Rising Tide Africa (RTA)

Abiola Sanni is founder and managing director of Queensbridge Nigeria Limited, a corporate promotional branding and gifts firm, and holds a B.Sc. in Economics from O.S.U-Ago-Iwoye and an M.Sc. in Financial Management from Middlesex University. She has over 18 years of entrepreneurial experience in Nigeria and previously worked in finance and the public sector, including roles with the Office of Population and Census and London Borough of Hackney. Sanni serves as president of the Association of Promotional Products Specialists of Nigeria and holds board positions with several organizations, including the Remo Growth Development Foundation and Geoscape Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited.

Adejoke Odocha is a lawyer and consultant with experience in commercial law, legal practice, and the energy sector across public and private organizations. She has structured and negotiated complex commercial transactions, developed risk mitigation strategies, and served as General Counsel and company secretary at the Group Board level for infrastructure development projects in West Africa. Odocha is also co-founder of The Bridge Program and The Afara Initiative, a social enterprise focused on graduate development through partnerships with universities, government, and corporations.

Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes is the Founder and Managing Partner of Aruwa Capital Management, a women-owned and managed early-stage growth equity fund investing in West African small to lower mid-market companies. With 15 years of experience in investment banking and private equity at institutions including J.P. Morgan, she launched Aruwa Capital at age 29 and became the first female solo General Partner to raise over $10 million in an institutional first fund in Nigeria. She has been recognized as a Top 35 Woman Moving Africa Forward (2020), Top 100 global leader combining profit and purpose (2021), Top 100 African leader under 40 (2022), and Top 50 Inspiring Woman in Nigeria (2022).

Annie Eimiakhena is a Director at Lohi Consulting with experience in management consulting, specializing in business process reviews, facilitation, executive coaching, organizational design, and business transformation. She holds a Certificate in Training from The Training Accreditation Program with a focus on learning solutions design. Eimiakhena also works in recruitment, identifying talent and skills for organizational needs.

Antoinette Edodo is Chief Product Officer at Heirs Technologies with 18 years of experience in financial industry software and 12 years in enterprise software technology. She has held leadership roles across product, sales, go-to-market strategy, and business transformation, with particular focus on African technology markets, and has overseen the launch of multiple products throughout her career.

Ashim Egunjobi is Managing Partner at Octerra Capital, with over fifteen years of experience in financial services and technology across Africa, Germany, the Middle East and Asia. She holds an MBA from IE Business School and a Bachelor's degree in International Business and Finance from Munich Business School, is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Management Association, and is fluent in English and German. She co-founded the handmade baby accessories brand Always Me by Anne Li and is a founding member of the Bake For Change Development Foundation, an NGO focused on disadvantaged children and youths in Lagos, Nigeria.

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo is co-founder and chief executive officer of Falcon Corporation Limited, an indigenous African energy company specializing in natural gas distribution and LPG trading that she established with her husband in 1994. She has held leadership positions including first female president of the Nigerian Gas Association, advisory board member at Lagos Business School, and fellow of the Energy Institute. She is also a certified transformational coach, author of four books, and founder of the Double Impact Platform, a business training institution for entrepreneurial couples.

Ayokanmi Ayuba is a strategic leader with over 25 years of experience across program management, agricultural development, enterprise development, and strategy. His work spans multiple sectors and focuses on improving livelihoods and creating impact.

Bambo Molade is a Programme Manager and Director at Platinum Integrations with over 20 years of professional experience in business transformation and regulatory change. He holds an MBA from Warwick Business School, a Six Sigma Green Belt certification, and MSP and Prince 2 certifications. Molade has led programmes with budgets exceeding £10 million and ROI over £50 million, managing teams of 50+ individuals across clients including the Bank of England, FCA, and major insurance firms, with responsibilities spanning programme initiation, governance frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory compliance.

Bankole Olusina is Vice President, Africa at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and serves as a board member and angel investor. His background includes experience in digital transformation, fintech business development, payments, enterprise IT transformation, product development, and strategy implementation across large-scale organizations.

