Fireside Chat
Africa, Talent, and the AI Revolution: In Conversation with OpenAI's Africa Lead
Emmanuel Lubanzadio is the Africa Lead at OpenAI, where he leads the strategic engagement across the continent at the intersection of policy, partnerships, and ecosystem development. Prior to joining OpenAI, Emmanuel built a global career spanning Africa, Europe, and the United States, working at the nexus of technology, public policy, and government relations. His experience includes senior leadership and advisory roles such as Head of Government Affairs for Africa at Twitter, Policy Advisor to the UNICEF–ITU Giga initiative, and Consultant to Block (Square, Cash App, TIDAL, and Afterpay). Fluent in English, French, German, and Lingala, Emmanuel has been recognized as an Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leader, an Atlantik-Brücke Young Leader, a Congressional Black Caucus Emerging Leader, and a Schmidt Futures International Strategy Forum Fellow.
From Promise to Proof
What Must Be True for Africa's Venture Ecosystem to Deliver
Arjuna Costa is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Flourish Ventures, a global early-stage venture capital firm investing in mission-driven fintech and financial health startups across emerging markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He previously led early-stage inclusive fintech investing at Omidyar Network and has deep experience driving financial innovation and inclusion globally. Arjuna holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Computer Science from Columbia University.
Maurizio Caio is the Founder and Managing Partner of TLcom Capital, an Africa-focused venture capital firm backing high-growth technology companies. He brings over two decades of experience across venture investing, board leadership, and ecosystem building in emerging markets. He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BA from Bocconi University.
Building on the Frontier
Perspectives from Operators and Architects
Nneile Nkholise is a South African engineer and the founder of iMed Tech, which uses 3D printing technology to manufacture affordable prosthetics. Her work focuses on making assistive devices accessible across Africa through innovative manufacturing and design. She has been recognized in Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30 for her pioneering work in social entrepreneurship and engineering.
Noureddine Tayebi is the Founder and CEO of Yassir, the most valuable technology company in North Africa building a multi-service digital platform. He is a Stanford-trained engineer with deep experience spanning artificial intelligence, product development, and company building. Prior to Yassir, he worked in Silicon Valley on advanced technology and data-driven systems. His work focuses on scaling locally grounded tech solutions across emerging markets.
Tawanda Sibanda is a partner at McKinsey, and a technology and innovation leader focused on building and scaling digital businesses globally. He has over a decade of experience working across Africa launching and transforming financial institutions. His work spans product development, innovation, and ecosystem building at the intersection of technology, finance, and entrepreneurship. He brings a founder's mindset to solving complex, real-world problems with scalable solutions.
Culture in Context
Taking African Stories, Platforms, and Audiences Global
Ijeoma Ejimadu is the Head of Operations and Finance at Amplify Africa, a media and events company shaping the global narrative on Africa through storytelling, culture, and strategic convenings. She moved to Lagos, Nigeria, where she immersed herself in the tech and entrepreneurial ecosystem—connecting founders to talent pipelines and VC networks. She also worked with Uhuru Investment Partners, a West African private equity firm, where she developed a Gender Lens Investment Strategy that was instrumental in securing $20 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Ijeoma is a graduate of Columbia Business School and is also the Founder of March Third Advisory, where she consults for startups and organizations navigating growth, strategy, and market entry in Africa and other emerging markets.
Osoranna "Oso" Mojekwu is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose work documents the evolution of contemporary culture in Nigeria. Working with discarded and everyday materials, he explores how shared experiences give rise to new subcultures, creative languages, and visual aesthetics, and how identity, community, and environment shape the codes that resonate within these communities. He was a finalist for the Access Bank Art X Prize. His work has been installed across brand retail spaces, private collections, and gallery contexts. Most recently, he served as Artist in Residence for the Adidas Lagos Flagship, where he created two large-scale installations rooted in Nigerian subcultures and collective community.
John-Allan Namu is an award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and co-founder of Africa Uncensored, one of East Africa's leading investigative media organizations. His work focuses on power, accountability, corruption, and state repression, with reporting that has driven public debate and policy scrutiny across the region. A John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, he is currently exploring new models of independent journalism and the intersection of technology, power, and civic freedoms in Africa.
Tech Futures
Infrastructure, AI, and the Next Chapter for Africa
Fred Swaniker is a Ghanaian entrepreneur building institutions that unlock Africa's human capital at scale through both education and technology. He is the Founder & CEO of Sand Technologies, an AI and data science company helping governments and enterprises across Africa and emerging markets harness data to improve decision-making, service delivery, and economic outcomes. He is also the Founder of the African Leadership Group (ALG), a collective of organizations pioneering new models of higher education focused on leadership, entrepreneurship, and real-world problem solving for students from over 40 African countries. His impact has earned global recognition, including being named to the TIME 100 list of the world's most influential people and receiving a distinguished alumni award from Stanford Graduate School of Business.