The African Leadership Institute is pleased to announce the Associates who have been selected for the 2022 Class of the Tutu Leadership Fellowship. As has been the case with previous cohorts, the people selected are exceptional emerging African leaders. AFLI received more than 330 nominations of outstanding quality from across Africa, from which the cohort was selected. They are from the following countries: Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
A few candidates are included this year who were selected in 2020 but who could not attend that cohort due to COVID restrictions. The selected candidates demonstrate the incredible wealth and breadth of leadership talent that exists in Africa’s young people, which bodes well for Africa’s future.
On 26 December 2021, AFLI lost its founding patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. So for this cohort, the baton is passed to them to remember a life of service well-lived and the values and ideals he espoused and bequeathed to us — ubuntu, servant leadership, integrity, humility, compassion, and moral courage. The African Leadership Institute remains resolute in its mission to nurture a new generation of African leaders who will uphold the legacy and values of Archbishop Tutu, as they lead in their various spheres. In some way, we have always been prepared for his passing because it was our very raison d’etre from inception—to shine a light on his example to always inspire the kind of leadership that is sorely lacking but much needed in Africa specifically, but the world, more broadly. With his passing, our work has a newfound importance and significance.
The biographies of the 2022 programme participants follow:
Aïssata Lam
Bilha Ndirangu
Caroline Ng'ang'a-Omondi
Elizabeth Biney-Amissah
Eric Idiahi
Francis Ben Kaifala
James Friedrich Woods
Johanna Monthe
Jude Feranmi
Kola Oyeneyin
Lebogang Moropa
Linda Kushinga Sibanyoni
Lydia Winyi Kembabazi
Michiel le Roux
Mongezi Dladla
Nana Dufie Addo
Ope Bobade
Phillip Dube
Roselyn Kemp
Steve Tchoumba
Tarek Mouganie PhD
Victoria Ratshefola
Dr William Okyere-Frempong
Yvonne Mburu PhD
Aïssata Lam
Director General, Investment Promotion Agency of Mauritania
Mauritania
Aïssata Lam is the Director General of the Investment Promotion Agency of Mauritania, the agency in charge of national and foreign direct investments as well as the country’s business climate. Her responsibilities are to make Mauritania the go-to destination for new foreign investors and to land substantial investments for priority sectors, while building the agency from scratch. She is also providing support to established sectors. Aissata has been active in promoting women, including dismantling public policies that are sexist. In 2019, was a Member of French President Emmanuel Macron's Gender Equality Advisory Council for the G7. Prior to her work for the agency, Aissata was the Country Engagement Manager for West and Central Africa for African Risk Capacity, which helps African governments with planning, preparation and response to climate related disasters. She was also a Project Officer for the UN FAO. In 2014, Aissata was the initiator of the Mauritaniennes d'exception Award, which has since been granted to more than 100 women, and has been recognised herself with numerous awards.
Education: Business Administration, HEC Montreal / Harvard University, in Finance and International Business.
Bilha Ndirangu
CEO, African Leadership Academy
Kenya
Bilha Ndirangu is the CEO of African Leadership Academy, an institution focused on developing young leaders who will address Africa's greatest challenges. She says she is seeking to nurture ethical, authentic leadership in the young people attending the academy to improve prosperity on the continent. Bilha says that she is particularly aware that young leaders learn more from what is practised by mentors than what is taught. It is therefore important that leaders are deliberate about living out the values that they profess, such as treating every member of the community fairly. Prior to the ALA, Bilha was the CEO of Africa's Talking, a company she started with university friends who set out to build a world-class technology company. From a small start-up, it grew to a Pan-African business serving thousands of clients and impacting millions of Africans. She was also a Senior Project Manager at Dalberg Global Development Advisors and at their Nairobi office advising clients across Africa and globally. Separately, as a way of paying it forward, Bilha offers free business advisory services to some select startups in Kenya, helping them from her experiences as an entrepreneur and business leader.