Bisi Adeyemi is Chief Executive Officer of DCSL Corporate Services Ltd, a provider of corporate governance, secretarial, compliance, immigration, training, and business advisory services. He previously served as Expert-In-Resident at the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan Atlantic University and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of WIMBIZ. Adeyemi has held leadership positions including President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce and holds certification as an Independent Non-Executive Director from the Institute of Directors.

Bukola Ajayi is Chief Information Officer at MTN Nigeria, where he leads enterprise architecture and digital transformation initiatives. With 27 years of experience in enterprise technology, he has worked on modernizing telecommunications infrastructure across Africa, including designing resilient platforms, building scalable payment systems, and directing engineering-wide agile transformation. Ajayi has served on the board of a private university and is involved in technology talent development and women's leadership initiatives in the technology sector.

Bukola Kogbe is an HR executive with more than 20 years of experience in organizational transformation, mergers and acquisitions, and international people strategy across Africa, Europe, and emerging markets. Currently serving as EMEA HR Partner at Waters Corporation, he supports business leaders across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa during integration and transformation initiatives. He has held senior HR roles with global organizations including GSK, Barry Callebaut, Reckitt, and Verod Capital, leading people strategy across multiple countries, and is pursuing doctoral research at Grenoble Ecole de Management focused on workforce fragility.

Chinwe Ajene-Sagna is managing partner of Catalyst Realty Solutions and brings over 25 years of experience in real estate and property management across public and private sectors in the US and Africa. She previously served as head of West Africa for JLL and group head of business development for Rendeavour, and holds board positions including chairperson of the investment committee at STANBIC IBTC Real Estate Development Fund and membership on the Harvard Business School Global Advisory Board. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Dartmouth College, and serves as faculty for the IFC's EDGE green building program.

Dr. Chinyere Almona is Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a position she has held while maintaining an extensive background in corporate governance and management spanning over 30 years across private, non-governmental, and international development sectors. Previously, she led the Africa Corporate Governance Program at the International Finance Corporation, worked as a Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers managing its corporate governance and compliance practice, and founded Vantage Coaching and Consulting Services. She holds fellowships with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, the Institute of Management Consultants, and the Institute of Directors Ghana, along with advanced degrees including an MBA in Corporate Social Responsibility from Nottingham University and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Business School Netherlands.

Damilola Thompson is cofounder and CEO of LogicAI. With over 15 years of experience in venture capital and technology, Thompson has worked as an investor, entrepreneur, and operator across global markets, with expertise in VC investments, due diligence, compliance, strategic growth planning, and corporate development.

Dayo Bankole-Hameed is founder and chief executive officer of Mirabol Integrated Services Limited, a recruitment and outsourcing firm offering executive recruitment, manpower outsourcing, soft skills training, and business consulting. With over 25 years of experience spanning market research, capital markets, retail and SME banking, financial advisory, and human capital development, Bankole-Hameed has worked across private and nonprofit organizations. He provides mentorship and advisory services to startups and has structured SME transactions and consumer credit arrangements.

Dolapo Kukoyi is an energy and infrastructure advisor with two decades of experience working with governments, institutions, and businesses across Africa. He founded Open Spaces and Bridges Advisory, a strategic advisory firm focused on energy and infrastructure project development and financing in Africa and emerging markets, and established AFARA, an accelerator supporting female African entrepreneurs in the energy and infrastructure sectors. His background includes transaction law experience on energy and infrastructure deals exceeding $100 billion in value, senior consulting roles with organizations including GIZ and the African Climate Foundation, and board positions at companies including Kowry Energy, Durandel, and Arctic Infrastructure.

Edna Agusto founded ReadManna Empowerment Initiative, a Certiport and Pearson authorized partner operating in Nigeria that provides digital literacy training and international certifications across Microsoft Office, Adobe, Autodesk, and other technology platforms to schools. The organization has certified over 20,000 students and 5,000 teachers and organizes national ICT competitions and events including the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship for Students, Computing Fundamentals National Competition, and annual ICT Awards held across multiple Nigerian cities. ReadManna's students have competed internationally at the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship, placing in the top 10 multiple times between 2014 and 2021.

