger sense of self using art and sports as tools for development. Noah’s Arc has worked extensively with youth in Chicago, as well as Joakim’s father Yannick’s hometown of Yaounde, Cameroon. The foundation continues to operate in Chicago and in continental Africa to this day. 

Joakim officially retired from the NBA in 2021 and was named a community ambassador for the Chicago Bulls, partnering with the organization he starred for to effect positive change in the city of Chicago.

In 2021, Joakim was one of a select group of NBA Legends who invested in NBA Africa, a group that will conduct the leagues business throughout the continent and aims to grow the sport of basketball in Africa on all levels. 

In 2022, Joakim was named an ambassador for the Basketball Africa League, highlighting his vision and commitment to the African diaspora on a global level. 

In 2023, Joakim in conjunction with his Noah’s Arc Foundation restarted the ONE CITY Basketball League in Chicago with 28 different violence interruption groups. ONE CITY aims to create unity and community in the west and south sides of Chicago. ONE CITY is unique in using basketball as a hook to provide other programs such as conflict mediation, job training, financial literacy, creative workshops and family services. All participants, coaches and coordinators of ONE CITY are financially compensated. 

In 2023, Joakim was named an ambassador to the NBA. He serves in his role admirably on a global level attending NBA events and activations around the world including Jr. NBA, NBA All-Star and NBA Finals. His duties include working with the leagues media and marketing partners. This partnership aligns with Joakim’s mission to use basketball as a tool to unite people of all backgrounds.

Chebet Lesan is the founder of BrightGreen Energy, an energy innovation company known for its sustainable biomass briquettes that replace charcoal and firewood use. BrightGreen's vision; to preserve the environment, by providing a simple, effective, and affordable product. BrightGreen's foundation is women, who are the primary beneficiaries, as well as the core of BrightGreen's business model, in production, distribution and management. Chebet believes that clean cooking energy access is a fundamental need and should prioritized accordingly. Cooking is the heartbeat of the home and is the foundation of families. 

Over the years, Chebet has lent her voice to several international platforms including UNGA, WTO Public Forum, and SE4All Forum, with one main message; prioritize clean cooking access. BrightGreen is recognized globally as an industry leader and has received numerous awards, some of the most notable being a prestigious award from Her Majesty, The Queen of England, the Grand Prize Winner of Africa Business Heroes, and Cartier Women's Award recipient for the Africa region. Chebet's educational background is in Leadership from the University of Cambridge, Business and sustainability from Rutgers University and INSEAD, and a Degree in Product Design from the University of Nairobi.

George Asamani is the Managing Director for PMI’s Sub-Saharan Africa region. He is responsible for scaling the impact of PMI in Africa through chapter enablement, organizational development, sector partnerships and social impact. He works with PMI’s vast network to engage with corporate and educational institutions - offering solutions that develop skills and drive efficiency. 

George is also co-founder and entrepreneur mentor for London Business School’s Accel Awards initiative, which supports early stage entrepreneurs in Africa with grants, mentors and access to international markets. He has been a trainer and mentor for British Council’s Entrepreneurial Africa programs in Sudan, Ghana, and the UK, as well as having built a digital media distribution company. His corporate experience includes leading sales growth for tech firms such as Apposit in Ethiopia and Infosys in the UK, particularly in the financial services sector where he built sales teams and delivered FinTech, IT Security and Big Data solutions. 

George holds a BSc Physics from Kings College London and an MBA from London Business School. Under Asamani's leadership, the region has consistently surpassed growth expectations by working closely with the community to spotlight the persistent execution gap and emphasize the solutions needed to bridge it. This approach has enhanced efficiency, accountability, and success for key stakeholders, including governments, investors, and organizations, while elevating the pivotal role of project management in advancing sustainable growth across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mohamed Kheir is a co-founder of Los Angeles based film and talent development company, Objectively Good Media & Management (OGM). OGM's most recent industry news was announcing securing the biopic rights for legendary American comedian, host and media mogul, Steve Harvey. Mohamed is also a founding member of Ai powered, creator focused Bookkeeping and Tax platform, Otto.

