Africa Soft Power Project - African Speakers And Influencers

A global faculty shaping Africa-led conversations

Africa Soft Power’s speaker faculty spans finance, creative industries, governance, climate, policy, and human capital, bringing together the thought leaders, practitioners, and innovators who have shaped conversations across ASP convenings and platforms since 2020. Click any profile to learn more.

Individuals featured here reflect past participation in Africa Soft Power convenings and platforms. Inclusion does not imply confirmation of, or commitment to, future editions or initiatives.

Bediako Kwaku

Kwaku Bediako is one of Africa’s leading fashion designers. He is the Creative Director and Founder of Chocolate Clothing, a Ghanaian fashion brand which draws inspiration from the rich African culture, lifestyle, taste and preferences. Chocolate Clothing started operating as a clothing line for women in march 2013 but grew into a men’s wear and later got incorporated in 2018. Chocolate Clothing’s mother-brand, FIGYINA YANKSON, is now capable of handling over 1000 orders a month. The name ‘chocolate’ represents the Afrocentric person; man or woman and also resonates the cravings of its targeted clients. He won designer of the year 2018/2019 in Ghana, appeared at the Paris fashion week where he had alliances with louis vitton, daniel hechter, Schiaparelli and Jean Paul Gaultier and showcased at the Paris Peace Forum – the fashion show organized by the EU, AFRICAN FASHION FUND, UN ITC-EFI and ethical fashion. In November 2018, Kwaku participated in a showcase banquet held by the President of Ghana in honor of HRH, the Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during their five-day state visit. Kwaku has dressed celebrities including the CEO of NAACP, Steve Harvey, Boris Kodjoe, Cardi B, Danny Glover, Jamie Foxx, Colin Kaepernick, Jidenna and Jack Dorsey to name a few.

Benjamin Crump

Through a steadfast dedication to justice and service, renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Benjamin Crump has established himself as one of the nation’s foremost lawyers and advocates for social justice. He is the founder and principal owner of Ben Crump Law. He has worked on some of the most high-profile cases in the U.S., representing the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Stephon Clark; as well as the residents of Flint, Michigan, who were affected by the poisoned water of the Flint River. He has been nationally recognized as the 2014 NNPA Newsmaker of the Year, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers, and Ebony Magazine Power 100 Most Influential African Americans. In 2016, he was designated as an Honorary Fellow by the University of Pennsylvania College of Law. His book, published in October 2019, Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People, reflects on the landmark cases he has battled, and how discrimination in the courthouse devastates real families and communities. Benjamin Crump’s dedication to fighting systemic racism and protecting the civil rights of African Americans led Reverend Al Sharpton heralded him as: Black America’s Attorney General. Attorney Crump has served in leadership positions at the highest levels of the legal profession and has been recognized for his efforts by numerous esteemed organizations. He served as the 73 rd President of the National Bar Association and is the current President of the National Civil Rights Trial Lawyers Association. He was the first African-American to chair the Florida State University College of Law Board of Directors and currently serves on the Innocence Project Board of Directors. He was bestowed the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award, the SCLC Martin Luther King Servant Leader Award, the American Association for Justice Johnnie Cochran Award, and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Eleanor Roosevelt Medallion for Service. In 2016, he was designated as an Honorary Fellow by the University of Pennsylvania College of Law, and he has been nationally recognized as the 2014 NNPA Newsmaker of the Year, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers, and Ebony Magazine Power 100 Most Influential African Americans. In June 2018, he was appointed to the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) Board of Directors. Attorney Crump is also the executive producer of the groundbreaking documentary, “Woman in Motion,” about Nichelle Nichols and the race to space. Nichols was among the first African-American actresses on TV and played Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek the original series. He hosted the critically acclaimed legal docudramas, “Evidence of Innocence” on TVOne and “Who Killed Tupac: The Search For Justice” on A&E. He was also seen on Fox’s “You The Jury.” Attorney Crump portrays legendary civil rights attorney Z Alexander Looby in the award-winning Hollywood film production “Marshall,” and has appeared in the documentary “Beating Justice,” the story of the Martin Lee Anderson case, and BET’s “I am Trayvon.” He is the founder and director of the Benjamin Crump Social Justice Institute and hosts its annual Contemporary Issues in Civil Rights Symposium, where national thought leaders gather at Tennessee State University. He is a frequent contributor to Huffington Post Black Voices, CNN, and USA Today. Attorney Crump’s book, published in October 2019, Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People, reflects on the landmark cases he has battled, and how discrimination in the courthouse devastates real families and communities. With myriad successes on the national stage, Attorney Crump has still made his community a priority by helping to ensure quality legal representation and access to the courts for poor people in his hometown, formerly serving as Board Chairman of Legal Services of North Florida and, with his former law partner Daryl Parks, donating $1 million to the organization’s capital campaign. Attorney Crump was born in 1969 in Lumberton, North Carolina. He graduated from Florida State University (FSU) and received his law degree from FSU College of Law. He is married to Dr. Genae Angelique Crump.