Eva Akinwuntan is a Vice President at Citi, currently serving as Trade Products Manager. She completed a training program in the Risk Analytics Unit and has held the position of Senior Operations Manager at Citibank Nigeria Limited, with experience spanning product sales, banking operations, controls, customer service, risk analytics, and human resources management.

Folarinle Akinrinlola is a healthcare executive with over 27 years of experience in cardiac physiology and medical device sales across the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa. As former Indirect Channels Director at GE Healthcare for Sub-Saharan Africa, she scaled the business from $4M to $50M over five years while establishing distributor partnerships across the region. She currently serves as founder and director of Mediquip Nigeria Ltd, which supplies medical consumables to healthcare providers, and holds board positions while supporting female-led innovation initiatives in Africa.

Folasade Ambrose-Medebem is the Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment for Lagos State and a board member of the Lagos International Financial Centre. She brings over 20 years of experience in strategy, finance, sustainability, and corporate affairs, including work with FTSE100 companies across the UK, Europe, and Nigeria. Her background includes board roles with the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, the UN Sustainable Development Goal Private Sector Advisory Group, and EuroChams Nigeria, where she served as inaugural President, and she holds degrees from the Open University Business School and advanced leadership training from institutions including Oxford and Harvard Kennedy School.

Hetty Ugboh is an independent non-executive director with experience in credit and risk management within financial services. She serves as a member of the African Advisory Board at Alumnae-I Network for Harvard Women Inc and works in mentoring, business relationship management, and startup ecosystem development.

Ini Abimbola is a governance and institutional reform advisor with over 25 years of leadership experience across public and private sectors. He advises governments, development agencies, nonprofits, and corporate boards on governance structures, strategy execution, performance monitoring, and ESG frameworks, with particular focus on closing gaps between strategic intent and operational delivery. Abimbola is a 2008 Stanford Draper Hills Fellow and author of "The Operator's Trap: Why Africa's Best Executives Never Truly Lead," and currently serves as Non Executive Director at ThistlePraxis Consulting.

Irene Ochem is the Founder and CEO of the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF), a pan-African organization focused on women's economic inclusion through entrepreneurship support. She holds qualifications from universities in Nigeria, Italy, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, including an MBA from Royal Holloway, University of London, and has over 30 years of experience in international development, enterprise development, and private sector growth across Africa and Europe. Ochem founded and convenes the annual AWIEF Conference, Africa's largest women entrepreneurship platform launched in 2015, and has directly supported over 5,000 female-owned startups through various capacity-building programs; AWIEF holds Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council.

Ivana I. Osagie is the founder and CEO of PWR Advisory, where she advises boards, organizations, and global investors on governance, sustainability strategy, and leadership with a focus on African markets. Her background spans investment banking, consulting, and senior P&L roles across the UK and Africa, informing her work at the intersection of governance, sustainability, and capital allocation. She engages with select boards and institutions seeking to align African market execution with global governance standards and investor requirements.

Jola Aderemi-Makinde is co-founder of AI CoLab Africa and a former Google employee with experience in strategic leadership, partnerships, and program design across Africa and EMEA. She serves as a non-executive director, board advisor, and angel investor, with focus on AI and digital transformation strategy. Her background includes work on cross-functional initiatives in technology organizations and involvement in diversity and inclusion efforts in the tech sector.

Josephine Awatefe-Sarouk is Managing Director at Bayobab Nigeria, where she oversees implementation of regional operations strategy and manages achievement of sales targets and service levels. Her responsibilities include driving compliance initiatives and stakeholder management to support corporate reputation, as well as leading cross-functional optimization projects focused on contracts, budgeting, and capital efficiency.