Omose Ighodaro is a journalist and event moderator who graduated from Columbia University's Journalism School. She has experience as a features and business reporter for the BBC, Bloomberg News, and more. Prior to becoming a journalist, she spent three years on the business side of media at Hearst Television and founded AfroVibes.com, an online publication that includes feature stories highlighting African celebrities and business leaders. 

Omose also has degrees and experiences in business admin, entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, video production, and pageantry.

A few interviews she’s recently secured span from CEOs, to NBA players, U.S. billionaires, Netflix actors, TV personalities, celebrity musicians, Olympians, U.S. mayors, C-suite executives, renowned medical doctors, local students and employees, among several others. Additionally, Omose has traveled overseas to Nigeria to secure international interviews. 

AfroVibes delivers comprehensive African content to a global audience, focusing on business and feature stories. Omose has been sponsored to speak at international conferences where she discusses her work telling better stories about Africa. With AfroVibes, her goal is in-part to influence more investments towards the continent. Colleagues would describe her as a fun-loving motivator of groups who is driven, optimistic, and opinionated.

Anna Ekeledo is the Executive Director of AfriLabs - a network organisation of over 400 technology and innovation hubs spread across 52 African countries and the diaspora. She leads the AfriLabs community to achieve its vision of a thriving innovation economy in Africa and heads a pan-African team to develop initiatives and build multi-stakeholder partnerships that support African innovation hubs and other stakeholders in raising high potential entrepreneurs that stimulate economic growth and social development in Africa.

Anna is an international speaker, trainer, innovation ecosystem builder, and mentor. She is also an advisor in several advisory roles; she is a member of the Africa-Europe Foundation Digital Strategy Task Force, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the future of technology policy, and a member of the NESG Strategic Group on Mining and Manufacturing.

Anna has a first-class degree in psychology from Covenant University, Nigeria, and an M.Sc. in International Marketing Management from Leeds University Business School, UK. She is a Skoll World Forum Fellow and has also been recognized as a top African economic and tech leader by bodies such as Choiseul 100 Africa and Agile 50, the World's 50 Most Influential People Navigating Disruption, by Apolitical and the World Economic Forum.

Fred Swaniker is the Founder & CEO of Sand Technologies, a global technology company that builds enterprise-grade artificial intelligence applications for companies and governments around the world.
Fred began his career at McKinsey & Company and has an MBA from Stanford University, where he was named an Arjay Miller Scholar, a distinction awarded to the top 10% of each graduating class. 

He has been recognized as one of the top 15 emerging social entrepreneurs in the world by Echoing Green; as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum; as a TED Fellow, and as an Aspen Institute Fellow. He has been honoured with doctorate degrees from Macalester College in Minnesota, Middlebury College in Vermont, and Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. He sits on the boards of the Rhodes Trust (which awards the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University). He is a member of the International Advisory Board of Waterloo University (Canada). He also received Stanford University’s 2024 President’s Award for the Advancement of the Common Good.

Fred was recognized in 2019 as one of the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ by Time Magazine and again in 2023 with a “Time 100 Impact Award” for his work. Before launching Sand, Fred launched the African Leadership Group, an ecosystem of organizations that selects, develops, and connects Africa’s next generation of leaders.

Luqman Edu has built a distinguished career in technology, real estate, and finance. After gaining extensive experience in the UK with leading firms in the technology, oil & gas, and banking sectors, he returned to Nigeria in 2011. Over the past decade, Luqman has focused on investing, managing, and developing technology-driven solutions for large properties, cities, and government authorities. Currently, as the Co-Founder and CEO of Itana, formerly Talent City, Luqman is at the forefront of establishing Africa’s first Digital Economic Zone. This innovative online jurisdiction is designed to provide the ideal business environment for global startups and technology companies, enabling them to operate seamlessly from Nigeria and expand across Africa. 

