Passionate about Africa's Innovation Ecosystem

GSA AFRICA REGIONAL JURY 2024

  • Bheki Nkomo

    CEO & Co-Founder

    Qnum

  • Dr Julian Rowa

    Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

    Shajuls Business and Management Consulting

  • Derek Whitehead

    Chief Opperations Director

    Jumpstarter Crowdfunding

  • Dmitrii Kucher

    Co-Founder

    P2H

  • Dmytro Breslavets

    Co-founder

    P2H

  • Emenet Ephrem

    Agribusiness Consultant

    Resilience BV

  • Gbenga Hassan

    Partner

    Argentil Capital Partners

  • Hussaina Salihu

    Senior Consultant & Facilitator

    Kaduna Business School

  • Ilia Zadiabin

    Senior Software Developer

    TaxDome

  • Jeanmarie Bwemo

    Operations Manager

    Smart Lab

  • Karthik Reddy

    Principal R&D Engineer

    HighLife

  • Kirill Markin

    Founder

    ozma.io

  • Kofi Ahenkora Asiamah

    Financial Data Analyst

    i3 Technologies

  • Marcia Vasconcelos

    Head of the Compliance and Legal Affairs Office

    EMIS - Empresa Interbancária de Serviços

  • Maria Cupido

    Global CMO

    Binarii Labs

  • Mareike Mgwelo

    Startup Consultant, Author & Digital Trainer Entrepreneurship Education

  • Pius Reis

    Chief Executive Officer

    Black Innovations Africa

  • Sameera Chattun Koyratty

    Chief Executive Officer

    Safe Sha Training Centre Ltd

  • Sherry Yin

    Founder

    First Impact Partners

  • Shorouq Al-Halawani

    Creativity and Innovation Consultant

    TalentJO

  • Srihathai Prammanee

    AIS The StartUp Management

    AIS - Advanced Info Services Plc.

  • Suzan Nafisa

    Pod Manager

    UniPod South Sudan

  • Yattish Ramhorry

    CTO & Founder

    4IR Technologies

  • Yulia Belov

    Entrepreneur and Product expert

GSA AFRICA CONTINENTAL JURY 2024

  • Abedal Rahman Ali AlZghoul

    Youth Advisory Group Member

    The World Bank

  • Alice Crippa

    Creative Futurist & Strategist + Cultural Producer

    Differ Studio

  • Aneesa Theron

    Executive Leadership Consultant and Coach

    CRAFT Advisory Services

  • Arif Esa

    Deputy Chairman

    International Trade Council - Banking and Trade Finance Division

  • Aurelio Schmid

    Private Equity & Venture Capital Analyst

    Reichmuth & Co Privatbankiers

  • Benjamin Shaw

    Investment Associate

    EXEO Capital

  • Bheki Nkomo

    CEO & Co-Founder

    Qnum

  • Catherine Kabaki

    Client Service & Marketing Manager

    SNDBX International

  • Claire Pengelly

    Head: Strategic Partnerships

    GreenCape

  • Dmitrii Kucher

    Co-Founder

    P2H

  • Dmytro Breslavets

    Co-founder

    P2H

  • Dr Emma Waiyaiya

    Executive Director

    Pan African Health Informatics Association (HELINA)

  • Dr Jorjoh Ndure-Tambedou, PhD

    Chief Executive Officer

    InSIST Global Gambia Ltd.

  • Dr. Markus Thill

    President Region Africa

    Robert Bosch (Pty) Ltd.

  • Ebrahim Seid

    Senior Communication Officer

    Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute

  • Emeka Ossai

    Chief Community Builder

    CampusLabs

  • Enrico Cupido

    Managing Director

    EJC Consulting (Pty) Ltd

  • Felista Aku

    Senior Partnerships Manager

    AfriLabs

  • Gbenga Hassan

    Partner

    Argentil Capital Partners

  • George Goognin

    Founder

    Evita

  • Ihor Ovcharenko

    Chief Innovation Officer

    Innovation and Digital Development Agency of Azerbaijan

  • Imre Hild

    Chief Executive Officer

    Obuda Uni Venture Capital + Venture Studio

  • Ishmael K Thaga

    Head - Exponential Transformation

    Innolead Consulting

  • James Nakagawa

    EVP Strategy & Business Development

    Advising Family Investment Offices

  • Joan Mogale

    Head of Growth and Partnerships

    First National Bank (FNB)

