CEO
Africa Future Fund

Abdullahi is the founder of the Africa Future Fund, an emerging platform shaping a new model of investment between the Gulf and Africa. The Fund backs large-scale, long-term projects that align commercial opportunity with the continent’s development priorities. Abdullahi draws on over a decade in the international system, having led the Global Risks Unit at the International Chamber of Commerce and, earlier, founded The Davos Lab and helped lead the Global Shapers Community at the World Economic Forum.

Working at the heart of global institutions, Abdullahi witnessed how Africa’s potential was often overlooked and established the Fund to mobilize both capital and imagination toward the continent’s future. His writing has appeared in Foreign Policy, Forbes, and the Harvard Business Review. Born in Somalia and raised in Kenya and Australia, he works from the diaspora with a deep commitment to Africa’s renewal.

Academic and professional credentials:

Bachelor of Science (Actuarial & Applied Statistics) – Curtin University
University of Western Australia – Additional studies
WA Young Australian of the Year – National Australia Day Council
Queen’s Young Leaders Award – Queen Elizabeth II
International Visitors Leadership Program – US Government

Group Chief Operating Officer
The uLesson Group

Aniekeme Umoh is the Group Chief Operating Officer at The uLesson Group, where she oversees operations across uLesson K-12 and Miva Open University. Miva is Nigeria’s first operational private online university with over 25,000 students enrolled in just two years. Today, the Group serves learners across all 36 Nigerian states and over 70 international locations, employing more than 450 people.

A tech executive and global business leader, Aniekeme brings deep cross-sector experience spanning technology, education, consulting, and investment banking. Prior to returning to Nigeria in 2023, she worked in New York City with Peloton, Evercore, and PwC, where she advised and operated within high-growth, global organizations. She is also a co-founder and advisor at Uyai Akwa Ibom Educational Resources, an initiative creating language learning tools and cultural education experiences for the Ibibio language.

Aniekeme is a frequent speaker on leadership, innovation, and the future of education, with engagements at the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Meta, Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, and TEDx, among others.

Academic and professional credentials:

MBA, Operations, Information & Decisions – The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Science (BS), Chemical Engineering – Columbia University

Feminist Urban Economist
Self-employed Consultant and Advisor

Astrid Rosemary Ndagano Haas is an independent feminist urban economist whose work spans research and practice, focusing on supporting cities with strategy and governance related to financing public infrastructure and services. Her work centres on how cities can unlock funding and financing for inclusive, equitable, and sustainable urban development.

She has advised multiple local and national governments across Africa  and has presented her work to heads of state, ministers, and mayors across the globe. Her institutional collaborators have included the African Development Bank, United Nations agencies, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, bilateral partners, and city networks including the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, amongst others. Astrid has published extensively on urban finance and municipal governance.

Astrid currently serves as Chair of the Board of the Mawazo Institute.

Academic and professional credentials:

BSc in Economics from Brown University, USA (2013)
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

Principal
Norrsken22

Bernard Ghartey is a Principal at Norrsken22, where he played a pivotal role as the firm’s first employee, contributing to the successful raise of its US$205 million debut fund—the largest first-time Africa-focused technology fund. He has since been instrumental in shaping the firm’s track record of investing in impact-driven businesses across the continent.

Prior to joining Norrsken22, Bernard served as Head of Investments at Acuity Ventures, leading investments in 24 technology companies. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Senior Associate at I-DEV International in Kenya, supporting East African businesses to raise growth capital and develop go-to-market strategy blueprints.

Bernard is deeply committed to youth empowerment and leads two initiatives focused on early-career development: Transition Seminar, a three-day residential programme for recent university graduates in Ghana, and Career Mentorship, a year-long immersive programme that pairs young professionals with seasoned mentors. Both initiatives are designed to equip young professionals with the skills, guidance, and networks needed for successful careers.