Prior to his role at Itana, Luqman served as the Chief Visionary Officer and Managing Director of Filmo Real Estate, a leading real estate services and proptech company in Nigeria. Under his leadership, Filmo Real Estate expanded its operations to 13 states with a staff strength exceeding 100. In recognition of his contributions to the sector, he was named one of the 30 most influential figures in Nigeria’s real estate industry by Unite30 in 2018. Luqman holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Business Management from Imperial College London, a Master’s in Global Management from the London School of Economics, and a Certificate in Finance from The European School of Economics. He further honed his expertise through a post-graduate executive program in applied business analytics at MIT. In addition to his professional achievements, Luqman holds the traditional title of 'Dan Masanin Sarkin Musulmi' (Friend to the King and Leader of the Learned) from the 18th Sultan of Sokoto. 

Diana is our first female Chair in our 76 year history. She joined the company in January 2022, as we began a new five-year strategy period. As General Manager and Vice President for International Search and Growth (among other roles) at Google, Diana’s work spans technology as well as business. As Vice President, Next Billion Users and Vice President Product Management, she has been responsible for driving the development of products for future users, primarily in emerging markets. She is also the global co-lead for Google’s cryptocurrency research and activities. 

Before Google, Diana served as CEO, Africa Region, at Standard Chartered Bank, responsible for leading the bank’s businesses across wholesale, investment and consumer banking in 27 countries. At Standard Chartered, Diana held a variety of senior management roles, including Group Head of Strategy and Corporate Development, and Chief Operating Officer for the Wholesale Bank. During her time there, she played a key role in coming up with the idea of a joint risk-share facility with BII to support the country’s businesses to continue trading during the Ebola crisis. 

Before that, Diana was Chief Executive of technology company Finexia, and also worked for McKinsey & Company, where she was a sector lead in biotech/life sciences. Having completed early pilot training with the Royal Air Force, Diana also worked as a medical relief pilot in war zones in Africa. Diana is also a Non-Executive Director at AstraZeneca plc and a Council Member of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Danielle Kwateng is an award-winning journalist, editor, entrepreneur, and culture critic. For over a decade she's covered fashion at the intersection of youth culture. She has worked in various editorial capacities at Glamour Magazine, Essence Magazine, and VICE. Currently, Danielle serves as the executive editor of Teen Vogue.

Addy Awofisayo is a Music, Content and Tech Executive with expertise in Africa's Creative Economy. She is currently the Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa at YouTube, responsible for defining and executing the strategy for African music. In this role, she works with artists, labels and music companies to grow their businesses on YouTube, and form partnerships with organizations to grow the music ecosystem in Africa. 

Addy has over 15 years of global experience working in various strategy, finance, content, and partnerships roles across Africa, Europe, and North America. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Masters degree from Harvard University.

French-Moroccan entrepreneur, passionate about the future of mobility. Part of the generation that grew up with a clear consciousness that we need to find new ways of enjoying the thrills of life without depleting our environment, Faouzi wanted to create a clean automobile without compromising on the freedom and pleasure of driving. 

He started working on the NamX project in 2017 and has brought together a wide team of contributors and partners to develop the NamX HUV and the CapX ecosystem. Prior to NamX project, Faouzi worked in sales at Volkswagen and built two internet services start-ups

Born in Kenya, Wambui Wamae Kamiru Collymore has been developing artwork around the themes of history, colonialism and memory in Africa. Through her work in contemporary art, Wambui tackles history, politics and social issues. She creates installations with everyday objects. Recent works include: All My Venus Days - 2022, Akili Ni Nywele Series II – 2021 Wakariru – 2019, Akili Ni Nywele – 2017 I'm moving out. Tomorrow – 2015, Your Name Betrays You - 2015, Who I Am, Who We Are - 2013 - Present and Harambee63 - 2013.  She is currently working on the subjects of decoloniality, womanhood and “online dis-identity.” 