Education: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Caroline Njeri Ng'ang'a-Omondi
Founder & CEO, Crafts With Meaning
Kenya
Caroline Njeri Ng'ang'a-Omodi is a social entrepreneur with a strong desire to see African artisans economically empowered, starting in Kenya. She is the Founder and CEO of Crafts With Meaning, a startup that is creating job sustainability by supporting artisans, then helping them to secure markets locally and abroad. She began Crafts with Meaning in 2017 after an encounter with talented women in Eastern Kenya who were not earning much from their skills. It has since expanded to include more than 300 women, making it a profitable social enterprise. The women are spread across seven Kenyan counties and Uganda and are earning consistent income, enabling them to look after their families.
An Accountant, Arbitrator and Chartered Mediator by training, she serves as a Non-Executive director at the Tourism Fund in Kenya, where she chairs the Board Audit Committee. She said that during the COVID pandemic, the tourism sector was badly affected and the board has the responsibility to ensure that we support our private sector. She also sits on the Board of Management of Ecotourism Kenya, a membership society focused on sustainability. In 2018, she was named as one of the Top 40 under 40 women in Kenya.
Education: BSc. (Statistics), University of Nairobi; Strategic leadership Development program by the Kenya School of Government; Fellow of the Young Africa Leadership Institute (YALI); Certified Public Accountant; Senior Management Challenge Course, Outward Bound; Chartered Mediator
Elizabeth Biney-Amissah
Partner, E3 Capital
Ghana
Elizabeth Biney-Amissah is a Partner at E3 Capital (formerly Energy Access Ventures). The company is an Africa-focused investor that backs companies decentralising and digitising key services. E3 uses venture capital as a disruptor to scale decentralised, digital infrastructure across the continent.
Prior to E3, Elizabeth was the Business Development Director of GlobalEQ. The company was evergreen-funded by CDC and Norfund and is an independent energy developer and producer. She also helped build the West Africa team at EleQtra/InfraCo Africa. Although initially hired to work in the New York office of this Africa-focused infrastructure development firm, it became evident within weeks that they needed a presence on the ground in West Africa.
Elizabeth has also worked with a Gender & Climate Smart Investing Working Group since 2019, and serves as a Board Director for Nuru SARL in the Democratic Republic of Congo which is a pioneering off-grid utility. She is also a Board Director at candi Solar, which provides commercial and industrial solar solutions for SMEs in Southern Africa and India; a Board Director for SunCulture, which offers solar-powered water pumps for irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa; and a Board Director at ManoCap Energy, which offers commercial and industrial solar and storage solutions in West Africa. She also assisted Cenpower Kpone obtain the first commercially-financed IPP in Ghana, which represented 15% of the installed capacity in Ghana at that time.
Education: Master of Public Administration, Harvard Kennedy school of Government (Edward S. Mason Fellow) / Bachelor of Arts, Molecular Biology, Princeton University
Eric Idiahi
Partner & Co-founder, Verod Capital Management
Nigeria
Eric Idiahi is a financier and venture-builder of numerous African companies. He is Partner and co-founder of Verod Capital Management Limited, a $300 million Africa-focused private equity firm he co-founded in 2008. Verod Capital Management is active across various sectors and aims to generate economic value with sustainability for the communities in which it operates. At Verod, Eric has led several notable mergers, acquisitions and investments in the technology, financial services, education and pharmaceutical sectors.
He sits on the boards of several companies including EMZOR Pharmaceutics Industries Limited; Greensprings Educational Services Limited; Rainbow Educational Services Limited; Central Securities Clearing Systems (CSCS) Limited; Eleva Group; Tangerine Life Insurance Limited; African Lifestyle Limited; and Lancaster University, Ghana.
Eric is also an avid art collector. He was originally selected for the Class of 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic deferred his Fellowship to 2022.
