Panels
Venture Capital Financing in Africa:
The Next Frontier?
Private Equity in Africa has had a very disappointing past few years. During this period, however, headlines on tech and tech-related investing have gained significant traction. The venture capital space appears to be picking up, but is this really justified? One could argue that Africa is a continent blessed with millions of SMEs and there is room for venture capital to get involved. This panel aims to dissect where and how this sector develops.
Panelists
Steven Grin, CEO, Lateral Capital
Chike Ukaegbu, Founder of Startup52
Kwame Leslie Dougan, Managing Partner at Scotch & Palm
Kito Adegbenro, MD, Hexion Prime Ltd. & Leapfrog Industries Ltd.
Moderated By: Dabo Horsfall, Director, Accordion Partners
State of the African Fashion Industry
The African Fashion Industry is a $31 billion industry which has seen increased popularity globally in recent years. Panelists will discuss the growth of the industry, e-commerce, how designers can attract more investment and how designers are building sustainable brands.
Panelists
Hayat Adem, Founder of Marzam
Busayo Olupona, Founder of Busayo NYC
Grace Mahary, International Model and Founder of Project Tsehigh
Abrima Erwiah, Co-Founder and President of Studio One Eighty Nine
Moderated By: Aina Fadina, Former Model and Founder of I of Africa
Empowering Entrepreneurs Panel
Entrepreneurship will be an important factor in Africa's progress. Today we have an interesting mix of entrepreneurs, from those that are starting business in the states, leveraging their African roots to those that are taking their experiences in the Diaspora to create businesses that solve a problem unique to the continent. The evidence of Africa as an inspiration for external ventures and a benefactor of external experiences applied in house confirms the full spectrum of entrepreneurship waiting to be mined as it relates to Africa.
Panelists
Hawa Hassan, Founder of Basbaas Sauce
Yemisi Awosan, Founder of Egunsi Foods
Rahim Diallo, Co- Founder of Ginjan Bros
Victor T. Madubuko, Managing Partner at CareerNation
Moderated By: Tomiwa Igun, Co-founder of Aspire Power Solutions and YAM
The Future of Media: Content is King
Across Africa, there has been a huge rise in consumers as content creators on the internet - travel and lifestyle bloggers and food vloggers, telling unique stories and providing entertainment to their followers. Many of them have also been successful in turning this into a mainstream source of income. Along those lines, there have also been many new commercial entrants into the Media industry. This panel will focus on some of the recent trends in Entertainment & Media across Africa as well as opportunities.
Panelists
Yinka Adegoke, Africa Editor, Quartz
Makho Ndlovu, Host of Essence Now
Alize Utteryn, Founder & CEO AlizéLaVie Media
Michael Rain, Co-Founder and COO of ZNews Africa
Moderated By: Tayo Rockson, CEO and Founder of UYD Media
Addressing the Gaps in Social Welfare
UNESCO’s plan for Africa in the 2014-2021 term “is expected to implement a stronger and better targeted strategy to build peace, eradicate poverty, and achieve inclusive sustainable development by improving the quality, equity and relevance of education, by harnessing science, technology and innovation to boost development and build related capacities, by mobilizing the heritage and creative industries for culture and development, by promoting freedom of expression, and by using ICTs for development, gender equality and peace and citizenship education. This panel will explore the gaps in social welfare, what resources are available, and explore solutions for organizations and governments to close these gaps as well as ways in which they all can collaborate.
Panelists
Niyi Ojuolape, Special Assistant to Executive Director, UNFPA
Nana Eyeson Akiwowo, Founder and CEO of Africa Health Now
Amini Kajunju, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Africa Integras
Grace Mahary, International Model and Founder of Project Tsehigh
Abbey Wemimo, Founder and CEO of Clean Water for Everyone (CWFE)
Moderated By: Kingsley Essegbey, Assistant Director of NYU Africa House
The Future is Tech:
Developing a 21st Century African Workforce
The UN predicts that by 2050 more than a quarter of the world’s population will be African. More importantly, most of them will be young. The World Bank estimates that as many as 11 million Africans are expected to join the labor force each year. This massive demographic shift coincides with a tech revolution on the continent, which has led to big changes in how business is done on the continent.
This panel will discuss the challenges and barriers to developing tech skills in Africa, highlight successful strategies and consider what steps private and public sector stakeholders should take to ensure skills match what employers and entrepreneurs will need to be successful.
Panelists
Alpha Bah, Founder and CEO of ZMedia Tech Group
Brian Asingia, Co-Founder of DreamAfrica Platform
Benjamin Siegel, Impact Policy Manager at ConsenSys
Michelle Adeniyi, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer ScholarX Inc.
Moderated By: Ngozi Odita, Founder and Executive Director of AFRIKA21