Academic and professional credentials:

B.Sc. in Management Information Systems (Cum Laude) — Ashesi University, Accra, Ghana
Licensed Professional Investment Advisor — Ghana Stock Exchange

Chief Executive Officer
Center for Strategic Litigation

Deus Valentine Rweyemamu is chief executive officer of the Center for Strategic Litigation (CSL), an East African think-and-do tank he co-founded in 2019 to address a regional rule of law crisis. Previously, he consulted on human rights, governance and advocacy for various international organisations, including Global Affairs Canada, the EU, USAID, and the World Bank. He serves on the Research and Evaluation Advisory Group of Twaweza East Africa and the Board of Trustees of Educate the Children Trust, and was an independent reviewer for the Open Government Partnership.
Before CSL, Deus worked at the Open Society Foundations' Eastern Africa office, building the Tanzania portfolio. He helped establish key human rights and constitutional organisations like the Tanzania National Human Rights Defenders Coalition and the Tanzania Constitutional Forum. He also created CEMOT, a technology-powered election observation coalition. In 2014, the World Economic Forum recognised him to lead the Dar es Salaam Global Shapers community hub.

Academic and professional credentials:

MSc, Development Policy and Practice — University of Bradford (2013–2015)
BA, Economics — Loyola College, University of Madras (2008–2011)

Executive Director, Chief Risk Officer
EquityBCDC

Djimhotengar (Edgard) Djerassem is the Chief Risk Officer of EquityBCDC since June 2024, responsible for the enterprise risk management of the Bank, which includes Operational Risks, Market Risks, BCP Risks, IT & Cyber Risks, Fraud Risks, and ESG Risks. He is the Chairman of the Bank's Defense Council.

He began his career as a central banker in 2006 at the Central Bank of Central African States (Cameroon, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, CAR, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea), where he spent 10 years in Risk Management, addressing various topics such as exchange reserves risk (Middle Office), internal rating, operational risks, financial stability, and banking supervision in a region with 52 commercial banks under the oversight of the central bank. During this period, he was frequently involved as a Basel technical referent at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) for banking risk topics, as well as at the Bank of France, Bank of New York Mellon, and the Public Bank of China.

In 2017, he joined the Development Bank of Central African States, for 7 years, where he was the Group Chief Risk Officer, managing the risks associated with a portfolio of loans financing large public infrastructures, corporate entities, SMEs, social investments, and PPPs across the six countries (Cameroon, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, CAR, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea). In this role, he served as a Board Member and head of the Board Risk Committee for the banks in which BDEAC is a shareholder: Commercial Bank of Chad and Banque Congolaise de l’Habitat.

Academic and professional credentials:

Harvard Business School, Executive Certificate, Risk Management for Corporate Leaders
Harvard Business School, Executive Certificate, CORe
MIT Executive Program, Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy ;
LSE : Executive Certificate, MBA Essentials ;
Wharton School : Executive Certificate, Leadership & Management
M.Sc Financial Management, KEDGE Business School
Diploma of Senior Banker (ITB), French School of Banking Profession
Master in International Economics & Globalization, University of Grenoble 2
Diploma in Statistics, Institute of Statistics and Applied Economy (ISSEA)

Founder (Africa Peace initiative) / Director for Network engagement
Teach for All

Fabrice is the Founder of the Africa Peace Initiative (AfriPI), a pan-African movement. He is a governance, education, and peacebuilding practitioner with over a decade of experience advancing peace, social innovation, and education across the Sahel and Great Lakes regions. 

AfriPI connects high-level diplomacy with grassroots realities, cultivating transformative leadership, and rebuilding trust across divided communities.  Drawing inspiration from traditional African under-the-tree dialogue practices, he has created inclusive spaces where communities can come together to listen, engage, and break barriers.