Benny Bonsu

Director of Daily Content, The International Olympic Committee

Bernard Kalu

Fujifilm Global X-Photographer; Canon Miraisha Master Storyteller

Bernard Kinara

Kenya Country General Manager, Interswitch

Bernard M. Kinara

Kenya Country General Manager, Interswitch

Besidone Amoruwa

Innovation Partnerships (Creators), Instagram

Birju Sanghrajka

CEO & Head of Coverage, Corporate & Investment Banking, Standard Chartered Bank Kenya

Bolanle Austen-Peters

Founder Terra Kulture and Lagos International Theatre Festival; Artistic Director/Producer BAP Productions

Bonita Mutoni

Chairperson, Rwanda Tours and Travel Association

Brian Mogeni

Co-Founder & CEO, Wowzi

Bronwyn Katz

Bronwyn Katz is an award winning multi-disciplinary South African artist. Incorporating sculpture, installation, video and performance, Bronwyn’s practice engages with concepts of mapping, memory and language relative to land and culture. Conceptually, her works refer to the political context of their making, embodying subtle acts of resistance that draw attention to the social constructions and boundaries that continue to define those spaces. Bronwyn is also a founding member of iQhiya, an art collective and network of black women artists and cultural workers in South Africa formed in June 2015 in Cape Town. Bronwyn completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2015, receiving the Simon Gerson Prize at the University of Cape Town for a distinctive body of work related to collective history and memory linked to the spaces and objects around them. Bronwyn has held a number of solo exhibitions and participated in several group exhibitions including: The 12th Dak’Art Biennale in Senegal (2016) Le jour qui vient – Galerie des Galeries in Paris (2017) Tell Freedom – Kunsthal KAdE in Amersvoort (2018) Sculpture – Institute of Contemporary Art Indian Ocean, Port Louis in Mauritius (2018) A Silent Line, Lives Here at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris (2018) Salvaged Letter at Peres Projects in Berlin (2019) Blank Projects in Cape Town (2019) Là où les eaux se mêlent (Where the water mingles) (Biennale de Lyon, Lyon, 2019) The Empathy Lab (Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco, 2019) Material Insanity – Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden in Marrakech (2019) Road to the Unconscious – Peres Projects in Berlin (2019)