Education: MBA in Business Administration - Saïd Business School, University of Oxford/ BSc in Economics - University of Houston.
Francis Ben Kaifala
Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission
Sierra Leone
Francis Ben Kaifala is the head of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone, working within the government of the country, a position he has held since July 2018. In this role, he is responsible for leading the national campaign against corruption, which has four main areas: prevention, investigation, prosecution, and public education. Francis works with a team of about 500 staff country-wide. Once a year, Francis reports to the President, Parliament and the people on how the fight against corruption is faring.
Since he took the position, Francis has introduced far-reaching reforms aimed at providing greater accountability to the public that he says are among the most significant and far reaching anti-corruption legislative reforms ever in Africa. Aside from the impact in public service in the country, the measures have improved Sierra Leone's standing with Global Development Indexes. When Francis took the role in 2018, Sierra Leone was in a failing position of 49% in the Millennium Challenge Corruption Scorecard; in 2021, it scored at 83%.
He has also served as a Board Member to the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption, and as the President of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa. Prior to his anti-corruption roles, Francis was a Senior Managing Partner at Kaifala, Kanneh and Co., and a lawyer at other firms. He is an Obama Africa Leaders Fellow; a Fulbright Scholar; and a Human Rights Scholar.
Education: Bachelor of Laws Degree, Fourah Bay College/ LL.M in Law and Economics, Queen Mary University of London, LL.M in Comparative Constitutional Law and International Human Rights, University of Texas at Austin
James Friedrich Woods
Partner, Rainbow Sports
Malawi
James Friedrich Woods is Partner and Head of Governmental and Diplomatic Relations at Rainbow Sports. He is also a Strategic Communications Advisor to two former and one current head of state and a Senior Director for a leading strategic consulting firm dealing with high net worth individuals and global governments.
Rainbow Sports has identified talented athletes that they have signed and took to leading leagues across the world. His company noticed that some of the best talent never makes it to the top. To change this, they invested in football clubs and built fully-fledged football academies both in Africa and Europe.
Alongside the work he does at Rainbow Sports, James is the Senior Advisor at KRL International and in 2018, he was appointed Head of Chancery at the Embassy of Malawi to Belgium and the European Union. He has worked with the WHO, UN FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and EU institutions. He has won numerous awards, including African Achiever of 2015, the Young African Leader of 2015 award, Malawian Achiever of 2016 and a BEFFTA Leadereship Award Nominee in 2016.
Education: Certificate in Global Diplomacy, SOAS University of London; Masters Degree in Social Policy Science, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Johanna Monthe
Partner, Epena Law
Cameroon
Johanna Monthe is a Partner at Epena Law, a boutique, Africa-focused commercial law firm. It advises companies and financial institutions on the structuring and negotiation of the terms of their investments in Africa, including fund structuring. She has said that her first responsibility personally and professionally is to lead by example and do the right thing, despite operating in a world in which ethics appear as if they may be set aside without any direct negative consequences.
Prior to Epena, she was a managing associate at Linklaters in London, where she set up investment funds, management companies, and carried interest schemes, and advised on mergers and acquisitions and corporate transactions. Before that, Johanna was a Senior Associate at DLA Piper in London, where she worked in emerging markets. She also worked at SJ Berwin-King & Wood Mallesons in Paris and at Arend & Medernach in Luxembourg.
Aside from her work as a lawyer, Johanna has worked with Melting Pot Development to raise funds from the diaspora for orphanages in Cameroon. Money raised has been used to create libraries in orphanages, help keep the orphanages afloat, and pay for orphans' school fees. She has also worked with African Gems, a project initially developed by a university in the UK aimed at identifying and sponsoring kids in the poorest areas of Africa. The pilot began in Tanzania in 2016 when bright kids were identified and their studies sponsored. The project is being expanded to Central and West Africa with funding from her law firm and the financial help of some of its clients.