Wambui Kamiru holds an MSc. in African Studies with a focus on Kenyan History from the University of Oxford. She is currently a resident at the Villa Albertine Program where she is researching cultural artifacts of the Kikuyu people at the Peabody Museum at Harvard University and The Fowler Museum at UCLA. This program is in partnership with the Ford Foundation. Wambui has held residencies at the Bemis Center of Contemporary Art (USA) and Fellowships at Sommerakademie im Zentrum Paul Klee (Switzerland) and the Salzburg Global Seminar, Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators IV (Austria). In 2024, she received a prestigious Henrike Grohs Art Award for her work. Her work is also published in various journals and books. Wambui is a Board Member of the Afrexim Bank Art Programme Working Group and has served on various boards in an advisory capacity. She lives and works in Nairobi.

Omar Jimenez is an Emmy Award-winning CNN Correspondent based in New York. He was previously based in CNN’s Chicago bureau, where he started as a correspondent in 2019. Jimenez has helped lead CNN’s coverage on numerous national and international stories including: the murder of George Floyd, the first major COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, the sudden death of Kobe Bryant, and more.

Laduma Ngxokolo, born in 1986, honed his knitting skills from his mother and furthered his expertise by studying textile design and technology at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. His studies culminated in the creation of MaXhosa by Laduma, a brand deeply inspired by traditional Xhosa designs, colors, and motifs, aiming to contemporize and showcase the beauty of Xhosa culture to modern youth. 

Laduma's designs garnered acclaim at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg, earning him international recognition, including winning the South African Society of Dyers and Colourists' design competition in 2010. His success underscores the importance of African designers authentically representing their cultural heritage, challenging cultural imperialism. Despite tempting offers from large retailers, Laduma prioritizes brand integrity and careful decision-making, turning down partnerships to retain control over the brand's trajectory. H

is strategic approach has led to international showcases in cities like Berlin, London, New York, and Paris, with the ambition to establish MaXhosa by Laduma as a premium international brand while honoring its South African roots. And that said with his success he opened early this year his own store in New York congratulations!

Winta Zesu is a satire content creator from Ethiopia who moved to the United States at 17 to pursue higher education. After graduating with a pre-med degree, she moved to New York City for a gap year, where she discovered her passion for creating comedic and satirical content. Now a full-time content creator, her work brings humor and fresh perspectives to a global audience 

Fisayo is a visual storyteller, finance and technology video producer with over 700,000 subscribers. He has a background in economic analysis, brand communication and specializes in mobile technology, personal finance and the Nigerian economy. He is currently an Ambassador for Musicbed one of the largest music licensing companies for video creators/producers. He is one of the 26 Africans featured on the 2022 YouTube Black Voices Class. He also won Tech Creator of the Year 2021 at the TrendUpp Awards and has been nominated every year since and Won Tech Influencer of the Year 2021 at the TechPoint Awards. 

He was the youngest nominee for The Future Africa Awards for New Media. He has been featured on multiple media platforms and publications like Channels TV, Punch, TechCabal, Zikoko, Semafor, The Culture Custodian and many more. He has an audience of over 1.5 million followers across social media and over 110 million video views from making unique weekly technology & finance videos for the African space and globally for nearly 7 years.

Hellah Sidibe is a runner, speaker, and positive influencer. He was born and raised in West Africa, Mali and moved to the United States permanently at the age of 14. Hellah made a name for himself in the running world when he started sharing his run streak journey on YouTube in 2017. Through showcasing his run streak updates, daily post run motivation, and “no matter the circumstances” mindset, Hellah has cultivated a community just as dedicated and inspiring. 

Throughout his 7+ year run streak of running every day he’s taken on additional run challenges including a run across America from LA to NYC, the Leadville 100, Western States 100, and more. Hellah continues sharing his journey, love for running, and positive mindset, which he believes comes from his upbringing in Mali, in hopes to inspire others to find something they’re just as passionate about. 