Fabrice also serves as a Director leading Teach For All’s work in francophone Africa, focusing on addressing education inequity in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Through the African Young Leaders Forum (AYLF), he has mentored over 5,000 young leaders across the continent. Through AfriPI and his broader work, Fabrice is committed to contributing to a more peaceful, just, and cohesive Africa. He is a Member, Global Diplomacy Lab (German Federal Foreign Office), part of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation – Now Generation Network (NGN), a Bosch Alumni Network Africa – Regional Facilitator, works with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy as a Regional Ambassador (Kenya Hub, and is a ChangemakerXchange Fellow & Facilitator.

Academic and professional credentials:

MA, Peace, Conflict & Development – University of Bradford, United Kingdom
Certificate, Peace Mediation & Crisis Diplomacy – European University Viadrina / German Federal Foreign Office
Bachelor of Business Administration – Université Lumière de Bujumbura, Burundi

Head of Metals & Mining
Africa Finance Corporation

Franklyn Edochie is a senior resource finance executive with over 18 years of experience structuring and executing investments across Africa’s natural resources, infrastructure, and energy sectors. He has led transactions exceeding US$3 billion, including over US$1.25 billion in metals and mining.

He is currently Head of Metals & Mining at Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), where he leads the strategy for critical and precious minerals supporting Africa’s energy transition. Franklyn has played a key role in building AFC’s natural resources portfolio to over US$1.5 billion in assets under management and serves on the boards of portfolio mining companies.

Previously, he worked at Goldman Sachs and Société Générale in New York. He is committed to advancing sustainable resource development and investment in Africa.

He serves on the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) Leadership & Board-Level Investment Committees.

Academic and professional credentials:

Bachelor’s in Finance and Economics, graduating Magna Cum Laude
Goldman Sachs Principal Strategies (Global Proprietary Investment Platform)
Societe Generale Equity Finance & Securities Lending Programme

Chief Executive Officer
Kkiapay (Open SI)

Gilles Kounou is a digital innovator dedicated to advancing financial inclusion across Africa through technology. He is the founder and CEO of Open SI and Kkiapay, platforms that enable small businesses and public institutions to accept digital payments via mobile money and bank cards. Gilles has played a pivotal role in Benin's digital transformation, developing the country's largest developer community and leading public platforms such as the eCouncil of Ministers.

His work has earned international recognition, including the World Bank Mission Billion Challenge, the WURI Prize for Tonti+, and the FAO Award for Agrikalpay, an AI and blockchain-backed wallet for farmers.

Gilles has been featured as one of the top ten personalities in Benin's digital ecosystem by CIO Mag (2018) and has consistently ranked among the Choiseul 100 Africa since 2021.

Beyond entrepreneurship, he is a mentor and trainer, supporting young digital innovators through initiatives such as SolidarIT Tech Hub and Jumia's MTN Entrepreneurship Challenge.

Academic and professional credentials:

Doctoral Studies (ongoing) — Mathematics & Computer Science (Telecommunications), École Supérieure Polytechnique, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
Ingénieur en Génie Informatique & Sciences Appliquées (Software Engineering & Information Systems) — University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin (2013)
ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) (2015)
ISO 27005 IT Risk Analyst & MEHARI (2013)
AFNOG/AfriNIC UNIX & Linux Systems Administration (2012)
Baccalauréat — Mathematics & Physical Sciences, Collège Catholique Père Aupiais, Cotonou, Benin (2005)
Military Avionics Certification — École technique des Forces Royales Air du Maroc, Marrakech (2006–2009)

Senior program officer
Gates foundation

Howard Lakougna is a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, where he leads initiatives to scale digital public infrastructure across the Global South and accelerate the impact of emerging technologies for social good. His work bridges technology and development, focusing on the deployment of solutions that drive measurable impact for underserved populations.

Prior to the Gates Foundation, Howard served as a Technical Program Manager at Facebook/Meta, where he managed cross-platform initiatives in the social impact division. He also held roles at PATH, Providence Health Services, and GE Healthcare, building products at the intersection of technology, health, and social innovation. His professional expertise spans technology development, system design, artificial intelligence, and product management.

