Prof. Jean-Chrysostome Ngabitsinze  is the minister of Trade and Industry since July 30th, 2022. Before this, he was the Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources since March 9, 2020, a position he was appointed to after being a Member of Parliament chairing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in 2018.

Previously, he was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Rwanda for over 10 years, where he taught agricultural economics and agribusiness among other courses, and from December 2018, he was promoted to Associate Professor.

Professor Ngabitsinze has a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the Doctoral School of Technological Innovation in Agri-food and Environmental Sciences from Milan State University, a Master’s degree in Economics from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in Italy.

Dr. Ildephonse Musafiri is the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources in Rwanda since March 2023, prior to that he was the Minister of State for the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources. Over the past 6 years, Dr. Musafiri was the Executive Director of the Strategy and Policy Council (SPC) in the Office of the President of the Republic of Rwanda.

Formerly a member of the board of directors of the National Bank of Rwanda for four years from 2018, he is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Rwanda, College of Business and Economics, where he previously served as Lecturer and Head of the Economics Department.

Dr. Valentine Uwamariya is the Minister of Education in Rwanda since 28th February 2020. Before joining the Ministry, she was the Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Trainings, Institutional Development and Research at Rwanda Polytechnic (RP). She was responsible for providing science and technology based technical and vocational training which enable the beneficiaries to create jobs for personal development. She is passionate to promote research and technology and disseminate their findings to foster national development.

Dr Valentine holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from former National University of Rwanda (NUR). In 2005, she got her Msc degree in Chemistry from Witwatersrand University (Johannesburg-South Africa). In 2013, she obtained her PhD from UNESCO-IHE and Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands) in Environmental engineering and Water technology. Dr Valentine has been involved in teaching/research for 19 years at University, and served as Dean of the School of Science at the College of Science and Technology (University of Rwanda).

Besides being a Senior lecturer and a researcher at UR, Dr Valentine has held other important responsibilities in the Rwandan Society and sat on Boards of regional and local organisations.

Ms. Clare Akamanzi is an International Trade and Investment Lawyer, who is currently the CEO of the Rwanda Development Board and a Cabinet Member. She has served the Government of Rwanda in several senior positions for the last 15 years.
Ms. Akamanzi is a Harvard Kennedy School MPA alum, and also holds an LLM (International Trade and Investment) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

She was a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and was named one of Africa’s Top 50 Powerful Women by Forbes in 2020. In early 2020, Ms. Akamanzi was appointed as a Founding Board Member of the World Health Organization Foundation (WHO-F). She was also recently appointed as an advisory board member of the Global Innovation Index (GII).

A multi-lingual professional with a strong educational background and practical training in Mathematics, Economics, Computer science, and Operations Management.

Aimable Kimenyi has gained significant expertise in initiating, developing and
implementing software system solutions and Investment in education. He is the founder and Chief Executive Office of a software company knows as “Algorithm Inc.”, one of the leading software companies in Rwanda. He has been at the forefront of the business growth through securing new projects, providing leadership to existing projects, spearheading the business expansion and diversification toward revenues growth for the last couple of years.
In addition, Aimable Kimenyi, is also a co-founder of Nine Ten Innovation Capital, a company with goals to hunt the 1% brightest mind of Africa and turn them into successful engineers or entrepreneurs.Aimable Kimenyi is currently the Vice Chairperson of the Private Sector Federation of
Rwanda. The Private Sector Federation – Rwanda (PSF) is a member based and professional organization, with around 222,000 members grouped in 5 clusters namely Agriculture Cluster, Industry Cluster, Trade Cluster and Specialized Cluster that groups women entrepreneurs, young entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs with disability. He is focusing on the business growth, innovation, and proactive on automation for conducive business environment in Rwanda. Prior to this, Aimable Kimenyi was the President of the Rwanda Software Developer and Application association in the Private Sector Federation. Aimable Kimenyi has participated actively in automating taxes and health care systems in different African countries, he has wider experience of working with Private sector, public institutions, regional and international companies, development partners.
Aimable Kimenyi holds a eBachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and computer science from the University of Montreal. He is fluent in English, French, and Kinyarwanda.