Kemi Adisa is General Manager of Sustainability & Shared Value at MTN Nigeria, where she established the sustainability function and integrated it into governance, risk, performance and capital allocation systems. An engineer with over 22 years of leadership experience in telecommunications, organizational effectiveness, and human capital, she has held roles including Acting Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Committee member. She serves as Vice Chair of the GRI Stakeholder Council, a member of Nigeria's FRC Adoption Readiness Working Group, and on the ISSB Transition Implementation Group for IFRS S1 and S2 standards.

Kristin Wilson is Managing Partner at Innovate Africa Fund and Chief Strategy Officer at Spurt!, where she focuses on digital transformation, organizational design, and emerging market innovation. With over a decade of experience, she advises founders and leadership teams on technology strategy, product development, and people operations across sub-Saharan Africa. Wilson also serves as General Partner of the Bold Angel Network, Venture Partner at Oui Capital, and Investment Lead for the Rising Tide Africa Angel Network, and is a Harris Fellow.

Mayowa Obilade is a Senior Economic Development Specialist at the U.S. Department of State based in Lagos, where he advises on energy, telecom, financial services, and innovation policy to support U.S.–Nigeria bilateral engagement. With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of government, business, and sustainable development, he has led dialogues on energy policy, ESG strategy, and public-private partnerships across Africa, and convened the Global Inclusivity in AI in Africa Conference. His background includes macroeconomic research at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, banking experience at Gulf Bank, and advanced degrees in sustainability, international economics, and economics from institutions including Nexford University and the University of Lagos.

Michelle Olufeso is Principal of MIO Consult GmbH and co-developer of IFRS 15, with 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical, financial services, and telecommunications sectors. She has represented a major pharmaceutical company in standard-setting processes at the IASB and FASB and specializes in transaction accounting across revenue recognition, intangible assets, and purchase price allocation for licensing and acquisition deals. She is the author of Accounting for Innovation: Revenue Recognition in the Age of Biotech Breakthroughs and works with companies on deal structuring and IFRS compliance.

Michelle Patrick-Akinrinade serves as Anglophone West Africa Investment Advisor at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and Managing Director at CrossBoundary. Her background includes credit analysis and ratings work at Moody's Investors Service, transaction management at GE Capital covering underwriting and portfolio monitoring, and investment banking experience in capital raising and mergers and acquisitions. She has worked across sectors including extraction, energy, financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, and agriculture.

Mojisola Akinkunmi is an Executive Director at Terra Energy Services and Gaia Africa Ambassador at GAIA AFRICA with over 20 years of experience in business development, sales, finance, and marketing across technology, project management, retail, and oil & gas sectors. He has led client engagement initiatives across multiple service areas and is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor.

Morayo Osiyemi is an independent consultant with over 20 years of experience in technology strategy and execution across energy, health, consulting, banking, transportation, and telecommunications sectors in both public and private organizations. His work encompasses consulting on technology strategy development and implementation, product development, business development, and business growth strategy design. He serves as an angel investor, advisor, and mentor to technology startups in Nigeria.

Nathalie Gogue-Ebo is a Partner at Open Capital with over 15 years of experience in management consulting. She has designed market-based strategies and implemented programs addressing complex societal challenges, with particular expertise in convening partnerships among development agencies, government entities, and private sector organizations. Her background spans strategic planning, business process improvement, and results-based program management across financial services, agriculture, international development, and manufacturing sectors; she is bilingual in English and French.

Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien represents Africa on the International Sustainability Standards Board of the IFRS Foundation, contributing to the development of global sustainability and climate-related financial disclosure standards. She brings over 30 years of experience in sustainable finance and development across private, public, and nonprofit sectors in Africa, including roles as Group Chief Sustainability and Governance Officer at Dangote Industries Limited and founder of Growing Businesses Foundation, where she has partnered with multinational corporations on social and environmental initiatives. She holds a PhD in Business Ethics, Governance, and Sustainability from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt, a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics, and has taught at Lagos Business School and Darmstadt University.