Academic and professional credentials:

Master of Business Administration - Concentrations in Strategy, Marketing, Entrepreneurship - University of Chicago Booth Business School
Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering - University of Utah
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Mathematics - Wichita State University

Head: Communications, Sub-Saharan Africa
TikTok

Keagile Makgoba is the Head of Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok. Her work involves strategic communications efforts on the continent, translating complex technological frameworks, policy understanding for the layman, while showcasing and celebrating the positive economic, cultural and social impact that platforms like TikTok present. Keagile’s work involves engaging various stakeholders across media, users, government and civil society groups. 

Keagile has brought together media, creators, government & regulators as well as civil society groups to drive conversations around positive online habits that fight bullying and mental health challenges and online safety initiatives.

Prior to joining TikTok, Keagile worked as a consultant at Instinctif Partners, a global firm specializing in investor relations and corporate communications.

Keagile is a dedicated alumna and mentor for the Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development (YLED) program and supports the Lincoln Mali Leadership Foundation.

Academic and professional credentials:

BA (Hons) Strategic Communications - University of Johannesburg, South Africa
BA Strategic Communications - University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Digital Marketing Certification - Red & Yellow School, South Africa
Organisational Leadership - University of Pretoria, Gordon's Institute of Business Science, South Africa

Founder, Speech Spark Initiative & Science Teacher
Djarkpanga High School, Ministry of Education, Togo

Komlan Abalo Braly is a multi-award-winning educator and founder of Speech Spark Initiative, transforming education in rural Togo through teacher-led innovation that has reached over 3,000 students and trained more than 200 educators.

His work has earned global recognition, including the 2024 UNESCO Hamdan Prize (the first high school globally to be honoured), inclusion in the HundrED Global Collection 2026, and the 2025 Global Sustainability Award. Partner schools have recorded a 35% improvement in national examination pass rates and a 25% increase in literacy outcomes.

As a forcibly displaced teacher, Komlan brings lived experience to his work supporting marginalised learners. He currently serves as a Mentor and Fellow at the Ban Ki-Moon Centre and previously led education programmes at One Million Leaders Africa.

His leadership philosophy is grounded in the belief that sustainable education transformation occurs when local teachers lead change, rather than when solutions are imposed externally.

Academic and professional credentials:

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Psycho-pedagogy & Didactics) — University of Kara, Togo (2021)
Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics, Electronics & Computing — University of Kara, Togo (2014)
Teaching Certificate of Pedagogical Competence — Ministry of Education, Togo (2019)
Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development — MCI – The Entrepreneurial School®, Austria (2023)

Olympism365 Porfolio Manager
International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Maureen Rosita Ojong Ebob‑Besong has spent over 15 years bridging creativity, sport and social impact, leveraging these platforms to drive transformative change from grassroots to institutional levels globally.

She leads, supports and co‑designs initiatives at the International Olympic Committee, while expressing her voice as a singer, author and poet. She champions the role of sport, art and culture in advancing the SDGs and building inclusive, resilient communities.

Academic and professional credentials:

Masters International Sports Diplomacy - Hungarian University of Sports Science.
International Sports Diplomacy Expert Specialisation — Hungarian University of Sports Science (Feb 2025, Honors)
MBA in Sports Management — ESG Paris, delocalized to ISM Dakar, Senegal (2019–2022)
MSc in International Business Management — University of Derby, United Kingdom (2012–2013)
BSc in Public Administrative Law — University of Yaoundé 2, Cameroon (2007–2010)

Reseach and Analysis Advisor
Conflict Sensitivity Facility - SAFERWORLD

Mazin Abdallah is a Research & Analysis Advisor at the Conflict Sensitivity Facility (CSF), where he leads guidance and studies that help donors, UN agencies, and INGOs deliver aid to Sudan in ways that minimize harm. He also coordinates the Sudan Policy Fellowship at the Siyasat Institute, designing the curriculum and mentoring 23 fellows from conflict-affected areas.