Education: Executive MBA, London Business School; LL.M. in Business Law, UCLA School of law (California); Bilingual (French / English) Master Degree in Business Law, Paris Ouest University
Jude Feranmi
Convener, Raising New Voices Initiative
Nigeria
Jude Feranmi is the Convenor of Raising New Voices Initiative. For the past seven years, he has worked as a civil society leader, bringing Nigeria’s youth together to advocate for policy and legislation reforms that ensure the participation of young people in Nigeria's civic and political life. Jude also set up a sister organisation to New Voices called the Republicraft Consultancy to leverage its policy expertise and advocacy experience. It provides policy analysis for organisations working in policy advocacy in the country. Jude was also recruited to be Executive Director of To Build a Nation (TBAN), a civil society organization that promotes democracy in Nigeria.
New Voices succeeded in getting the Electoral Amendment Bill passed into law with more than 90% of the recommendations on youth inclusion made. Jude has served in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria, working on the Nigerian Startup Bill as the Engagement Lead. He has also served as an independent consultant to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and as Technology Policy Engagement Advisor to Tech Hive Advisory. Other roles he has held include Advocacy Consultant to Digital Governance for Africa; and also the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre. He was also a co-founder of Founding Networks Africa and a range of other political and governance related organisations and initiatives.
During the Ford Foundation-funded Project Pakati at AFLI, he served as a Changemaker, one of the leadership positions for the project.
Education: Certificate of Competence, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA on Policy for Science, Technology and Innovation and a double Master degree in Public Policy with a specialization on Innovation from the United Nations University in the Netherlands.
Kola Oyeneyin
Co-founder & Director, Volition Capital
Nigeria
Kola Oyeneyin is the Co-founder and director of Volition Capital, an asset management company operating in the US and Africa. He is responsible for deal sourcing and structuring, commercial negotiations, and co-managing the large, member-based collective. He said that he had seen many businesses fail once the founders exited, so he has been active in succession planning to allows for founders to exit and leave a thriving company behind. In 2018, he was appointed a member of the Vice President of Nigeria’s Advisory Group on Technology & Creativity.
Prior to this, he was Founder and CEO of Venia Group, a venture creation and development company that created opportunities for small and medium sized businesses. One of the companies under Venia's umbrella was AutoGenius, Nigeria's first digital insurance platform that was established in partnership with the top five insurance companies in Nigeria. He was also Business Manager for the Lekki British School in Nigeria and a Business Analyst for Hewlett Packard in the UK.
Kola has started several foundations and also GenVoices, a non-partisan organization that prepares young people for political engagement. He is an Associate Fellow of the Nigerian Leadership Initiative. In 2013, he was nominated as Entrepreneur of the Year by Future Awards Africa.
Education: Master of Public Administration, Harvard Kennedy School, USA - Edward Mason & Gleitsman Fellow; B.Sc.(Honors) Computer Science, University of Nottingham, UK; Degree Foundation Certificate, Global International College, Nigeria
Lebogang Moropa
Executive Director in Prime Finance, J.P. Morgan
South Africa
Lebogang Moropa is currently responsible for synthetic and cash prime brokerage and securities lending at JP Morgan. He has more than 14 years’ experience in the financial services industry and is a dedicated presence for prime brokerage and equity finance in South Africa. Lebo re-joined J.P. Morgan in 2015 and has broad range of experience across equity derivatives, synthetic trading, inventory optimization and collateral management. He has held various roles that include Equity Trader at Afrifous Securities, Equity and Derivative Trader at Sanlam Securities, Index Arbitrage and Program Trader at J.P. Morgan and Equity Finance, and Delta One Trading at HSBC.
In 2019 he received Equity Salesperson or Team of the Year award from the Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals (ABSIP) during the annual financial services awards.
Education: He has a Bachelor’s Degree with a specialisation in Finance & Risk Management from the University Of South Africa (UNISA).
