Speakers

MOONSHOT 2026

We’re bringing together some of the most audacious thinkers and doers in African tech, working on everything from fintech to commerce, energy, Web3 and AI, telco, cloud and more.

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Shayo Olumide

Vice President, Africa Finance Corporation

FUEL: THE INVESTOR CONFERENCE

Shayo Olumide is an infrastructure investment professional with over 15 years of experience originating, structuring and executing more than US$4 billion of investments across large-scale oil & gas, industrial, telecommunications and technology transactions. He currently serves in the Heavy Industry, Telecommunications & Technology team at Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), where he is responsible for originating and developing AFC’s pan-African investment pipeline, evaluating transactions, structuring bankable financing solutions and deploying capital across the continent.

His recent work has centered on standing up AFC’s technology and venture capability — anchoring direct equity positions in Moniepoint, MKOPA, and Lula Lend, alongside fund commitments to Lightrock, Future Africa, and Accelerate Africa — positioning him at the center of AFC’s diversification beyond traditional heavy-asset lending.

Prior to joining AFC, Shayo worked at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) on the Oil & Gas Support Services desk, where he managed and expanded the bank’s multinational client portfolio, structured tailored financing solutions and deepened strategic client relationships.

Shayo’s investment experience spans project finance, corporate finance, principal equity investments, trade finance and venture capital fund investing. He holds a degree in Geology from Imperial College London and a master’s degree in international finance from Newcastle University, both with honors.

linkedin.com/in/gbagboola

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Shayo Olumide

Vice President, Africa Finance Corporation
Rukky Ladoja

Founder, Creative Director, Dye Lab

CREATIVE ECONOMY

Rukky Ladoja is the Founder and Creative Director of Dye Lab, a contemporary Nigerian fashion brand redefining African fashion through sustainable design, low-waste production, and modern retail. With over 15 years of experience in the creative industry, she has built one of West Africa’s most influential emerging fashion brands, known for its distinctive aesthetic and innovative approach to craftsmanship.

Before launching Dye Lab, Rukky founded Grey Projects and consulted for global and regional brands including Nike, ART X Lagos, Lagos Fashion & Design Week, and Homecoming Festival. Under her leadership, Dye Lab has expanded its global presence through pop-ups across 15 cities in 11 countries while championing sustainability and contemporary African design.

Rukky is widely recognised for her expertise in fashion entrepreneurship, creative business strategy, and building sustainable brands with global relevance.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timi-agama-fcma-cgma-fcis-mcsi-fcmr-phd-5662567?originalSubdomain=ng

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Rukky Ladoja

Founder, Creative Director, Dye Lab
Anthony William Catt

Founder & Director, Ventures 54

STARTUP FESTIVAL

Anthony William Catt is the Founder of Ventures 54, a specialist advisory and ecosystem-building firm accelerating investment, trade, and commercial flows between Africa, the UK, and global markets. He also leads the UK Africa Sandbox through Ventures 54 and its nonprofit arm, V54 Open Impact, a UK Government-backed platform helping African technology companies enter and scale in global markets.

With more than a decade of experience across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, Anthony has worked extensively across the UK-Africa technology and investment ecosystem. He is Co-founder of the London Africa Network, serves on the South Africa Startup Act Steering Committee, and previously held roles as Investor in Residence at Google for Startups EMEA and Investor Relations Advisor to the Google Black Founders Fund Africa.

Based between the UK and South Africa, Anthony is also a prominent ecosystem convenor, regularly hosting and moderating conversations on African technology, investment, and entrepreneurship.”

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cattaw

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Anthony William Catt

Founder & Director, Ventures 54
Jessica Hope

Founder, WImbart

EMERGING TECH

Jessica Hope is the Founder and CEO of Wimbart, an award-winning London-based PR consultancy specialising in African and emerging market communications across technology and business. Since launching in 2016, she has grown Wimbart into a 15-strong team across London and Lagos, delivering media strategies for over 230 organisations, from high-growth startups to institutional investors and public sector bodies.