Previously, Mazin served as Project Coordinator at Expertise France, steering a €6 million EU economic-transition programme, co-authoring analyses on economic governance, and managing a compliant close-out amid the 2023 conflict. Earlier in his career, he worked in corporate strategy at GIAD Industrial Group.

Fluent in Arabic and English with working knowledge of French, he co-founded YOTHA, a youth initiative that has trained over 2,000 young people. His work focuses on conflict-sensitive policy, industrialisation, and locally led responses across the Sahel–Horn corridor.

Academic and professional credentials:

MSc in Political Economy of Late Development — London School of Economics (LSE)
MA in Public Policy (Distinction) — Doha Institute
BSc (Hons) in Electrical & Electronics Engineering (First Class) — University of Khartoum

Head of People Consulting
Investec Bank Ltd

Mmabatho Ramatlhare is the Head of People Consulting at Investec Bank, where she partners with senior leaders to strengthen leadership effectiveness, organisational performance, and culture. She leads a team of People Consultants across the Bank and works in a player‑coach capacity, advising leaders on complex people and performance challenges.

Her work is grounded in performance consulting and systems thinking, with a strong focus on leadership capability, team effectiveness, coaching, and culture‑shaping initiatives. Mmabatho has contributed to several group‑wide programmes, including high‑performance team coaching, inclusion and belonging initiatives, youth leadership forums, and women’s leadership development.

She brings over a decade of experience across people consulting, recruitment, and operational leadership within Investec in South Africa and the UK. She is deeply committed to developing leaders who lead with clarity, impact, and purpose.

Academic and professional credentials:

BCom (Hons) - Management
Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching

Team Lead
Advancing Children Rights Initiative ACRI ( formerly Almajiri Child Rights Initiative)

Mohammed Sabo Keana is a Development and Child Rights Specialist and the Founder of the Advancing Children’s Rights Initiative (ACRI), formerly the Almajiri Child Rights Initiative. Through ACRI, he has designed and led child protection programs that have reached over 10,000 children across Africa and spearheaded policy advocacy with partners including UNICEF, the United Nations, the African Union, and the European Union. His work has directly contributed to the establishment of a government agency addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis, which affects more than 20 million children.

A recognized leader in the field of child rights and humanitarian development, Mohammed has received numerous awards, including the UN SDG Action Award, the Ambassador of Peace Award (USA), and the NCMG Peace Award (Nigeria), reflecting his commitment to advancing equality, protection, and empowerment for children.

He is also an alumnus of LEAP Africa, the Chevening Scholarship, and the Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University, New York. His work focuses on child protection, policy advocacy, and systemic solutions that improve the lives of vulnerable children across Africa.

Academic and professional credentials:

MSc in Humanitarianism, Aid & Conflict, SOAS, University of London
MA in Development Studies, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna
Auditor, Education in Emergencies & Policy Analysis, Columbia University, New York
BSc in Microbiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

Senior Vice President, Head of Capital Mobilization and Partnerships
Africa Finance Corporation

Mohammed Abdul-Razaq is senior vice president and head of capital mobilization and partnerships at the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Africa's leading multilateral finance institution. He brings over 18 years of experience in financial advisory, mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, infrastructure financing, and development and impact investing across sub-Saharan Africa.

During his career, Mohammed has executed transactions with a cumulative value of over US$30 billion, having worked at Morgan Stanley UK and Renaissance Capital UK before joining AFC in 2016. He has advised, developed and led the structuring and financing of multiple transformational infrastructure projects across the continent, contributing to economic development, job creation and intra-Africa trade.

Mohammed was recognised by the Choiseul Institute as fifth in the top 100 economic leaders in Africa under the age of 40. He is the founder of the Dudden Hill Foundation, a non-profit equipping young Africans with skills for the corporate and entrepreneurship space, and serves as the only male board member of the Women At Risk International Foundation (WARIF).