Linda Kushinga Sibanyoni
Founder & Managing Partner, Thirdway Thinktank
Zimbabwe
Linda Kushinga Sibanyoni is the Founder and Managing Partner of Thirdway Think Tank. In 2018, she ran as an independent for a seat in the Harare East Constituency of Zimbabwe's Parliament, her first time running for public office. She is now gearing up for the next general election in 2023. The thinktank provides leadership and ethics training to young business leaders and future political leaders.
Linda says she switched careers from business to politics to add her voice for change to the limited number of young women in the field. She was the youngest Chief of Staff in Zimbabwe for the African Democratic Party (ADP) and also Head of Policy for the party.
Her entrepreneurial endeavours include the clothing and retail industry; the agro-processing and fast-moving consumer goods sector, and consulting. After leaving Grant Thornton in 2015, she started Trinity, which provides accounting and business solutions to start-ups and SMEs. In 2019, Linda set up DreamHub, which finds and nurtures entrepreneurs with scalable businesses. In 2021, she raised funds to drill boreholes for a community without clean and safe water. Working with the community, they have begun a community garden project that trains local youth in agriculture. Produce from the garden subsidises a community soup kitchen catering to child-headed households and the neglected elderly in the community. Linda is a Mandela Washington Fellow.
Education: Bachelors of Accounting Science (BCom), UNISA
Lydia Winyi Kembabazi
Advocacy Officer, IHRDA
Uganda
Lydia Winyi Kembabazi is an Advocacy Officer at the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA). At IHRDA, she leads legal reform advocacy projects across Africa. Lydia engages government law reform commissions and think-tanks to leverage expertise to do legal audits of laws and compile research on discriminatory laws. With the data and research she can then identify litigation opportunities to remedy abuses and effect systemic change. The African Protection Mechanisms in the African Charter provide grounds for these actions, but even with that in place, she organises information campaigns on why landmark cases must not slip through the cracks.
Prior to her work at IHRDA, Lydia was the Legal Manager at AdvocAid in Sierra Leone, where she prepared and implemented legal advocacy initiatives and managed their legal aid case system. She was also Legal Counsel to Nakiwala & Company Advocates and has been a Legal Programs Advisor to the Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Domestic Sexual Violence. Lydia was a consultant to the NOREC for partner organisation in 13 African countries and Senior Legal Officer at the African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims in Africa. She has presented papers at forums such as the African commission for Human and People’s Rights, and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa (CPTA). Lydia has been a NORECC Fredskorpset Exchange Programme participant; and is a Fellow of the Open Society Justice Initiative Fellowship Programme.
Education: LLM, Central European University; Diploma Legal Practice - Bar Course, Law Development Centre Uganda; LLB, Makerere University, Uganda.
Michiel le Roux
CEO, Unifi Group
South Africa
Michiel le Roux is the CEO of the microfinance company, Unifi, which has grown from being operational in Zambia to Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa. The company offers simple personal loans to formally employed people and has as its goal to be able to bringing seamless financial solutions to clients who otherwise have no access to convenient credit. Michiel worked in investment banking for two years before becoming an entrepreneur, starting a food business in 2009, and later becoming involved in private equity investments. In 2015, he founded Unifi. Unifi has been active in recruiting women and of Unifi's 430 staff members, more than 300 are women.
Prior to Unifi, Michiel was an investment executive for Barak Fund Management a private equity investment company backed by the Export Trading Group. He went on from that to start his own investment company, Kapiri Mposhi Ltd., in 2014. He also worked at Absa Capital, and Barclays Capital.
In 2008, Michiel co-founded a scholarship fund for financially needy high school students in Stellenbosch, South Africa, called Geleentheid Trust. He works as a presiding officer for the South African IEC during elections; holds the joint world record for swimming 25km across Lake Malawi, and is a mountain biking champion in Zambia. Michiel is a Rhodes Scholar, and was selected for the Africa List of young business leaders in Zambia.