Bruno Akpaka

Director Of Strategic Partnerships, Migo

Buhle Ndlovu

Vice President (Investment), Kasada Capital Management

Busola Dakolo

Busola Dakolo (Nee Amupitan) is a Nigerian professional photographer and content creator. An alumnus of the New York Film Academy, Busola started her photography career by harnessing the power and flexibility of online learning whilst working as a freelance consultant for Information Technology (IT) companies. Now the CEO of Busola Dakolo Images, a photography studio, where she specialises in Personal Branding Photography and social impact photos, Busola honed her skills early on by taking countless pictures of her children. Busola is committed to consistently producing compelling images and executing expressive visual digital storytelling projects and enjoys working with a team of young photographers and visual artists to capture memorable moments for her clients. Busola is passionate about learning and helping young people all over the world gain access to global opportunities. In line with this mission, she founded SkillsKitchen.com, an online skills acquisition and development platform in 2019. SkillsKitchen has attracted over 5,000 registered participants within the first two years, more than 3,000 of whom are very active on the platform. Busola is also a firm believer in gender equality and has lent her voice to various campaigns with various organisations — including the European Union, to help victims of domestic and sexual violence access care, counselling and other relevant support. She was named in This Day newspaper’s Game Changers of 2019 list in recognition of her social impact efforts. Busola started her career in 2005 at Zenith bank where she worked with the e-Business team to deliver strategic business solutions for several companies across industries by driving more efficient business processes and revenue growth. Busola also developed good administrative skills while she worked as the Personal Assistant to the CEO of The West Group Limited, an oil and gas servicing company in Lagos, Nigeria. Busola holds a bachelor’s degree in Geology and Mineral Resources from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria and has earned a Diploma in Photography from the New York Film Academy, USA. Busola currently lives in Lagos, Nigeria.

Carol Abade

Group CEO, EXP

Carol Pineau

Award-winning Filmmaker & Journalist (Moderator)

Carol Pineau

TV Talk Show Host, Africa Today TV

Catherine Muraga

MD, Microsoft Africa Development Center & Engineering Director, Microsoft

Cedric N’guessan

Group Head, Fintech Product & Strategy, MTN

Celestine Karoney

Senior Journalist, Sports Africa at BBC News

Charles Smith

Former NBA basketball player

Charlette N’Guessan

Lead, Data Solutions, AI Ecosystem and Government Partnerships, Amini; Founder, Afrokwary; Founder & Fmr. CEO, BACE Group

Charlotte Newman

Head, Underrepresented Founder Startup BD, Amazon Web Services

Cheryl Itemere Arunga

Head of Entrepreneur Experience, Endeavor Kenya

Chi Ogbuehi

VP, Marketing Technology and Consumer Products, National Football League (NFL)

Chi Ogbuehi

VP of Marketing Technology & Consumer Products, NFL

Chichi Nwoko

Chichi Nwoko is the Executive Producer of Hey, What’s ON (HWO), a New York and Lagos-based multi-media consulting and production company. She began her career in the media and broadcast industry over 20 years ago in the United States working for ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX TV Network Affiliates. Nwoko also worked as the Country Manager of Kwese Free Sports, a Free-to-Air broadcast channel in Nigeria. She has worked with major sports franchises like the FIFA World Cup, Premier League, NBA and NFL. She currently serves as the Associate Director of Sports Rights and Media Partnerships for Integral, a sport marketing company and as a consultant for Livespot360. Nwoko also worked with Optima Media Group (OMG) as the Deputy Director of International Sponsorship and Sales and Group’s Development Strategy where she spearheaded the production of the Fremantle franchise, Idols in Nigeria with Rapid Blue. She built the framework that allowed the company to produce X Factor and Nigeria’s Got Talent. She was the Executive Producer and the Producer of the CBS franchise “Kids Say The Darndest Things” in Nigeria. Nwoko is one of the producers of the feature film, “Lion Heart”, Netflix’s first West African original acquisition. She is the recipient of the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for her role as a producer in the feature Film “Road To Yesterday”. Her achievements have been recognized by numerous organizations and media, including Forbes Africa Magazine and The National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME) in New York, who named her as an “Executive to Watch”. In 2018, she was named top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent. She is an Ivy League graduate from Columbia University in New York City, where she studied International Politics and African Studies. Back to all Speakers