Wimbart operates in both directions, helping international companies enter African markets with credibility, while taking the continent’s most ambitious tech companies onto the global stage. With more than 15 years’ experience, Jessica is known for turning complex, high-growth market stories into narratives that actually land and cutting through noise; she is vocal about challenging outdated perceptions and ensuring African businesses are represented with the depth and accuracy they deserve.

Jessica is an international speaker and host of The Wimbart Way podcast, and mentors emerging talent across the PR and African tech ecosystem. She has been named in PRWeek’s UK Powerbook from 2019 to 2026 and was recognised as Founder of the Year at the 2023 BME PR Pros Awards.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Jessica Hope

Founder, WImbart
Soji Maurice-Diya

Managing Director and CEO, NatCom Development & Investment Ltd (Ntel)

BIG TECH/ENTERPRISE

Soji Maurice-Diya is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NatCom Development & Investment Limited, trading as ntel, the privatised successor to Nigeria’s legacy national carrier. Appointed in July 2025, he is leading ntel’s return to the market as a digital-first, infrastructure-light mobile virtual network operator focused on innovation and inclusion.

He brings over 20 years of international experience across telecommunications, infrastructure, logistics and technology. Before ntel, he was CEO of American Tower Nigeria (ATC), where he previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Commercial Director, and he has held senior roles at Etisalat, ExxonMobil, IBM and EY. He also briefly led Vanu Inc.’s African services business and Beacon Infrastructure, an SPV targeting strategic telecoms and rail logistics assets in Nigeria.

He holds a BSc in Applied Mathematics (summa cum laude) from Saint Louis University, a Master’s in Architecture from the University of Florida, and an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the Yale School of Management.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Soji Maurice-Diya

Managing Director and CEO, NatCom Development & Investment Ltd (Ntel)
Lolade Awogbade

Green Growth Advisor, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

CLEAN/CLIMATE TECH

Lolade Awogbade is a senior climate finance and green growth expert and currently serves as Green Growth Adviser at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). She brings over 17 years of multinational experience spanning climate finance, green growth policy, sustainable investment, Net Zero, and ESG strategy.

Previously, she led Sustainability at the Development Bank of Nigeria and held strategic and leadership roles at Accenture, Chams Plc, and Union Bank. Her experience spans policy, standards, development finance, commercial banking, and transaction-level delivery. She is a 2026 Yale Climate Fellow, a member of Sustainability Professionals of Nigeria, and co-author of Management and Leadership for a Successful Africa Vol. 2.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Lolade Awogbade

Green Growth Advisor, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
Ikechukwu Ofuani

Senior Government Affairs & Public Policy Leader

GOVERNMENT, POLICY & REGULATION

Ikechukwu Ofuani is a lawyer, public policy strategist and government affairs leader with over
two decades of experience working at the intersection of business, government and social
development across Africa.
He is a Partner at PV Advisors and an Executive Director at Policy Vault Africa where he advises
organisations on government engagement, regulatory strategy, market access and policy
advocacy across multiple African markets. His career spans the healthcare and medical
technology, FMCG, technology and other highly regulated sectors, including senior leadership
experience at Procter and Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, where he led Global Government
Affairs and Policy across Africa.
Ikechukwu has worked extensively with governments, regulators, development partners and
industry leaders to translate complex policy challenges into practical pathways for investment,
innovation and sustainable impact. He was recognised in The Legal 500 GC Powerlist Nigeria
2024 and has contributed to high-level conversations on healthcare access, regulatory
strengthening and economic development across the continent.
Beyond his corporate and advisory work, Ikechukwu serves as a Trustee of Stockport Advocacy
in the United Kingdom, reflecting his longstanding commitment to inclusion and social impact.
At the heart of his work is a simple conviction: Africa’s biggest opportunities will be unlocked
when policy, innovation and investment move together.