  • Joanne Peter

    Director, Innovation Hub

    Jhpiego

  • Joel Buarte

    Product Owner, Sustainability, CIB Digital

    The Standard Bank of South Africa

  • Johann Joubert

    Chief Executive Officer

    Converge Solutions

  • John Sabet

    Partner

    Mediation&Resolution

  • Jonathan Harrison

    Chief Executive Officer

    Frontier-Invest Ltd

  • Karl Lillrud

    AI & Business Growth Expert

  • Kirill Markin

    Founder

    ozma.io

  • Manuel Santos-Vitor

    Partner

    Abreu Advogados

  • Marietjie Engelbrecht

    Chief of Staff

    UVU Africa

  • Mercy Kimalat

    Chief Executive Officer

    Association of Startup and SME Enablers of Kenya

  • Michael Kembo

    Global Business Development and Partnerships Lead

    SNDBX International

  • Nawal Gharmili Sefrioui

    Digital Transformation & Customer Experience

    Orange Maroc

  • Nick Reed

    Founder

    Reed Mobility

  • Nozimjon Gaybulloev

    Director of Development

    XMed, Rubber Plast Pharm LLC, and Garnethotel

  • Palesa Antony

    Technology Lead

    Mobile Applications Laboratory (mLab)

  • Phindi Msomi

    CEO and Principle Consultant

    Acumind Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd

  • Rachel Ndungu

    Chief Executive Officer

    Biashara Africa

  • Reinhold Shiwagala

    Project Manager (Acquired Founder)

    Adaire Technology Services

  • Richard Wilson

    Managing Director

    IncubEx

  • Sarah Dusek

    Managing Partner

    Enygma Ventures

  • Saurabh Kumar

    Senior Manager, Data Science

    Kraft Heinz Foods Company

  • Sean Branagan

    Director, Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship

    Newhouse School, Syracuse University

  • Sherry Yin

    Founder

    First Impact Partners

  • Soha El Baklawy

    Consultant, Advisor and CEO

    Businessita

  • Victoria Nxumalo

    Executive Director

    Girls in STEM Trust

  • Wilfred Chege

    Co-founder & CEO

     Zendawa Africa

  • Will Green

    Chief Executive Officer

    Co.lab

  • Yulia Belov

    Entrepreneur and Product expert

  • "Serving as a regional jury member for the Global Startup Awards Africa has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It has been a profound honor and a source of immense pride to evaluate and mark the innovative efforts of startups across Africa. Witnessing firsthand the creativity, resilience, and ingenuity displayed by these burgeoning enterprises has been nothing short of inspirational. The growth and innovation within Africa's startup ecosystem is a testament to the continent's boundless potential and the entrepreneurial spirit driving its progress. I am truly humbled to be a part of this transformative journey, contributing to the recognition and celebration of Africa's brightest minds and most promising ventures"

    Maria Cupido, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Binarii Labs

  • "The tech innovations we evaluated for the health sector in Africa were truly inspiring. The applicants showcased groundbreaking solutions that have the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery in the region. It was encouraging to witness the convergence of technology and healthcare, paving the way for improved health outcomes and achievement of sustainable development"

    Farai Chirongoma, Programme Analyst, UNDP

  • "The overwhelming FinTech solutions from brilliant young entrepreneurs from the Northern, Eastern and Southern African Regions that participated in the Global Africa Startup Awards this year; l can envisage a new dawn of a FinTech revolution that is about to sweep across the length and breadth of the African Continent and not too distant future these startups will take the world by storm in the FinTech industry globally."

    Kofi Ahenkora Asiamah, Financial Data Analyst, i3 Technologies

  • "African Entrepreneurs pave the way for the continent's future, and this year's Startup of the Year competition has shown that very well. The diversity in business ambitions is impressive, and besides agritech, education, and fintech solutions - pharmacy, eMobility, and aerospace have started playing a stronger role.  They are truly making a difference in their communities, countries, regions, and beyond. Africa rises and startups are instrumental in this development."

    Guido Schwartz, Director, Foundation for Space Development Africa

  • "Reviewing and scoring nominations from across regions of Africa for the GSA has been incredibly rewarding. Given my journey in the tech industry, I’ve always cherished the opportunities to engage with diverse perspectives and innovative solutions that are molding our world. It was truly inspiring to witness the applicants' exceptional achievement and groundbreaking projects. My message to all the applicants: “Bring your authentic self, passion, and high standards to your work and interactions. And continue Inspire and challenge those around you to also strive for excellence and fulfillment.”

    Sameera Chattun Koyratty, CEO, Safe Sha Training Centre

  • "Africa is the new frontier for innovation and progressive change, endowed with an abundance of creative thinking and aptitude. I am indeed honored to have provided critical appraisal and value judgement on hundreds of submissions that I was privileged to interact with. As a Regional Jury Member in the Green Tech Innovation category, I interrogated TOP of the RANGE proposals and prototypes, crafted to solve real life problems It is time for the rest of the world to take notice and engage Africa from a place of mutual interest. The resident BRAIN POWER will change the world. Trust Me."

