An African leader in financial services who has worked across multiple geographies on projects that have attracted interest internationally. Through various leadership roles, he has sought to meaningfully drive equality, diversity, inclusion and education in the corporate and non-profit environments. He has worked with both government and the private sector as a contributor, advisor and board member.

Lesley Ndlovu is Chief Executive Officer of African Risk Capacity (ARC), a specialized insurance company that provides parametric insurance coverage against weather-related risks such as droughts, floods and tropical cyclones. Prior to ARC, Ndlovu held senior leadership positions in the financial services sector in Bermuda, Singapore, France, the United Kingdom and South Africa. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the UN Principles of Sustainable Insurance. Under his leadership ARC underwrote the largest insurance pool in the history of the company, providing insurance coverage to 12 million Africans who are vulnerable to the devastating effects of natural disasters.

Lelise Neme, Director-General of the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority, has embarked on a remarkable journey marked by a rapid ascent to leadership. She has served as Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission. Neme’s leadership potential blossomed early, when she was a student at Jimma University. Aged 24, she was CEO of the Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC) in Ethiopia. Prior to her IPDC tenure, she was Director-General of the Oromia Industrial Development Agency and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Oromia Industrial Park Development Corporation. Neme consistently demonstrates her capability and drive as a leader, remaining undeterred by challenges. She showcases her ability to thrive in high-stakes environments with resilience and proficiency.

Thabile Ngwato is a dynamic entrepreneur and leader in broadcasting and technology. Her journey reflects a commitment to innovation, diversity and shaping the future of broadcasting and content distribution in South Africa and across the continent. Ngwato has a background in both radio and television. She honed her vision during her tenure at the South African Public Broadcaster. Entrepreneurial Ventures. She is Co-Founder of Rapid Innovation, a connected services agency specializing in innovative broadcasting and content distribution strategies. Ngwato co-founded Newzroom Afrika (channel 405), the first Black and youngest woman to own commercial TV channels in Africa, broadcasting to 52 African countries. In addition to Newzroom Afrika, she co-founded two other channels: Movie Room (channel 113) and Play Room (channel 300). She founded Bluestream Technologies, a broadcast satellite business, in 2021, making it the only 100% black and woman-owned uplink business in South Africa. Ngwato has actively contributed to transforming the media and broadcasting landscape in South Africa and Africa at large. She has navigated predominantly male-led sectors, showcasing her leadership and entrepreneurship. Ngwato serves on the boards of Rapid Innovation Investments and the Ngwato Nkosi Group, further showcasing her involvement in business and strategic decision-making. Her founding of Bluestream Technologies (a broadcast satellite business) in 2021 solidifies her as one of the most influential players in South Africa’s broadcast and ICT sectors. Ngwato's journey highlights her dedication to breaking barriers, fostering innovation and contributing to the advancement of the broadcasting and technology sectors in Africa. Her numerous awards underscore the impact of her work and the recognition she has garnered in the industry. They include: GLAMOUR Magazine Woman of the Year Award in 2018; Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Institute Woman of Firsts Award in 2019 for being the first and youngest woman to own a commercial television news channel in Africa; Global African Award for Excellence in Media in 2021.

Wawira is the founder of Food for Education an organisation that is feeding Africa’s future through innovative, cutting-edge technology. Food for Education has created a sustainable model of efficiently providing locally sourced, high quality, nutritious meals to public primary school children. Their scalable, efficient model is creating the first sustainable path to solve the child nutrition crisis for 500 million African children. She is a Ford Foundation Global Fellow, the youngest recipient of the University of South Australia’s alumni award 2017, a 2018 Rainer Arnhold Fellow, a recipient of the Builders of Africa Award 2018 and one of 2018’s Top 40 under 40 women in Kenya. She is also the first recipient of the Global Citizen Youth Leadership Prize 2018 presented by Cisco.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is Minister of Information and Member of Parliament. He is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana, and serves on the Finance and Constitutional Committees of Parliament.

Faraja Nyalandu is an award-winning social entrepreneur, committed to promoting systemic change in digital learning in primary and secondary education in Africa. She founded Shule Direct in 2013, a social enterprise that digitises national curriculums and leverages technology and innovative teaching approaches to improve learning outcomes for all children and youth.