Education: MSc African Studies, University of Oxford, Rhodes Scholar / Bachelor of Commerce Honours (Financial Economics), University of Stellenbosch, South Africa / Bachelor of Commerce, University of Melbourne, Australia
Mongezi Dladla
Counsel, Allen & Overy
South Africa
Mongezi Dladla is a Counsel at Allen & Overy and is based in their Johannesburg office. He specializes in energy and infrastructure projects and has expertise in large-scale utility and commercial power purchase agreements in the private and public sectors. Moreover, he has experience in public-private partnerships, having advised the private sector in negotiating public-private partnership agreements with government entities and having advised and worked for government in a public-private partnership unit. His expertise in project-related mandates extends to drafting and negotiating the related construction, operations, and financing documents. He has experience with projects not only in South Africa, but also in other African jurisdictions.
Prior to joining Allen & Overy's legal services, Mongezi spent several years working for the public sector.
Education: Bachelor of Commerce, University of Witwatersrand/ Bachelor of Laws – LLB, University of South Africa.
Nana Dufie Addo
COO, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre
Ghana
Nana Dufie Addo is the COO of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC). She spearheads the Ghanaian government's efforts to raise $10 billion of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) across productive sectors to support the CARES program, Ghana’s post-Covid economic recovery program. Nana says her goal is to implement a sustainable investment framework through policy advocacy and tailored aftercare services that attract investors. During her tenure, the GIPC attracted more than $2.6 billion FDI in 2020 that created more than 100,000 jobs, more than 50% of which were allocated to youth. She is also leading the Ghanaian government in taking equity positions in companies across key sectors to transform operations and position them to become regional market leaders, a model championed by post-independence Singapore.
Prior to GIPC, Nana was the Chief Financial Officer of mPharma Data, a healthcare technology startup that offered a proprietary e-prescription platform tracking drug availability and pricing in pharmacies. She also was the Investment Officer at Washington State Investment Board in the United States; additionally, she has provided strategic planning for Virtual Consulting International as a consultant and been an investment analyst for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Lehman Brothers.
Education: Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, Stanford University/ Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Mathematics, Mount Holyoke College.
Ope Bobade
Senior Risk Manager, FirstRand Ltd
South Africa
Ope Bobade is a Senior Risk Manager at FirstRand, working on strategic and emerging risks with the Chief Risk Officer. He has over a decade of experience in the financial services sector, at banks, and as a management consultant, with roles focusing on the intersection between risk, finance, and strategy. A significant part of his current role deals with understanding and developing mutually beneficial ways for the financial sector to have a positive impact on environmental and societal challenges such as climate change.
Ope says he is passionate about providing opportunities through education and he has participated in several initiatives that look to assist in filling the gap by providing supplementary tutoring for learners from disadvantaged communities.
Education: He has a BSc in Actuarial Mathematics and and MSc in Global Finance. He also has his CFA and FRM qualifications.
Phillip Dube
Executive Director Equity Finance & Derivatives, Investec CIB
South Africa
Phillip Dube is an Executive Director of Investec Markets Limited, heading Equity Finance/Derivatives at Investec CIB. In this position, he manages multiple products within ICIB in both South African and offshore markets.
Phillip began his career as a stockbroker and later joined Investec in early 2010. He has more than 15 years of experience in financial markets. Phillip is an active member of the JSE’s Financial Derivatives Advisory Committee(FDAC). A supporter of financial inclusion and through FDAC and the retail derivatives sub-committee he engages the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on initiatives that make such financial instruments accessible to retail market participants.
Phil is always keen to spearhead conversations regarding transformation and inclusivity, and since 2018, has hosted a black-owned asset managers symposium. He is also a member of the Investec Group Employment Equity Forum and the Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals (ABSIP).