Ndifreke Nkose Acca is an ACCA and AAT-qualified accountant who works as an external consultant providing ACCA Advanced Financial Management services. He specializes in tutoring management accounting, advanced financial management, and IFRS, drawing on real-world experience and training through ACCA's Tutor Development Programme. Through the ACCA platform, social media, and webinars, he has instructed students internationally in exam preparation and career guidance within accountancy.

Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Verod who serves on the Investment and Portfolio Review Committees. Previously headed The Africa List and Nigeria coverage at CDC Group.

Nireti Adebayo is Chief Executive Officer at Whyte Cleon Limited. His background includes experience in strategic human resources management, leadership and people development, and HR planning.

Nkemdilim Uwaje Begho is CEO of Futuresoft, a Nigerian digital and technology firm that has served over 200 clients across 20 industries and trained more than 1,500 executives in digital strategy. She is also co-founder and executive director of ESG in Action Africa, a pan-African consultancy providing AI-enabled ESG reporting and sustainability strategy services. Begho brings two decades of experience as a CEO, founder, and non-executive director across listed, private, and public sector organizations, with particular expertise in AI, digital transformation, and governance; she serves on multiple boards including Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, where she chairs the IT Committee, and holds advisory roles at several organizations focused on policy, innovation, and corporate governance.

Nneka Chime is Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at UAC of Nigeria Plc, where she translates corporate strategy into execution across the group. Previously a partner at CrossBoundary, she has advised on over $400 million in transactions across 60+ companies in sectors including clean energy, healthcare, consumer, and infrastructure, and has structured deals, designed blended-finance vehicles, and embedded operational frameworks to enhance investability. She holds a First-Class M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Oghogho Makinde is a Partner and Practice Head at Aluko & Oyebode, leading the firm's Energy and Natural Resources, and Infrastructure practices. Her expertise spans energy and natural resources law, public-private partnerships, infrastructure, project finance, private equity, corporate restructuring, and regulatory compliance, with a focus on supporting clients navigating Nigeria's energy sector. She serves as a member of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre Body of Neutrals and holds memberships and fellowships with the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Directors, and Women in Energy Nigeria.

Olaide Olusoji-Oke is the founder and CEO of O3 Advisory, a strategic finance consultancy. With over 20 years of experience in auditing, financial reporting, treasury management, and venture capital across sectors including oil and gas, technology, and healthcare, she has held senior finance roles at ARM Investment Managers Limited (where she served as CFO managing approximately N1.1 trillion in assets), EchoVC Partners (overseeing operations for a 40+ startup portfolio), and Hygeia Nigeria Limited. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and holds an MBA from the Business School Netherlands.

Olaitan Oduwaiye is a Senior Project Manager at Agile Applications Limited with experience leading digital transformation and change management projects across financial services, data analytics, and cloud migration. She holds a B.Eng in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the University of Ilorin and a Master's degree in Information Communications Technology Management from the University of Coventry, and maintains certifications including Project Management Professional, PRINCE2 Practitioner, and membership in the Project Management Institute and IEEE. Her technical proficiencies include Azure DevOps, Jira, Confluence, and various enterprise platforms including ERP and CRM systems.

Olajumoke Akinwunmi is a cofounder and managing director at Alitheia Capital, where he focuses on investment management. He has expertise in real estate development, feasibility studies, asset management, and real estate economics. Akinwunmi holds degrees from the University of Lagos and the University of Dundee.

Olatomiwa Williams serves as Chief Growth & AI Officer for Microsoft's Middle East and Africa Growth Markets, where he works with enterprise customers, governments, and ecosystem partners to accelerate AI adoption and build organizational capabilities in a digital economy. He founded the Uzemi Technology Empowerment Initiative to develop women leaders in technology through mentorship and AI capability building. His work focuses on helping organizations and governments navigate the transition to AI-driven operations while developing the human capabilities required to operate effectively in that environment.

Olayemi Dawodu is CEO of Lancet Laboratories, an ISO 15189 accredited diagnostic laboratory network operating across Nigeria and Africa, and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos. With over 20 years in healthcare, he has led a team of more than 200 professionals in anatomic and molecular pathology services and was involved in the 2018 Cerba-Lancet Africa merger that created Africa's largest clinical pathology laboratory network. He holds board positions, is a member of the Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria, and is a graduate of the Oxford Strategic Leadership Program.

