SPEAKERS

JO GRIFFITHS Co-Founder of GIIG, and Managing Partner of the Loudhailer, Jo has worked at the intersection of tech startups, major corporations, government, academia and investors on the African continent for over a decade. Jo will facilitate the Future of funding and gender-lens investing in Africa, fireside chat.

CAITLIN NASH Co-Founder of GIIG, and Founding Partner of the Loudhailer, Caitlin specialises in creating communication frameworks and partnerships for growth, through key relationship development and pragmatic, integrated strategies. Caitlin will co-host day one of the Global Startup Awards Africa Summit.

MAHYAR MAKHZANI Co-Founder of GIIG and Founding Partner of Amma Group. During the formation of its ESG goal, Amma Group was introduced to the African partner for the Global Start Up Awards and saw the opportunity to support and connect digital futureshapers whose innovations could address global environmental, social and governance concerns.

PETER KOVACS Founding Partner & Head of Friendships, Global Startup Awards. Global Startup Awards is about making a positive global impact by connecting startup ecosystems nationally, regionally, and globally, already in 123 countries across the globe in 11 regions of 4 continents.

LESLEY DONNA WILLIAMS is CEO of Wits University’s Tshimologong Precinct that aims to realise African digital innovation for global markets. Lesley is also founder of Lesley Donna Williams Consulting and in 2010 launched the first Impact Hub in Africa in Johannesburg - now one of over 100 around the world. She has served on the global Association Board and consulted to numerous teams in launching hubs. Lesley will co-host day one of the Global Startup Awards Africa Summit.

DR. SUMARIE ROODT is a Research Associate at the Centre for Information Technology and National Development in Africa. Outside of UCT, she is a Director and Co-Chairperson of the Silicon Cape Initiative; a Research Associate at the Sustainability Institute and Co-Founder of NOOSi a healthtech startup. Sumarie also serves on the BRICS working group on Science, Technology and Innovation Driven Entrepreneurship and has contributed to South Africa’s Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (PC4IR). With a dual specialisation in Psychology and technology we are honoured that Sumarie will be moderating the Megatrends: Africa as a tech continent of the future - Healthcare Panel discussion.

MANDI SWANEPOEL is the HealthTech Ecosystem Manager: Cape Health Technology Park at Wesgro, the official Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency for the Western Cape. Wesgro is the first point of contact for foreign investors and local exporters, attracting and facilitating investment into the Western Cape, nationally and internationally. We are honoured to have Wesgro as a sponsor and that Mandi will sit on the Megatrends: Africa as a tech continent of the future - Healthcare Panel discussion.

CHUNGU CHIPIMO Co-Founder of Dawa Health, a digital health platform democratizing access to maternal health. The platform works with a network of community health workers who provide lastmile health delivery. Chungu will be participating in the Megatrends: Africa as a tech continent of the future - Healthcare Panel discussion.

RYAN MARINCOWITZ Founder of My Health Africa, a healthtech company offering B2B medical management & telehealth platforms and B2C patient medical treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ryan will be participating in the Megatrends: Africa as a tech continent of the future - Healthcare Panel discussion.

ANDREI MIGATCHEV Chief Technology Officer of Envisionit Deep AI, a medical technology company using Artificial Intelligence to transform medical imaging diagnosis. Andrei will be participating in the Megatrends: Africa as a tech continent of the future - Healthcare Panel discussion.

HERMANN HAUPT Vice President CHEP Sub Sahara Africa. CHEP is a global leader in managed, returnable and reusable packaging solutions, serving many of the world's largest companies in sectors such as consumer goods, fresh produce, beverage and automotive. CHEP prides itself on its environmentally sustainable credentials and we are therefore honoured that they have chosen to sponsor the Megatrends: Africa as a tech continent of the future - Sustainability panel discussion.

KLARISKA MOODLEY is Head of Experimentation: Global Accelerator Programme (Sustainable Development Goals) at UNDP. This role takes an evidence-based approach to identifying non-traditional solutions that can accelerate South Africa’s achievement of the SDGs and defines the roll-out strategy for new solutions. We are delighted that Klariska will sit on the Megatrends: Africa as a tech continent of the future - Sustainability panel discussion.

BOLUWATIFE AREWA Founder of Scrapays, helping 1% of the population in every urban city survive, by operating recycling businesses to provide on-demand material recovery services to waste producers. Boluwatife will be participating in the Megatrends: Africa as a tech continent of the future - Sustainability panel discussion.

KIDUS ASFAW Founder of Kubik, making low-carbon, low-cost building materials from plastic waste. Kidus will be participating in the Megatrends: Africa as a tech continent of the future - Sustainability panel discussion.

DAVID TERBLANCHE Co-Founder of Scarabtech, turning plastic waste into carbon neutral fuel. David will be showcasing the technology being built by Scrabtech.

YUGEN PILLAY National Director of Business Consulting at SNG Grant Thornton, one of the world's leading organisations of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms.. Yugen will be participating in the Global Market Access & Partnerships panel discussion.

KAGISO KOYABE is a Technical Advisor at Botswana Innovation Hub, a national innovation and digital transformation organization that nurtures and support the growth and mainstreaming of technology and innovation in the country. Working in the Acceleration Programme, Kagiso assists youth entrepreneurs and commercially ready startups, with their First Steps Venture Centre (FSVC). Kagiso joins us on the Market Access & Partnerships panel discussion.

MOHAMED ALGAWISH Founder of iSchool, an online platform providing technology education programs for 6 to 18 years old students to learn and create careers in fields like programming, graphics, artificial intelligence, robotics and electronics. Mohamed will be showcasing the technology that iSchool brings.