Education: Bcom: Accounting & Finance (Wits); PGDip: Management (GIBS); Program for Leadership Development (PLD): Harvard
Roselyn Kemp
Head of Talent & Development, Thungela
South Africa
Roselyn Kemp heads the Human Resource Development, Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Performance & Organizational Effectiveness function for Thungela Resources, South Africa. Thungela is formerly Anglo American Coal. She worked within the Anglo American stable for the 15 years prior to joining Anglo American Coal, which later demerged and formed the Thungela Resources business operation.
Her career began at Anglo American Platinum. Prior to Anglo Coal she was the Group Talent Advisor for Anglo American UK where she built her global exposure with interaction spanning across South Africa, Botswana, Singapore, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Australia, and London. Her focus was to provide senior leadership talent solutions supporting the overall group strategy to deliver sustainable levels of talent in support of group succession planning, development, and resourcing agendas.
On a personal level she’s passionate about gender diversity issues and advancing the role of women in mining. She’s currently completing her MBA. Roselyn was originally selected for the Class of 2020, but deferred to this cohort due to the COVID pandemic.
Education: Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management, Mancosa/ Management Development Programme, Wits Business School/ BA Human Resource Management, RAU, University of Johannesburg
Steve Tchoumba
Executive Manager, ActivSpaces
Cameroon
Steve Tchoumba is the Executive Manager at ActivSpaces Cameroon, the first tech hub in the country for digital entrepreneurs. 'Activ' is short for African Center for Technology Innovation and Ventures. He joined ActivSpaces seven years earlier as the Business Development Manager, when the venture comprised only three people. It has since grown to a 16-person team with three innovation hubs in the country. The team helps digital entrepreneurs transform their ideas into sustainable businesses.
Steve is considered a key actor in the tech entrepreneurial space in Cameroon by his peers. He is also the President and Chair of KmerTech, the National Hubs Network in Cameroon. In this role, he facilitates collaboration amongst all the actors of the tech, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem to better support entrepreneurs. He is also a Board member of AfriLabs, the Pan-African hubs network that supports more than 320 hubs on the continent.
Steve also co-founded Makrea, a branding and communication company; and he is developing an online tuition fees payment platform for the African diaspora. Previously, Steve was the Managing Director of The Bridge International School in Cameroon and prior to that, a teacher at George Dixon International School in the UK.
Since 2019, Steve has been working with a Cameroonian non-for profit comprising six orphanages providing an education for about 60 children. In 2007, he won the Afro-carribean youth achievement award (ACAP) and in 2005, the Princess Diana Award.
Education: BA (Hons) in International Relations and Politics, University of Coventry (UK)
Tarek Mouganie PhD
Founder & Group CEO, Affinity
Ghana
Tarek Mouganie is the Founder and Group CEO of Affinity. He began Affinity to invest in and give loans to micro and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). He says access to affordable finance is urgent, a fundamental human right, and necessary for transformation in Africa, a continent in which only 40% have access to banking and only 8% to credit. Since he started Affinity in 2015, Tarek has supported over 7,500 micro and SMEs in Accra, disbursing $6 million dollars in loans to them; especially women who may find it more difficult to access such loans.
Previously, he worked as an analyst with the Man Group in the UK and at GLG Partners, including deals in sub-Saharan Africa. He also worked at Deloite and Touche and at Zenergy Power, a high-temperature superconductor manufacturer. His PhD is in Physics and he has published a number of papers on applied superconductivity.
He founded Front/Back a location in Accra promoting art, music and food from Africa and its diaspora that has supported hundreds of artists in different stages of their career. Tarek is also a board member of 1:54, the largest African contemporary art fair. Tarek was the Co-founder of the Ghana Triathlon Federation in 2013, which organised Ghana’s first triathlon and West Africa’s first championship; he was the first athlete to represent Ghana in triathlon at the world championships. He served on the board of Dr Jane Goodall's Institute for four years and in 2016, was made the Honorary Consul to Cabo Verde and has served the Ministry of External Relations since.