Extensive experience and demonstrated achievements tied to private sector growth, business environment reforms and promotion of trade and investment in Rwanda.

Mamotake has proven herself a pioneer in corporate governance. Her diligence and focus in her role as an executive in a multi-sectoral company has seen her branch out to head up three operational companies. This has added to her allure; a reliable and vibrant contributor to any project she undertakes.

Her foundation, The Lady M Foundation, has contributed vastly to women and girl empowerment in Lesotho. This is testament to her love for volunteering and dedication to uplifting her fellow women.

As both a Mosotho and South Africa woman, she has been very strong and developing her skills in corporate governance. She gained her accolades in the Republic of South Africa, from high school through to her tertiary education. She took up a degree in B.com Accounting from both the University of Free State and the University of South Africa. She went further to improve her functionality in industry by taking up Project Management Concepts and the Managerial Process, Quality Management for  Airlines and Fundamentals of Aviation Certificate.

As a well-rounded entrepreneur, her diversified portfolio allows her the benefit of entering into any industry with an assurance of her capability. She sits on numerous boards in institutions around Lesotho and South Africa. To name a few, Lesotho National Development Corporation, Verve Dynamics Incorporated (Pty) Ltd, LESANA Holdings, Selemo Capital, Mergence Group Sub-Sahara Africa, MGC and others.

She is also a Deputy Chairperson at Phenomenal Women South Lesotho and sit on the board of Phenomenal Women South Africa. She has worked in industries such as aviation, mining, pharmaceutical, hospitality, business development and makes a well round business executive.

Currently she holds the following positions, CEO at Organica Global Brand, COO at MGC, Executive Director at Selemo Capital, Head of Business Development at Mergence Group Sub-Sahara Africa. She has over 10 years experience in Corporate Communication and Marketing.

Ms. Julianna Lindsey serves as UNICEF’s Country Representative to Rwanda, having previously been Representative to Botswana and to SADC.  Ms. Lindsey, a national of the United States of America, has worked with UNICEF since 1998, including as Chief of Advocacy, Communications, Monitoring, and Analysis based in Ghana (2008-2012) and as Deputy Representative in South Africa (2005-2008).   She has also worked for UNICEF in the Emergency Operations Division of Headquarters (2003-2005); in Khartoum, Sudan (1998-1999); and as part of Operation Lifeline Sudan based from Lokichokkio and Nairobi, Kenya (1999-2003).

In addition, Ms. Lindsey has served as Vice President for Programmes at Women for Women International (WfWI), based in Washington D.C., USA (2013-2015).  Ms. Lindsey also worked for the International Rescue Committee in Khartoum, Sudan (1997-1998) and for the German Bundestag (1992-1994).  She volunteered as a human rights observer with the Communities of Population in Resistance in Guatemala in 1995.

Ms. Lindsey holds a BA degree from Davidson College, a Masters from Georgetown University, and a Masters from the School of Advanced International Study at Johns Hopkins University.  She speaks English, German, and basic Spanish.

Mr. Rakesh Wahi is a visionary entrepreneur who has been involved with early stage investments in emerging markets for the last 34years. He is Chairman of CMA Investment Holdings that has representation through its
portfolio companies in over 20 countries.

Mr. Wahi is the co-founder of the ABN Group that includes CNBC Africa, Forbes Africa and ABN Productions. He is also the co-founder of
Trans National Academic Group that owns Curtin University Dubai, Lancaster University Ghana, TAG Middle East and ABN Training Institute. He is also the co-founder of Tech One Global which is one of Asia’s most awarded IT Company that is a technology solutions integrator.

Prior to moving to the UAE in 1988/89, Mr. Wahi served with the Corps of Engineers in the Indian Army for about 9 years; and for distinguished services to the country in peacetime, was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (“VSM”) by the President of India in 1985. Mr. Wahi was also part of India’s scientific expedition to the Antarctica where he established India’s second base in 1987/88.