Olubukonla Faniran is a business owner operating Hillrise8030 Resources and Sally's, a wine and spirits retailer in Ikoyi serving select clientele. He brings over 15 years of banking experience spanning operations, marketing, and branch management, including a tenure as head of the Maritime Unit. His current business focuses on premium wine imports primarily from France and Italy, with recent expansion exploration into South African wine sourcing.

Olufunto Boroffice is founder and CEO of Chanja Datti Ltd, a waste collection and recycling enterprise established in 2015 that operates across three Nigerian locations with approximately 100 full-time employees and serves over 30 organizational clients. She also convenes WASTE Africa, an organization focused on advancing waste management solutions and advocacy across Nigeria and the African continent. Boroffice's experience spans waste management, environmental sustainability, and circular economy development.

Omolola Salako is a clinical and radiation oncologist with over 20 years of experience in public and private healthcare, having provided treatment and supportive care to more than 5,000 cancer patients. She has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals and founded multiple cancer-focused organizations, including Sebeccly Cancer Care, a nonprofit that has served 10,000+ patients, and Oncopadi Tech, a digital health company developing oncology products. As an angel investor and board advisor, Salako is also involved in Pearl Oncology Specialist Hospital and hosts the Cancer on the Street Podcast.

Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka is Chief Marketing Officer at MTN Nigeria and holds an MBA in general management from the University of Manchester and a bachelor's degree in Geology from the University of Calabar. With over 25 years of experience in telecommunications, logistics, and education sectors, she has developed commercial strategies in business planning, market expansion, and talent development, and has led enterprise sales initiatives and product development across MTN's retail, SME, and digital segments. She is a doctoral candidate at Cranfield University's School of Management, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Marketing, a member of the Forbes Business Development Council, and serves as a board member for startup organizations and educational institutions in Nigeria.

Oyiza Salu serves as Chief Talent Officer at Access Holdings Plc. She holds certifications in coaching and has experience in board advisory roles and startup mentoring, alongside speaking engagements.

Prof Bosede Afolabi is Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and Director of Clinical Trials, Research and Implementation Science (CCTRIS). She holds fellowships from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists UK, the West African College of Surgeons, and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, and earned a doctorate in medicine from the University of Nottingham. As principal and co-investigator on research grants exceeding $15 million USD, she has authored over 110 peer-reviewed publications in maternal medicine, safe delivery, sickle cell pregnancy, and health systems research, and supervises seven PhD students while maintaining clinical practice and ultrasound proficiency.

Raliat Ahuoiza Oyetunde is Chief Executive Officer of Prinsult Global Consulting Ltd, a development and strategy consulting firm. With over two decades of experience in banking and consulting, she designs and delivers capacity-building interventions in leadership development, financial analysis, risk assessment, project management, and results-based management, primarily serving public sector organizations, MSMEs, and impact-driven programs. Her advisory work focuses on institutional strengthening, governance frameworks, and translating organizational strategy into implementable solutions.

Rolayo Akhigbe is Senior Vice President and Financial Institutions Sales Head for Nigeria and Ghana at Citi. With expertise in transaction banking, he has managed the development, sale, and implementation of financial institution and wholesale products including trade finance, collections, payments, and liquidity management. His experience also encompasses retail alternate channels, banking-as-a-service offerings, and technology ecosystem partnerships.

Segilade Ademoroti serves as Chief Executive Officer of MD Capital Advisors and Management Company Ltd and Sapphire Group, advising family offices, private clients, pension funds, and venture capital investors. A Fellow of the United Kingdom Pensions Management Institute, he brings experience across wealth management, pensions, asset management, and insurance sectors, with background in business development and stakeholder relationship management.