Education: PhD in Engineering, University of Cambridge
Victoria Ratshefola
Head of Currency & Exchanges, FirstRand Banking Group
South Africa
Victoria Ratshefola is the Head of Currency and Exchanges for FirstRand Banking Group. She has more than 18 years of banking experience. In her current role, she is entrusted with the bank’s Authorised Dealer License and is responsible for protecting the bank's foreign reserves and economic interests in South Africa. Victoria is a Chartered Accountant and previous roles include Head of Finance, Head of Credit, as well as CEO of FNB Forex. In the latter role, she is credited with exceptional results under challenging economic conditions.
Victoria is an independent non-executive director of a Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed company, Onelogix Group. She serves as a member of the Audit Committee as well as the Remuneration committee. Victoria says she is passionate about ensuring that companies are good corporate citizens.
Outside her professional life, Victoria is active in youth education and is keen on new innovative ways of empowering youth. She is the Chairperson of Tirisano Foundation, a youth development nonprofit focusing on education and mentorship.
Education: Honours Degree in Accounting and Finance, University of Kwazulu- Natal, South Africa
Dr William Okyere-Frempong
Regional Director & CEO, The HuD Group
Ghana
Dr William Okyere-Frempong wears several hats. William is the Regional Director/ CEO -The HuD Group, an international leadership and mentoring organization. As a lead coach, he frequently offers training to emerging leaders and established professionals in schools, social groups, churches, and companies. He is also the founding Medical Superintendent of the Nungua LEKMA Polyclinic, a public healthcare facility in Accra, Ghana.
William is also an independent consultant for the CDC Foundation's Field Epidemiologist Training Program in Thailand, Ethiopia, China and India. His qualifications include a medical degree from the University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry; a Certificate in Healthcare Administration and Management from GIMPA; and a Masters in Organizational Leadership & Governance from the University of Ghana Business School.
William serves on the District Health Board for Krowor Municipal Hospital, is a Resident Doctor at Superior Medical Centre, and a radio doctor for Rainbow Health Check. He has had stints at a number of other hospitals and medical facilities.
He is a Fulbright Fellow and an Emory University Rollins School of Public Health Fellow.
Education: MBChB in Medicine & Surgery/ Master’s in Organizational Leadership & Governance/ Executive Certificate in Business Administration/ Certificates in Project Management, Healthcare Administration & Management/ Monitoring and Evaluation
Yvonne Mburu PhD
Head of Partnerships & External Relations, WHO Academy
Kenya
Yvonne Mburu is Head of Partnerships and External Relations at the World Health Organization (WHO) Academy, a newly-created center for learning and simulation which aims to transform lifelong learning in health by incorporating digital and hybrid learning experiences to build a more competent health workforce globally. Yvonne is an immunologist and also the founder and first CEO of Nexakili, a growing network of African and African-diaspora health professionals and scientists, whose mission is to connect African experts across the globe, circulate scientific knowledge, and accelerate the availability of innovative medicine in Africa..
Yvonne did her undergraduate studies in biology and chemistry in Canada, followed by a doctorate in immunology in the United States. She then won a prestigious postdoctoral grant from the Cancer Research Institute to pursue research on the immunotherapy of cancer at the Marie Curie Institute in Paris, France. She left the research laboratory for entrepreneurship to mobilise the human and intellectual capital of the African diaspora to catalyze innovative research on the continent and contribute more effectively to achieving sustainable outcomes in science and medicine.
Yvonne is a Fellow of the Next Einstein Forum, a biennial recognition of Africa’s best young scientists and technologists. She has published numerous scientific articles, blogs and opinions, contributing to shaping the health and scientific discourse on the continent. Since August 2017, she has sat on French President Emmanuel Macron’s Presidential Council for Africa.
Education: BSc Biology and Chemistry, York University, Canada; Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Immunology, University of Pittsburgh; Postdoctoral research in the Immunotherapy of cancer, Cancer Research Institute Marie Curie Institute, Paris.
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