Academic and professional credentials:

High Potential Leadership Programme — Harvard Business School
Oxford Programme on Negotiations — Saïd Business School, Oxford University
MSc, Finance and Economics — Alliance Manchester Business School
BSc, Economics — Loughborough University

Executive Director
Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa

Musa Kika is an international human rights and constitutional lawyer, currently serving as Executive Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), Africa’s leading human rights litigating organization before the African Union and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) human rights mechanisms.

He has previously held leadership roles as Head of Office (Headquarters) and Director of External Relations at the Institute for Integrated Transitions in Barcelona, Spain, and as Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum in Harare.

His earlier work includes teaching law and conducting research for superior court judges in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, and applied legal research institutions.

Academic and professional credentials:

PhD in Public Law – University of Cape Town, South Africa, 2019
LLM (Master of Laws) – Harvard Law School, United States, 2017
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) summa cum laude – University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 2014
University Distinguished Student, KwaZulu-Natal Law Society Prize, South African Law Reform Commission Prize, Vice Chancellor’s Scholar (2012 & 2013)
Certificate in National Dialogue and Peace Mediation – University of Basel & Swisspeace Academy, Switzerland, 2020
Certificate in Advanced Human Rights – University of Pretoria Centre for Human Rights, South Africa, 2015
Admitted Attorney – Superior Courts of Zimbabwe
Member – Pan-African Lawyers Union

Group CEO
TOS Group of Companies

Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuchev is the Chief Executive Officer of the TOS Group. She operates at the intersection of enterprise, governance, media, and institutional reform. As CEO, she leads a diversified conglomerate spanning media, philanthropy, real estate, hospitality and energy-while advancing an ambitious women-centered political empowerment agenda. 

Under her stewardship, the TOS Group has evolved into a purpose-driven, performance-oriented enterprise ecosystem:
TOS TV Network - A digital-first Pan-African media platform headquartered in Abuja.
TOS Foundation Africa - A social impact institution advancing political representation, education, and economic empowerment across Nigeria and beyond.
NatSu Global - A cross-border real estate and media investment firm with presence in Abuja, London, Johannesburg, and Boston.
LEZEANOO Services Ltd. - A stevedoring and downstream oil & gas company contributing to Nigeria's strategic energy value chain.
NOLA Restaurant and Lounge 

Academic and professional credentials:

M.Sc. in Corporate & Organizational Communication — Northeastern University, Massachusetts, USA
B.A. in Communication — Stonehill College, Massachusetts, USA
Executive Education in Leadership for the 21st Century — Harvard University
Executive Programme in Advanced Management and Leadership — University of Oxford
Certificate in TV & Film Production — New York Film Academy

Founder and Executive Director
Slum2School Africa

Orondaam Otto is a social entrepreneur, educator, and policy leader, transforming educational access and equity across Africa. Orondaam has pioneered innovative solutions to address systemic barriers to education, particularly for marginalized communities. As the Founder of Slum2School Africa, he has seen the organisation directly support more than 685,000 underserved children through scholarships, cutting-edge learning centres, and Africa’s first virtual learning classroom, which sustained education for thousands during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By bridging education technology and policy advocacy, Orondaam's work has redefined how education is delivered in low-resource settings. He has been a leading voice in shaping human capital development and educational reform across the continent.

Academic and professional credentials:

BSc in Basic Medical Science/Human Anatomy from the University of Port Harcourt
MPA from Harvard Kennedy School

Investment Director
Ninety One

Reabetswe Kungwane is an Investment Director in Ninety One's Emerging Markets Alternative platform. A Chartered Accountant, she focuses on investing across emerging markets, with responsibility for deal origination and execution across sectors including real estate, consumer markets and industrials. She has over 12 years of finance experience and has worked on transactions exceeding US$500 billion.

Prior to joining Ninety One, Reabetswe held roles in investment banking and audit at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers, gaining experience across South Africa and the United Kingdom.