Shelly Omilâdè Bell is Founder and CEO of Black Girl Ventures, an entrepreneurship organization that has supported over 39,000 entrepreneurs across 64 countries and facilitated funding for more than 550 businesses, while securing over $10 million in partnerships. She is also Founder of BLYMI, an emotional support technology company offering breathwork, meditation, and other practices to help individuals regulate their nervous systems. Bell advises organizations on strategy and leadership, hosts programming on SiriusXM, has authored a book, and has collaborated with companies including Nike, TikTok, Visa, and PIMCO.

Titilola Akinlade is an information technology and project management professional with experience in the upstream oil and gas and higher education sectors. Her areas of focus include IT project management, systems development, delivery and support, change management, relationship management, and training. She is open to consulting opportunities in these domains.

Tokunbo Lawal is an enterprise operations and transformation executive with over 25 years of experience in business growth, operational improvement, and value creation across real estate, infrastructure, energy, telecoms, financial services, and ICT sectors. His career spans corporate transformation roles at organizations including British Telecom and AT&T, as well as entrepreneurial and P&L leadership positions across the UK, US, Europe, and Nigeria. He currently serves as Non Executive Director at M & E Kaiser Limited and previously held the position of Managing Director at UPDC Facility Management, where his focus included strategy, business transformation, asset optimization, and organizational performance.

Tokunboh Ishmael is a Managing Partner at Alitheia Capital, where she leads the firm's strategic direction. She focuses on investments aimed at sustainable impact and has worked on sustainable finance in Africa.

Tolu Sekoni is Talent & Development Director for Africa at The Coca-Cola Company, overseeing talent management, succession planning, and leadership development across more than 50 countries. With over 15 years of experience in human resources, Sekoni has worked across African and global organizations on talent strategy, organizational effectiveness, and workforce transformation. Sekoni holds an MBA, SHRM-SCP certification, and professional executive coaching credentials.

Uche Ogboi is an Independent Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair at RBC Brewin Dolphin Ireland, the Irish subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada, where she also serves on the Risk and Remuneration Committees. She is a Non-Executive Director at Enterprise Ireland, having previously chaired its Audit, Finance & Risk Committee, and formerly served as a Governor and Finance & Audit Committee member of the Rotunda Hospital. Her earlier experience includes a role on the Group Executive Committee of a FTSE 250 company, and she currently advises Blume Equity, a pan-European growth equity fund, and mentors on Euronext's IPOready programme; she holds a Harvard MBA and an economics degree from Oxford and is a Chartered Accountant.

Yemi Keri is President of the Africa Business Angel Network and CEO of Heckerbella Limited, with over 22 years of experience in technology leadership and digital transformation across public and private sectors. She has held senior positions including Regional Manager for West Africa at SAP Africa and Managing Director of the Edo State Directorate of Information Communications & Technology Agency, and serves as Chair and Non-Executive Director on multiple boards in technology and investment sectors. She is active in corporate governance advisory, policy discussions, and early-stage investment support across Africa's technology ecosystem.

Yemisi Akinbo is a Principal at African Capital Alliance with more than 24 years of experience in private equity and financial services. His background includes deal origination, structuring, and exits across consumer, industrials, healthcare, and education sectors, alongside portfolio management and fundraising responsibilities. He holds board positions as a non-executive director and trustee, and is a graduate of London Business School.

Yewande Adewusi is the Chief Operating Officer and Operating Principal at Alitheia Capital. Her background is in operational management and strategy, where she focuses on execution and aligning operations with the firm's strategic goals.

Yewande Williams is an Assistant Manager in Audit at KPMG Islands Group with experience in banking, finance, private equity, and real estate sectors. Her background includes financial statement assessment, risk evaluation, and regulatory advisory work. Williams seeks to transition into private equity to apply her analytical expertise to investment strategies and portfolio management.

Yvonne Ogunoiki is General Counsel at mPharma. She is a legal practitioner with experience in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, corporate finance, taxation, capital markets, and banking and finance. Ogunoiki provides regulatory compliance and advisory services to business startups and has completed training in private equity, bond issues, contract structuring, and derivatives.