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/timi-agama-fcma-cgma-fcis-mcsi-fcmr-phd-5662567?originalSubdomain=ng

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Ikechukwu Ofuani

Senior Government Affairs & Public Policy Leader
Mike Mompi

Co -Founder and Managing Partner, Enza Capital

FUEL: THE INVESTOR CONFERENCE

Mike is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Enza Capital, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is an experienced venture investor and entrepreneur focused on high-growth technology and AI businesses solving problems across Africa, and he is a Kauffman Fellow. Mike has worked across 4 continents and sits as a Director on the boards of multiple venture-backed technology companies across East, West, North, and South Africa.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Mike Mompi

Co -Founder and Managing Partner, Enza Capital
Kartik Sharma

Co-founder & CEO, Clearflow

FUEL: THE INVESTOR CONFERENCE

Kartik is an experienced venture investor focused on building secondary infrastructure for African VC. He served as Head of Investments for Launch Africa Ventures before progressing to Head of Exits, where he built out the fund’s exit function and delivered its first distributions back to investors. He has also worked with Five35 Ventures and authored “Rethinking VC in Africa,” examining how the continent’s venture model needs to evolve. He is now developing Clearflow, a platform building a regulated trading venue to make secondary transactions accessible, compliant, and efficient across the continent.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Kartik Sharma

Co-founder & CEO, Clearflow
Mohamed Aladdin

General Partner, DPI Venture Capital

Mohamed Aladdin is a General Partner at DPI Venture Capital, the venture arm of pan-African private equity firm Development Partners International, which he helped build alongside his partner Ashley Lewis. DPI Venture Capital advises the Nclude fund, a fintech-focused vehicle investing from seed to Series C across Egypt, the Middle East and Africa, and he oversees investments, portfolio management, fundraising and fund operations, sitting on several portfolio company boards.

Before DPI, he was a Principal at Dubai-based Global Ventures, leading early-stage investments across the Middle East and Africa. Earlier, he worked with corporate venture capital firms in Germany investing in growth-stage technology companies across the US and Europe, and later focused on emerging markets in Southeast Asia and Africa.

He describes himself as an operator-turned-investor, with a background spanning technology strategy, business development and product management.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Mohamed Aladdin

General Partner, DPI Venture Capital
Monali Shah

Founder, MoCo Advisory

Monali Shah is the Founder of MoCo Advisory, a strategic brand and business advisory firm working with brands and companies across Africa and the Middle East. With more than 25 years of C-suite experience across FMCG, telecommunications, entertainment, sport, banking, government, and financial services, she works at the intersection of brand, culture, and commercial growth.

Monali’s career includes eight years at The Coca-Cola Company, serving on the founding team of MTV Africa, leading Airtel’s 16-country rebrand through Ogilvy, and holding global senior leadership roles at Universal Music Group. She currently serves as Vice Chair and Executive Head of Kenya’s national tourism rebranding task force.

Her work spans some of Africa’s most significant music, sport, and brand platforms, including Coke Studio Africa, FIFA World Cup activations, and major partnerships with global music artists and sports clubs. Her work has received recognition from Cannes Lions, the Clios, D&AD, and Billboard, among others.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Monali Shah

Founder, MoCo Advisory
Ayomide ‘Aday’ Sami-Orungbe

Senior Service Designer for the Government of Alberta

GOVERNMENT, POLICY & REGULATION

Ayomide (Aday) Sami-Orungbe is a strategic design leader with over a decade of experience operating at the intersection of human-centered design, policy, and systems thinking. Currently a Senior Service Designer for the Government of Alberta, Aday has spearheaded large-scale digital transformations across immigration, justice, and public services—drastically streamlining service delivery for complex user bases. With an educational background spanning Industrial Engineering (University of Toronto) and Strategic Foresight & Innovation (OCAD University), Aday specializes in helping leaders move past pilot projects to build scalable, resilient technology designed for population-level impact.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Ayomide ‘Aday’ Sami-Orungbe