Mr. Wahi was educated at the Doon School in India and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree (National Defence Academy 1979) and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering (College of Military Engineering 1986) from the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Mr. Wahi is a Member of the Institute of Engineers, Calcutta, India and a Fellow Member of the Australian Institute of Management. Mr. Wahi was awarded with an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Science from the International University of
Management by the Minister of Education of Namibia in October 2012.

Mr. Wahi has been honored by various stock exchanges to ring the bell including the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (2014 & 2017), the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Zambian Stock Exchange.

Mr. Wahi is the founder of the Africa Business Leaders Awards, the Person of the Year Award, Forbes Woman of the Year Award and the African of the Year Award that are held across Sub Sahara Africa. In its 11th year, the awards recognize outstanding leadership across different disciplines. Some of the most renowned names in Africa are the recipient of these awards.

Mr. Wahi is founder of the ABN Education Trust in South Africa and the TAG Foundation in Ghana to finance the education of children from previously disadvantaged families in Africa. The Trust also contributes to other causes including orphanages and destitute women in Africa. His philanthropic activities extend to India where the family has made contributions to primary education in villages, electrification of villages and bursaries for young women at a vocational center in Dehradun and bursaries for school children at several institutions.

Mr. Wahi is a keen golfer and the founder of the CNBC Africa Corporate Golf Challenge, a prestigious golf tournament hosted annually by him for top corporates in South Africa the proceeds of which go towards charity.
In March 2013, as part of a team building exercise, Mr. Wahi led a team of 15 members from his company to the top of Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest free standing mountain. 100% of the team made it to the top. In April 2015 Mr. Wahi took a team from his company to climb the Everest Base Camp when the earthquake struck; Mr. Wahi brought them all back safely to Dubai.
In Nov 2016 Mr. Wahi published his memoirs through an autobiography titled “Be a Lion” that was published by Penguin South Africa. The book is available via Amazon or www.bealion.pub.

Francis Macheka has over 20 years in General Management and Executive Directorship roles. He is a Banking and Agricultural Development expert with a proven record of business leadership in commercial and agricultural banking, strategy and financial inclusion. He is a full member of the Institute of Directors Zimbabwe (IoDZ), a Board member and Deputy Chairperson of the Farmers Development Trust of Zimbabwe.

Mr Macheka holds a Master’s degree in Business Leadership from the University of South Africa, having qualified with a Bachelor of Science Agriculture (Hons) degree with the University of Zimbabwe. He holds a higher diploma in marketing (LCCI UK), a Higher Certificate in Business Management (IAC Southern Africa), an Advanced Diploma in Bank Credit Management and a Diploma in Credit Management both from the Damelin School of Banking in South Africa. Mr. Macheka has also attended the Leadership and Management Skills Development program with DFRC in Namibia (2017), Business Leadership Training in Nairobi Kenya (2008).  He has also contributed to several panel and expert forums, including an esteemed paper on NPL Analysis and Strategies which he presented at the SADC DFCR CEO’s forum (2014).

Mr. Macheka joined the then Agricultural Bank of Zimbabwe as an Executive Director: Banking and Agricultural Development in 2007, a position that he held until his elevation to the position of Group Chief Executive Officer of AFC Holdings. He is the inaugural GCEO of the AFC Holdings having been tasked to set it up by Government in 2021. Before Joining Agribank, Mr. Macheka was with Syfrets Corporate and Merchant Bank (A subsidiary of ZB Bank) as the General Manager Agribusiness.

Mr Macheka is an astute golfer, who outside of his busy schedule with AFC Holdings, enjoys a good game of golf with his friends.

Mama Keita has worked in the field of development economics for over 20 years. Before her employment at ECA, which began in 2011 as Economic Affairs Officer, Ms. Keita held positions as Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Guinea and Poverty Economist at the World Bank in Burkina Faso.