Chid Liberty

Chid Liberty is an award-winning social entrepreneur and impact investor. In 2010 he founded Liberty & Justice, Africa’s first Fair Trade Certified apparel manufacturer. In addition to his work at Liberty & Justice, Chid served as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of Liberia’s Monrovia Business Startup Center (BSC). The BSC was founded by Spark, a Dutch NGO, for whom Chid managed the Ignite Fund – an equity investment fund that makes strategic investments in companies with high growth potential in conflict-affected states. He also speaks internationally on social entrepreneurship and impact investing – recently at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and Princeton Universities, as well as the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia and IE in Madrid, Spain. Chid is currently leading L&J through its rapid expansion and rebranding as Made In Africa. Chid was recognized by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in her 2011 State of the Nation Address for his leadership in shaping trade policy and indigenous Liberian entrepreneurship. He is a recipient of the 2018 Ashoka Fabric of Change Fellowship – a C&A Foundation sponsored grant awarded to social entrepreneurs pursuing systemic change in retail supply chains. He was also named by Quartz (a division of Atlantic Magazine) as one of 30 groundbreaking African Innovators of 2017. He was a 2014 Salzburg Global Fellow, a 2011 SVN Social Innovation Award winner, a 2010 Cordes Fellow, and a Yoxi Portfolio SIR (Social Innovation Rockstar). Chid also works as an advisor and board member to a number of high-impact organizations including B Lab, The Unreasonable Group and Unreasonable Capital, and, most importantly – the Georgie Badiel Foundation, which was founded by his wife, former Miss Africa, model, author, and activist Georgie Badiel-Liberty to bring clean drinking water to communities in her home country of Burkina Faso and her adopted second home of Liberia.

Chika Okeke-Agulu

Chika Okeke-Agulu, an artist, curator and art historian, is professor of African and African Diaspora art and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Art and Archaeology and Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. He was recently the Varnedoe Visiting Professor, The Institute of Fine Arts, New York University (spring 2020). He previously taught at Pennsylvania State University, Williams College, and University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He lives in Princeton (NJ), USA. His books include Yusuf Grillo: Painting. Lagos. Life (Skira Editore, 2020); Obiora Udechukwu: Line, Image, Text (Skira Editore, 2016); Postcolonial Modernism: Art and Decolonization in Twentieth-Century Nigeria (Duke, 2015); Contemporary African Art Since 1980 (Damiani, 2010); Ezumeezu: Essays on Nigerian Art and Architecture, a Festschrift in Honour of Demas Nwoko (Goldline & Jacobs, 2009). He is co-editor of Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art and maintains the blog Ọfọdunka. As an art critic, his writings have appeared in The Guardian (Lagos), Daily Times (Lagos), Artforum International (New York), The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Parkett, Art Journal, Art South Africa (Johannesburg), and Bonhams Magazine (London). He has (co-)organized several major art exhibitions, including El Anatsui: Triumphant Scale (with Okwui Enwezor, Haus der Kunst, Munich, 2019), Who Knows Tomorrow (Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany 2010), 5th Gwangju Biennale (Gwangju, South Korea, 2004), The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa, 1945-1994 (Museum Villa Stuck, Munich, Germany, 2001), Seven Stories About Modern Art in Africa (Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, UK, 1995), Nigerian section, First Johannesburg Biennale, (Johannesburg, South Africa, 1995). He is on the curatorial team of the 15th Sharjah International Biennial (Sharjah, UAE, 2022) Among his many awards and prizes are: Honorable Mention, The Arnold Rubin Outstanding Publication (triennial) Award (Arts Council of African Studies Association, 2017); The Melville J. Herskovits Prize for the most important scholarly work in African Studies published in English during the preceding year (African Studies Association, 2016); and Frank Jewett Mather Award for Distinction in Art Criticism (College Art Association, 2016). Okeke-Agulu was the Valedictorian and Class President of the 1990 graduating class, University of Nigeria. Okeke-Agulu serves on the advisory boards of the Hyundai Tate Research Centre, Tate Modern, London; the Center for the Study of Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, and The Josef and Annie Albers Foundation/ Le Korsa, Bët-bi Project. He is the executive board of Princeton in Africa, and the editorial board of African Studies Review.