Senior Service Designer for the Government of Alberta
Gillian Darko

Group Vice President of Strategy, Yellow Card

EMERGING TECH

Gillian Darko is a senior executive and strategist with extensive experience across fintech, blockchain, and financial services. She currently serves as Group Vice President of Strategy and a member of the executive team at Yellow Card, where she leads the company’s growth agenda across more than 20 markets, spanning revenue strategy, strategic partnerships, go-to-market, and market expansion.

Previously, she held senior leadership roles at J.P. Morgan Asset Management and JUMO, where she served as General Manager, Market Operations and concurrently as CEO of JUMO Ghana. Her earlier career includes roles at ICE Futures Europe and PwC, with experience advising major global financial institutions including Goldman Sachs, HSBC, RBS, Citigroup, and UBS.

A recognised voice in Africa’s fintech and digital asset ecosystem, she has spoken at leading global platforms including Forbes Leading Women’s Summit, GITEX Africa, Token2049 Singapore, and the Qatar Africa Business Forum. Her achievements include being named Fintech Personality of the Year (Female) at the 2026 Ghana Fintech Awards and serving on the Steering Committee of the Africa Financial Industry Summit (AFIS).

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Gillian Darko

Group Vice President of Strategy, Yellow Card
Maxime Bayen

Partner, Catalyst Fund

CLEAN/CLIMATE TECH

Maxime Bayen is a Partner at Catalyst Fund, Africa’s leading early-stage VC fund and accelerator backing mission-driven founders building climate resilience solutions across Africa. He also co-founded Africa: The Big Deal, the leading database and insights platform on startup funding across the continent.

LinkedIn

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Maxime Bayen

Partner, Catalyst Fund
David Fisayo

Managing Director, SureGifts

David Fisayo is Managing Director of SureGifts, Nigeria’s leading enterprise platform for rewards, incentives and loyalty. Founded in 2014 and operating across Nigeria and Kenya, SureGifts has served more than 1,000 corporate clients through a network of over 400 merchants.

David’s view is that as commerce becomes more digital, value should become more programmable. Across African markets, the next opportunity is not just how money moves, but how businesses distribute, control and measure value across customers, employees and partners.

Previously, David was co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Wealth8, an FCA-regulated digital investment platform acquired by LemFi in 2026. Before that, he spent eight years at KPMG working across banking, payments and digital transformation with institutions including HSBC and Barclays. He also co-founded Foundervine, an award-winning UK startup accelerator, and is an angel investor across the UK and Africa.

His career has spanned London and Lagos, from building regulated financial products to leading the infrastructure that helps some of Africa’s largest companies distribute and manage value..

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/ife-johnson-60a409170/

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David Fisayo

Managing Director, SureGifts
Iheakachi Nwabueze

VP, Global Marketing and Growth, Grey

FUTURE OF COMMERCE

Iheakachi Nwabueze is Vice President of Global Marketing and Growth at Grey, the Y Combinator-backed fintech building financial infrastructure for the borderless generation. She drives Grey’s global brand strategy, market expansion, and commercial growth as the company scales to serve millions of users across 70+ countries.

Since joining Grey, she has led the company’s expansion from its West African roots across Africa, into Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas – launching in India, Morocco, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the EEA. She also oversees Grey’s social impact initiatives, including the UpGreyed Her grant program, which empowers women entrepreneurs across emerging markets.

Iheakachi is a recognized voice on building global fintech brands from emerging markets, go-to-market strategy for underserved regions, and the future of borderless banking. She is a frequent speaker at several leading industry events.