Mr. Victor Ochen is the Founder and Executive Director for African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET). Born in northern Uganda, he spent 21yrs of his childhood as a refugee in the camps, where he survived on one meal-a-day for over 7 years. He grew up amidst violent conflict that displaced over 3 million people, where 60,000+ children were abducted and forcefully recruited as child-soldiers, including his own brother. His organisation has so far provided reconstructive medical repair to over 21,000 war victims of rape, mutilation, gun shots).

Challenged by the hardships of war and poverty, while living in the camps at the age of 13 years, Ochen formed a Peace Club and bravely led the anti-child soldiers’ recruitment campaign amidst the war in northern Uganda. He grew up to become one of the most important figures in Africa, a key reference when it comes to struggle for human rights and justice, a product of resilience, a personification of struggle. He is a lead example on tolerance and nonviolence activism; who is creatively working to address the root cause of conflict in Africa.

Forbes Magazines named Ochen in 2015 as one of the 10 most powerful men in Africa, while Archbishop Desmond Tutu attested that “my heart swells with joy to see Ochen as one of the new hope for Africa”. He is the first Uganda and the youngest ever African nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2015. Ochen is the YGL and has received several awards including Elyse Treaty in 2016; Pan-Commonwealth Youth Workers 2015, Mundo Negro Award 2016; all recognizing his service to poor people and his inspirational leadership for peace in Africa. He is the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Justice promoting SDG Goal16. Mr. Ochen is a member of the Global Advisory Group to the UNHCR on Gender, Forced Displacement and Protection.

Kennedy Odede is founder of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO). He is a former street child who lived most of his life in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, founded SHOFCO with savings from his $1 per day factory job. SHOFCO’s programs have currently served over 219,000 individuals as of 2017. The organization is scaling across Kenya’s slums with a model that links free schools for girls to holistic community services for all. SHOFCO is currently in six slums this includes Kibera and Mathare. In 2018 SHOFCO became the winners of the Hilton Humanitarian Prize, this making it the first grassroots organisation to receive such an esteemed award. Kennedy was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur, and has won the Mohammed Ali Humanitarian Award. The New York Times, CNN, and Project Syndicate are some of the Media Houses who’ve published his opinion articles on urban poverty. His work has been featured by President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and on five occasions by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times, including Kristof’s book and documentary. Although he was informally educated, Kennedy received a full scholarship to Wesleyan University, where he currently serves on the board of trustees.

Angela Oduor Lungati is a seasoned technologist, community builder and advocate of open-source software, driven by a profound commitment to leveraging technology for marginalized communities. With over a decade of experience in software development, global community engagement and non-profit organizational management, Lungati is Executive Director of Ushahidi, a leading Africa-led, non-profit technology company. Under her leadership, Ushahidi has undergone a strategic transformation, breaking down barriers to access and enhancing the platform's utilization, notably in the global COVID-19 response across 140 countries. Lungati’s influence extends to her role on the Board of Directors for Creative Commons and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. She is also Co-Founder of AkiraChix, a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing generations of women using technology to drive innovations and solutions for Africa. She is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Data Equity. Lungati’s multifaceted expertise and impactful initiatives position her as a trailblazer in the intersection of technology, community development and social impact.

MBA. Consulting in global banking operations, developmental consulting, diaspora marketing, employee volunteering programmes, globalization, faith-based initiatives and youth empowerment. With Citigroup, Chams and Center for Management Development; led projects implementation to create jobs in Nigeria through entrepreneurship. Currently, via the Diaspora Innovation Institute, with partnership with Lagos Business School championing initiative to mobilize African diaspora back to their home countries to support engagement and participation in political, economic and social spheres. Chief Convener, African Diaspora Conferences. Author. Recipient, US President's Volunteer Service Gold Award.

Fredros Okumu is the Director of Science at Ifakara Health Insitute (IHI). Fredros' work has attracted numerous awards and recognition, including the 2009 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Young Investigator Award; 2014 Al Jazeera Lifelines Health Hero; 2016 Foreign Policy Global Thinker; and 2018 Quartz Africa Innovator. He is an important voice at the intersection of public health and the environment in Africa.