The Odditty is a 25-year-old Nigerian-American immigrant who moved to the U.S. after a life-changing event in Nigeria. Over the past 8 years, she has built an online community of over 1 million followers by sharing her experiences and promoting body positivity, self-confidence, and empowerment. Holding a Master's degree in Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding, she blends her expertise with her content, making her a respected thought leader at the intersection of social media, activism, and peace. 

Delwende Eliane Birba is the Founder and CEO of AI-KING GROUP, a technology startup focused on delivering AI-driven solutions to healthcare and financial inclusion challenges across Africa. She leads the development of innovative platforms such as SuiviVital, a health service that improves healthcare outcomes, and RoyalPay, which aims to enhance financial transactions through the integration of multiple payment methods. A dedicated academic and entrepreneur, Eliane is pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of South Florida and Moffitt Cancer Center, specializing in AI and cancer research. She holds a Master of Science in Data Science from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. Her extensive background enables her to develop cutting-edge technologies tailored to Africa’s needs. 

Eliane’s career spans multiple sectors, including her role as a Machine Learning Lecturer at the Virtual University of Burkina Faso, where she contributes to training future AI professionals. Under her leadership, AI-KING GROUP has reached significant milestones, including the pilot stage of SuiviVital, aimed at improving healthcare management through AI-driven solutions. An active advocate for African-led AI innovation, Eliane is a key member of the African Women in AI movement and a speaker at international conferences, including AI in Healthcare West Africa. Her work continues to push the boundaries of responsible AI, addressing critical global challenges.

Emmanuel has over two decades experience in the healthcare industry. He brings invaluable expertise from roles within healthcare providers and a leading health insurance company in the U.S. His academic background in Biology, Neuroscience, and Global Health Management equips him with a deep understanding of healthcare operations, regulatory compliance, and patient care dynamics.

Joachim is the Co-founder & CEO of CYTO, with a background in Private Banking at E.D. Rothschild and Crypto Asset Management across EMEA. His main motivation for starting CYTO is to unlock the untapped potential of Africa's youth. He holds a Master’s in Finance from IESEG Business School in Paris, France, and has a passion for cinema.

International Fashion model, activist, and health coach. Nykhor Paul has been an international model for 17 years. Paul is a peace advocate for the people of South Sudan for the last 10 years and have collaborated with various organizations to support the refugees of South Sudan. She is currently studying to become a naturopathic practitioner in hope to develop my business in health and wellness. Paul believes in changing narratives by creating new narratives to give people hope and restore dignity and confidence.

Meklit Hadero is an Ethiopian-American vocalist, songwriter, composer, known for her electric stage presence, innovative sound and vibrant cultural activism. 

Meklit's performances have taken her across the globe, and to the top of world music charts across the US, Europe and Ethiopia. She is a National Geographic Explorer, a TED Senior Fellow, a Taproot Fellow, and the winner of the globalFEST Artist Award. Meklit is also the co-founder, host and co-producer of Movement, a new podcast, radio series and live show telling stories of music and migration, broadcasting monthly on PRX’s The World to 2.5 million listeners. 

Meklit has collaborated with world renowned creatives, including Wangechi Mutu, Kronos Quartet, Andrew Bird, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the late musical legend Pee Wee Ellis, and NASA’s Jon Jenkins. She has been commissioned to create new works by Lincoln Center, MAP Fund, Creative Work Fund and many more. 

Meklit has been an artist-in-residence at Stanford, Harvard, and NYU as well as a featured voice in the UN Women theme song. She is the co-founder of the Nile Project, an initiative at the intersection of culture and ecology, bringing together musicians from the Nile Basin to model cross-cultural collaboration. Meklit’s music and projects have been featured in the New York Times, BBC, CNN, NPR, LA Times, Sunday Times UK, Wired Magazine, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Vibe Magazine, Boston Globe and many more.