Her perspective: You don’t need Silicon Valley resources to build products that serve the world; you need proximity to the problems you’re solving.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Iheakachi Nwabueze

VP, Global Marketing and Growth, Grey
Stephanie David

Growth and Marketing Lead, Monica

EMERGING TECH

Stephanie David is a strategic Growth and Marketing Lead at Monica Technologies, where she leads strategic initiatives focused on business expansion, brand positioning, customer acquisition, and long-term market growth. With a strong passion for innovation and digital transformation, she specializes in creating impactful marketing strategies that connect technology solutions with real-world customer needs.

Having built her career through in-depth and practical experience in software marketing, Stephanie developed a solid reputation for understanding both the technical and business sides of digital products. Before rising into leadership, she worked extensively as a software
marketer, helping bridge the communication gap between users and development teams.

Her ability to simplify complex software solutions into relatable customer benefits contributed significantly to improved product adoption, customer engagement, and user satisfaction. At Monica Technologies, Stephanie oversees growth-focused campaigns that strengthen brand awareness, improve customer retention, and position the company competitively within the fintech ecosystem. She combines data analytics, customer psychology, digital strategy, and product storytelling to drive measurable business results while ensuring the company maintains a strong and recognizable market presence.
Known for her strategic mindset and strong interpersonal skills, Stephanie is passionate about helping businesses scale through innovative marketing, effective communication, and customer-centered growth strategies. Her professional journey reflects a deep commitment to
connecting technology, businesses, and consumers through meaningful engagement and impactful brand experiences.

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Stephanie David

Growth and Marketing Lead, Monica
Kene Okwuosa

Founder & Group Chief Executive Officer, Filmhouse Group

CREATIVE ECONOMY

Kene Okwuosa is Co-Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Filmhouse Group, which spans Filmhouse Cinemas, FilmOne Entertainment and FilmOne Studios. He is also CEO of KAVA, a global streaming platform for African films that he launched with partners. With over 20 years in cinema exhibition, distribution and production across the UK, US and Nigeria, he co-founded Filmhouse and led its growth into West Africa’s largest cinema chain, launching over 20 locations and building West Africa’s first IMAX cinema. FilmOne distributes titles for major Hollywood studios alongside Nollywood releases. As a producer, he has made more than 30 films, including box office hits such as The Wedding Party and King of Boys. He began his career at Odeon Cinemas in the UK and was a founding employee of Genesis Deluxe Cinemas. He studied at London Metropolitan University and sits on Nigeria’s Official Selection Committee for the Academy Awards.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Kene Okwuosa

Founder & Group Chief Executive Officer, Filmhouse Group
Alex Tsado

Co-Founder and Board Member, Alliance4AI

EMERGING TECH

For the past decade, Alex Tsado has championed initiatives making AI cheaper and accessible for innovators worldwide. He deployed the first Nvidia AI GPUs to the largest cloud providers globally, and now focuses on putting Africa on the AI innovation table. He currently works with key African governments to operationalise their AI strategies and has launched the Africa GPU Hub platform, where Africans can rent GPUs for their ambitious AI projects.

linkedin.com/in/gbagboola

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Alex Tsado

Co-Founder and Board Member, Alliance4AI
Wole Ayodele

CEO, Fincra

STARTUP FESTIVAL

Wole Ayodele leads a world-class team at Fincra, building the rails for an integrated Africa. With a vision to bring hope and economic liberation to every African, Wole and his team are enabling seamless cross-border payment solutions for businesses across the continent and beyond. Driven by a passion for creating a better global payment system and organising Africa’s trade, Wole believes Africa is the next frontier for financial innovation and growth. He began his career in Finance at Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria as part of the Credit Risk Management Team and has over 7 years of experience in fintech and financial services. Before Fincra, he co-founded Quidax, one of Africa’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, where he led Product, Business, Treasury, and Customer Success. Wole remains deeply committed to solving the challenges businesses face in moving money across Africa. He is passionate about the fintech space, AI innovation and is a big fan of football.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kemi-olajide-49907432/

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Wole Ayodele

CEO, Fincra