She is an active contributor to industry platforms in private credit, private markets and responsible investment. She is a frequent panellist and moderator at major forums and has been featured in publications and podcasts such as Pensions World, The Asset Class Podcast, Moneyweb and Business Day.

Reabetswe serves as a trustee of The Spur Foundation, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the Silulo Foundation. She is actively involved in social entrepreneurship initiatives and contributed to the establishment of the Ninety One Accelerator, in partnership with The Earthshot Prize, which supports climate-focused small, micro and medium enterprises in South Africa.

Academic and professional credentials:

Bachelor of Commerce in (concentration) Accounting Sciences - University of Pretoria
Honors Degree in (concentration) Accounting Sciences - University of Pretoria
Certificate in the Theory of Accounting - University of Pretoria
Masters of Commerce in (concentration) Development Finance - University of Cape Town
ITC Board Exam, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)
APC Board Exam, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)

Executive Head: Mobile Applications
Sasai Fintechs

Rumbi is the Executive Head: Mobile Applications at Sasai Fintech, where she focuses on developing social payments platforms and digital products that enhance mobile app experiences. She also serves as a Board Member at GoTyme Bank, one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital banks.

Her previous experience includes serving as Executive Director, Sub-Saharan Africa Debt Capital Markets at J.P. Morgan, where she was involved in raising over US$35 billion in capital for blue-chip corporates and governments across the continent.

Rumbi is a self-published author of two books and a journal that support young people with career strategy, life skills, and personal mastery: Your Guide to Adulting, Your Inspiration Journal and The Gen Z Pocketbook for Teenage Girls.

Academic and professional credentials:

Executive Master’s in Digital Transformation & Innovation — IE University / Instituto de Empresa, Spain (2020)
Bachelor of Commerce (Finance & Economics) — University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (2007)
Certified Director — Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA) (2023–Present)

Research Fellow
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Sali Hafez is a health systems researcher and global health specialist with fifteen years of experience working on health systems in fragile states and low- and middle-income countries, focusing on the intersection of health, gender, sexual violence and protection.

She has led multi-country humanitarian response and research in Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Iraq and beyond, working with United Nations agencies, international NGOs, and Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.

She is currently a doctoral candidate and research fellow in decolonising global health methods at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a visiting researcher at Hawler Medical University in Kurdistan, Iraq.

She sits on the leadership team of Women in Global Health Egypt and serves on the board of LSHTM's Fighting Against Institutional Racism initiative.

Academic and professional credentials:

DrPH candidate, Evidence-based public health policy — London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2021–present)
MHS, International Health/Public Health — University of Tampere, Finland (2011–2017)
BDS, Dentistry and Oral Surgery — Alexandria University, Egypt (2004–2009)
GIBACHT Fellow, Global Partnership Initiated Biosecurity Academia for Controlling Health Threats (2019)
Adjunct fellow, UNESCO Chair, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University, Australia (2018–present

Founder
Heartbeat Studios

Taher El Moataz Bellah is an Egyptian writer and entrepreneur, and the founder of Heartbeat, a film production company dedicated to creating entertaining, informative, and emotionally resonant movies for cinemas.

The company’s mission is to generate social impact through storytelling and to serve as a global voice for the Arab world by exporting universal themes that transcend language and cultural barriers.

Previously he worked as a drilling engineer at BP while pursuing writing in his free time. As a screenwriter, he authored 28 episodes of El Da7ee7, the Middle East’s largest online show with over 200 million views, published six books, and contributed a case study on Mohamed Salah at Harvard Business School. His audiobook series on Storytel is the most listened-to in the Middle East.

Academic and professional credentials:

Master of Business Administration (MBA) — Harvard Business School, USA

Bachelor of Science in Petroleum and Energy Engineering (Minor: Political Science) — American University in Cairo, Egypt
Engineering Foundation Program — Queen Mary University of London, UK