Chike Obianwu

Deputy Managing Partner, Templars

Chinelo Anohu

Head & Senior Director, Africa Investment Forum

Chinelo Anohu

Senior Director, Africa Investment Forum

Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu

Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu has almost 30 years of an eclectic career spanning enterprise solution architecture, design and software development, marketing communications, digital design, strategy, and change/transformation in private and public sectors. He is the founding Managing Director/CEO of technology solutions provider, InfoGraphics Nigeria the 2-time Microsoft Worldwide Award Partner of the Year, 4-time winner Regional awards, pioneer Microsoft Academic Services Partner responsible for over 300 partners in 7 countries in West Africa, and leading exponent of Enterprise Collaboration solutions in West Africa. He has also worked in Microsoft Corporation as General Manager (Anglophone West Africa) overseeing a 7-country portfolio as a member of the Microsoft EMEA executive management team. He left Microsoft in 2008 to pursue his vision of a borderless Africa as Managing Partner of GrandCentral, a technology strategy consulting and project management firm focussed on critical national information technology infrastructure in Government, Healthcare, Education, Oil & Gas, and Media/Entertainment and Financial Services. He is also the founding Lead Partner in iX Consulting, a boutique Enterprise Development Services firm that nurtures young entrepreneurs in the startup space in the multi-nodal, iX Infinity Hubs. In these capacities, Chinenye has led strategy, solutions architecting and delivery in Financial Services, Manufacturing, General Services, Retail and Telecommunications in over 40 enterprise software integration projects. With a background of multi-country responsibilities in Africa mainly focused on national technology strategy development and market growth, he has been instrumental in architecting entrepreneurial ecosystems and early stage involvement in startups. His public sector experience is derived from service in the area of government’s reforms across its ministries, parastatals and agencies engaged in over 25 Digital Transformation projects since 1997. He is a pioneer certified Foundation Rainforest Innovation Architect and Member, Board of Trustees, Global Rainforest Makers Network. Notably in conjunction with Cross River State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria/ National IT Development Agency, his firm conceptualised and developed as anchor investor, Tinapa Knowledge City (TKC), a 10,000 sqm digital knowledge hub serving the West and Central African sub region for the export of software and services. Chinenye is on the Board of several organisations including BanyanTree Capital Partners Limited, a business process outsourcing and procurement firm, Content and Compliance Monitoring Limited (CCM), Nigeria’s fastest growing media monitoring agency, mobile health insurance pioneer and digital services aggregator, Salt and Einstein Limited, a communications and technology advisory, Open Media Limited, and the revolutionary peer-to-peer communications startup, PlusLife Limited. A Fellow and Deputy President of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), a Council Member of Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), and at various times General Secretary and 2nd Vice-President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON).