MARGY NICOL is the Project Lead for Fetola a South African based social enterprise that helps people to grow the economy and create jobs by building businesses that last. We are delighted that Fetola is sponsoring the Evolution of corporate innovation and partnerships panel discussion and brings with them, a number clients they work with.

CHARLES WYETH is Enterprise and Supplier Development Manager at Distell. Through his work with business incubation, enterprise and supplier development, and as CEO of the GODISA Trust, Charles helped to build the GODISA Trust from a R24 million operation supporting 8 business incubators to a R100 million incubation support programme supporting 20 business incubators and technology demonstration centres. He was also chairperson of the Southern African Business and Technology Incubation Association (SABTIA) and an African Incubation Network (AIN) founding member. Charles joins the Evolution of corporate innovation and partnerships panel discussion.

HENRY MATHYS is a Senior Manager, responsible for Social Impact at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. Henry leads a team responsible for the implementation of socio-economic programmes across the property with the specific emphasis on providing new economic opportunities, job creation and lowering barriers to enter market for small enterprises.  Henry will be participating in the Evolution of corporate innovation and partnerships panel discission.

RALPH VAN NIEKERK is a patent attorney and partner at Von Seidels Intellectual Property Attorneys. With a keen interest in high technology companies Von Seidels practice includes patent prosecution, litigation and technology licensing for companies in a wide range of industries, including ICT, software and electronics. We are honoured that Von Seidels is our sponsor for the Intellectual Property in Africa panel discussion.

DR MADELEIN KLEYN is CEO Mad K IP Consulting and Director Technology Transfer, Stellenbosch University. Madelein specialises in Management of IP in the corporate environment with experience in patent and trademark prosecution, IP strategy and offshore IP structuring. Madelein is therefore extremely well positioned to facilitate the Intellectual Property in Africa panel discussion.

SEAN MOOLMAN is the founder of the Moolman Institute of Technology Commercialization with the mission is to help entrepreneurs and innovators succeed in delivering new value to society, by building the definitive home of practical and accessible online technology commercialization training. He is also the co-founder of a startup focusing on making energy more accessible and sustainable in Africa. Sean will be participating in the Intellectual Property in Africa panel discussion, providing insight into the stages that startups must go through in order to prove value for prospective VC’s.

GIDEON GREAVES is the Managing Director, Africa for CV VC, an early-stage venture capital investor with a focus on startups that build on blockchain technology. In addition to the venture capital investments, CV VC operate their own incubator and ecosystem business under the CV Labs brand, consisting of co-working spaces, advisory and events.

WESLEY DIPHOKO is the Editor in Chief at Fast Company described as the most progressive media brand in the world, it inspires a new breed of innovation and creative thought leaders who are actively inventing the future of business. With engaging narratives as informative as they are entertaining, Fast Company motivates fans to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead proactively and most importantly embrace change. Being at the sharp-end of new technological advancements Wesley is well placed to facilitate the Unpacking blockchain for good and the Metaverse for Africa, panel discussion.

IAN PUTTER is an Executive at Standard Bank, the largest financial institution in Africa, where he heads up Blockchain as an executive focusing on multiple use cases and platforms some in production and some starting - working and collaborating with local and global experts. We are delighted that Standard Bank will be sponsoring the panel discussion, Unpacking blockchain for good and the Metaverse for Africa.

ALMAW MOLLA Founder of Coffee Resurrect, creating 100% Natural Personal care, Nautracutical and Food ingredients from spent coffee grounds, sustainably.

HEATHER PARKER is deeply passionate about making a positive contribution to society in both environmental and socio-economic ways, and has contributed to LevelUp’s Inspirator since inception in curriculum development and delivery. She holds responsibility for communications at LevelUp. She holds an MBA on the Executive level from UCT’s GSB and a coaching diploma, and is an Enneagram practitioner. Heather will be facilitating in the Future of funding and gender-lens investing in Africa Fireside Chat.

SARAH DUSEK Leading venture capitalist and founder of Enygma Ventures, believes passionately in empowering women to reach their full potential and enable them to grow in their leadership. This commitment extends to a broader mission to help grow scalable, sustainable businesses that have the power to transform communities, cities and nations. Sarah will be participating in the Future of funding and gender-lens investing in Africa Fireside Chat.

TENDAI MUGABE Senior Programme Associate at the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), is passionate about the advancement of women in business. Tendai was instrumental in developing an innovative 7-year programme that focuses on the uplift of vulnerable girls across South Africa called “PowerGirls”.  Tendai also serves as a council member for an organisation called Children of the Dawn. Tendai will be participating in the Future of funding and gender-lens investing in Africa Fireside Chat.

TEBOGO MOKWENA is an African Fintech Founder and Women in Tech visionary. Co-founder of Akiba Digital, a data and technology company that provides financial intelligence solutions, with a vision is to unlock financial opportunities for consumers, businesses and society using alternative data. Tebogo will be participating in the Future of funding and gender-lens investing in Africa Fireside Chat.

MENNA SHAHIN Founder of Tekeya and winner of the Women in Tech category, Tekeya is app that encourages the re-purposing of food that would otherwise be thrown away. Menna will be participating in the Future of funding and gender-lens investing in Africa Fireside Chat.

MATT SMITH is a former venture capitalist, exited-founder, and author. Today, he is known for his energetic, entertaining, and educational stage performances as an acclaimed public speaker, lecturer, and event host at many of the largest conferences around the world.