    Dr. Julian Rowa, Director Strategy, Africa Blockchain Youth Ambassadors (ABYA)

  • "I was impressed by the diversity of the teams and the problems they are focused on solving. The specificity of the projects reflects both the unique regional characteristics of the African continent and the global needs of our planet, indicating their potential for worldwide application. I had the privilege of observing very strong, cohesive teams with deep expertise in the issues they aimed to address. It was particularly gratifying to see projects dedicated to tackling Green Tech challenges at various levels, from educating people on proper waste sorting to developing new types of fuel. Thank you for the opportunity to review these outstanding projects."

    Svetlana Zakharenkova, Co-Founder, Smart Teddy

  • "People often assume Africa lags in technology, but its unique and challenging environment has driven even more innovative solutions to critical issues. I'm truly amazed by the groundbreaking innovations I reviewed, from direct air capture and blue ocean tech to plastic recycling and solar, water, and waste solutions. The immense talent and potential here to tackle global challenges is beyond inspiring!"

    Sherry Yin, Co-founder, First Impact Partners

  • "The caliber of startups in this year’s competition highlights Africa’s rising role as a global innovation hub, where new ideas are not just conceived but executed with purpose and precision."

    Karl Lillrud, AI and business growth expert

  • "I felt proud of the advanced projects and the competition was very strong and I was happy with my selection which inspired me and I see that all the participants were able to achieve success but need development, thank you because I learned a lot from you in keeping up with the world and expanding horizons and I aspire to be part of the change that you are making To serve the world."

    Abedalrahman Alzghoul, Youth Advisory Group Member, The World Bank

  • "I look forward to judging GSA Africa year after year because it's an incredible learning experience. The problems solved are hyper-relevant and the solutions are meaningful, and yet always unexpected. I love it, especially when submissions take the time to provide insights on the local context and how seemingly simple solutions are generating deep, transformative, long-lasting impact"

    Alice Crippa, Creative Futurist & Strategist + Cultural Producer, Differ Studio

  • "I was delighted to be invited to participate in judging the Global Startup Awards Africa and very impressed by the entries I was asked to evaluate. Each showed tremendous ingenuity but also a clear understanding of their chosen market and the route to scaling their innovation. I look forward to seeing how each team progresses in the months and years ahead."

    Nick Reed, Founder, Reed Mobility

  • "Judging at GSA Africa 2024 was a transformative experience. The level of innovation and ingenuity I witnessed was truly inspiring. It's clear that Africa is home to a new generation of entrepreneurs who are revolutionising sustainable solutions. The future of global environmental challenges is bright, thanks to the incredible work of these innovators."

    Reinhold Shiwagala, Project Manager (Acquired Founder), Adaire Technology Services

  • "Being part of the GSA Africa Continental Jury 2024 is a unique opportunity to connect with some of Africa's most promising startups and innovators. It's a privilege to contribute to an ecosystem that fosters cross-border collaboration, global exposure, and transformative opportunities for African entrepreneurs."

    Richard Wilson, Managing Director, IncubEx

  • "The GSA Africa jury process was a truly inspiring experience. The quality and diversity of startups I reviewed demonstrated the immense potential of African entrepreneurs in addressing critical global challenges. It's clear that Africa is not just participating in the global innovation ecosystem, but is poised to lead in many areas."

    Saurabh Kumar, Senior Manager, Data Science, Kraft Heinz Foods Company

  • "Entrepreneurs are never losers so don't get bumped if you don't win, some entrepreneurs know how to polish their value while others are still a work in progress."

    Soha El Baklawy, Consultant, Advisor and CEO, Businessita

  • "Participating as a juror in the African Startup Awards was an enriching experience, both in terms of organizational excellence and the quality of startup representation. Many of the startups were remarkable for the elegance of their solutions, their transformative impact on daily life, and their positive contributions to the environment. I am hopeful that the Startup Awards will continue to foster innovative ideas that enhance prosperity for both people and the planet."

    Yulia Belov, Product Manager Blockchain & Data

  • "I am humbled to be a part of something that puts a spotlight on the genius that is on the continent and that gives them a platform to showcase their amazing products and services. As a continent, let's rally behind our startups and help them thrive by promoting, buying and using our African-made products. Africa's future is bright!"

    Michael Kembo, Global Business Development and Partnerships Lead, SNDBX International