Chiney Ogwumike

The 1st overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft from Stanford University, Chiney Ogwumike was the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the year and is a 2-Time WNBA All-Star (2014, 2018). As the top pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, Chiney and her sister Nneka made history, joining Peyton and Eli Manning as the only siblings ever selected number one overall in a professional sports league. Chiney is the starting forward for the Los Angeles Sparks, and is the vice president of the WNBA Players Association (WNBPA). In 2018, Chiney became a full-time multi-platform ESPN NBA Analyst, becoming one of the youngest national sports studio analysts and one of the only full-time professional athletes to currently hold a regular national sports media position. In her role, she makes regular appearances as an NBA studio analyst on SportsCenter, First Take, Get Up! and The Jump. Chiney originally joined ESPN in 2017 to co-anchor SportsCenter across Africa and work as a WNBA and NBA analyst in studio. As on-air talent, Chiney has worked as an analyst for ESPN and Pac-12 Network; analyst for NBATV; and co-host for studio shows such as ESPN’s First Take, Sports Nation, The Jump, and Pac-12 Network’s Sports Report. The 6’4” forward and Cypress, Texas native of Nigerian descent graduated from Stanford University with an International Relations degree under the mentorship of Dr. Condoleezza Rice. Chiney led Stanford to three Final Fours while distinguishing herself in academics, earning multiple honors for her academic success, including being named the 2014 Capital One Academic All-American of the Year and the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Chiney and her sister Nneka have redefined the word “Nerd” through several music videos which they conceptualized and produced while at Stanford, celebrating the culture of the school in a movement entitled “Nerd Nation.” At Stanford, Chiney was a three-time First Team All-American, two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year, three- time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, four-time All-Pac 12 First Team, and finalist for multiple national Player of the Year awards each of the last three seasons. The John R. Wooden Award winner and Pac-12’s all- time leading scorer and rebounder’s 26.1 points per game, 12.1 rebounds, 60.1% field-goal percentage, and 27 double-doubles made Chiney the only player in the country to rank in the NCAA’s top 10 in each of those categories. Chiney captured a gold medal with USA Basketball at the FIBA 3×3 World Championships in August 2012 and earned a gold medal with the USA Basketball World University Games team in 2011. Chiney is passionate about giving back and empowering the next generation. Chiney spent the spring of 2013 studying abroad in Nigeria where she successfully raised $30,000 to build a basketball court for underprivileged youth in an effort to break down barriers for girls in sports and instill confidence in the next generation. Chiney and Nneka partnered with UNICEF in 2014 to raise almost $10,000 for girls’ education and empowerment in Nigeria. Chiney has made numerous trips to Africa with NBA Africa and other nonprofits to help launch youth engagement initiatives using basketball as a tool for development, including a 2017 trip to Rwanda with nonprofit Shooting Touch to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Chris Spring

Curator, Writer, Scholar & Visual Artist (Moderator)

Christian Intwari

Activist; Founder, Our Past Initiative

Christine Ntim

Founder & CEO, Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE)

Christopher O.H. Williams

Chairman, Enda Athletic Inc.

Chukwuemeka Afigbo

Senior Director, Okta

Clare Akamanzi

CEO, NBA Africa

Claude Grunitzky

Founder, TRUE AFRICA & TRACE and Co-founder, TRACE TV

Colin Gayle

CEO, Africa Creative Agency

Crystal Rugege

MD, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda

Crystal Wagar

Partner, The Southern Group; Fmr. Mayor, Miami Shores

Daisy Isiaho

Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Zuri Health

Daniel Manjarrés

Institutional Relations Advisor, PretaHub*

David Kinyua

Chairman, Renaissance Capital

David Olayide

Nigeria | Zero Green

Dayo Ogunyemi

Dayo Ogunyemi is a creative entrepreneur and founder of 234 Media, a firm that develops enterprises and makes principal investments in the media, entertainment and technology sectors. As part of a 234 Media investment, Dayo built and operated East Africa’s then largest cinema chain and an affiliated film distribution company through which he acquired and released art and independent films including Djo Munga’s Viva Riva, Michel Hazanavicius’s The Artist and Kevin McDonald’s Bob Marley biopic. Under 234 Media’s Studio Africa banner, Dayo serves as producer for films by leading and emerging African directors and has participated in the Cannes Producers Network and Cinefondation Atelier programs. Over the past 15 years, Dayo has worked and lived in 4 countries in all three regions of sub- Saharan Africa. He has advised African governments and regional economic communities on policy, legislation and regulations relating to e-commerce, intellectual property, technology and the creative industries. He served as a founding board member of the African Film Academy, organizer of the African Movie Academy Awards, and on the board of the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s Information Society Initiative. Dayo earned an SB from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law and an MBA from Columbia Business School. He is admitted to the New York Bar.