She has assumed various academic roles, notably as a lecturer in public economics and development economics in Canada, and conducted various consultancies for organizations such as AfDB, UNDP, and the EU. She has also carried out several research studies and publications in the development field. She holds a Masters’s in Statistics and Applied Economics from ENSEA in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and a PhD. in economics from the University of Montreal, Canada.

Professor Mimmie Watts is an Associate Professor, and the Director, Industry Cooperation, Institute of Health and wellbeing, Federation University Australia. Professor  has some twenty years’ experience in the health and higher education sectors, with 18 years primarily in the University sector

Professor Watts has a track record in leadership and governance, strategic engagement, with extensive board  experience as a non-Executive director on statutory boards.

Prof Watts is a council member of the African Science Research Innovation Council (ASRIC), African Union Commission and the ASRIC Chair, Australia Chapter. Professor Watts is on the Policy Committee of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, and the WHO PET working group.

Professor Watts has a PhD in Public Health from La Trobe University, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Melbourne, Australia. She trained as RN, prior to that she studied natural/pure sciences.

Prof Watts completed the Emerging Executive Women in Health Leadership Program at Harvard University, USA.

Professor Watts currently serves on the Boards of Queen Elizabeth Centre – Public Hospital; the VAKA Health Foundation, etc., in Australia.

She served as a Commissioner, Victorian Multicultural Commission, Australia, the peak advisory body on Multiculturism to the State Government.

Professor Watts leads the Master of Health Leadership and the Master of Health Services Management, that she also lectures into, at Federation University, Australia.

Professor Watts is a frequent Guest and keynote speaker at national and international events.

Assoc Professor Watts is the author of ‘Sahara Piercing the Thatch Ceiling’ and other refereed journal articles, with great impact. One of her most impactful and Cited  works is on Early Motherhood, BMC Public Health 10.1186/s12889-015-2215-2.

Dr. Monica Musenero is a diversely trained and skilled Consultant and Scientist with extensive national and international experience. She has previously worked with Makerere University as an Assistant Lecturer, the Uganda Ministry of Health as the Assistant Commissioner, Epidemiology and Surveillance, and Principal Program Officer with Africa Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET). She spent 3 years as Field Coordinator with the World Health Organization in Sierra Leone, as one of the experts who played key roles and was internationally acclaimed for the expertise and heroic efforts in bringing the West Africa Ebola outbreak under control, which earned her formal recognition by both the Sierra Leonean and Uganda governments. In Uganda, she has been at the frontline of the design and implementation of the highly successful Epidemic preparedness and Response system and was key in response to all the Ebola and Marburg outbreaks in the country since 2007.

Dr. Musenero did her graduate studies at Cornell University, Ithaca, USA where she obtained an MS Science (majoring in Microbiology, with Immunology and Molecular Biology and research on Vaccine development). She went on to obtain a Master’s in Public Health from Makerere University, specializing in Field Epidemiology.  Monica has been a central figure in making the One Health movement a reality in Uganda and the African region. She introduced the first multi-sectoral and multidisciplinary team including Anthropologists and Sociologists, creating interventions that drastically contained Plague outbreaks in the country. She has served as Technical Advisor for the USAID funded One Health Work Force Program.

Dr. Musenero is currently the Minsiter of Science, Technology and Innovation under the Office of the President, Senior Presidential Advisor on Epidemics and and one of the key players in Uganda’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Successful business leadership, legal passion and corporate governance specialist – these are some of the attributes that one can use to describe the property mogul that is Xoliswa Daku. She is the Founder and CEO of DAKU (PTY) Ltd, a 20-year-old privately held entity with subsidiaries in property, law and energy.

Daku Properties focuses on property development, facilities, and asset management. Her property development vision is to develop corridors of excellence, turn small towns into economic hubs, and redevelop underutilized properties. Whilst Daku Legal focusses on mergers and acquisitions and Daku Energy specializes on investment in energy efficiency and development.

She is an astute lawyer with 26 years of experience, Chair of SEDA and Deputy Chair of the University of the Western Cape, holding LLM, EMBA, and various international post grad business diploma in her bag. Daku has served on various boards for the past 26 years specializing on governance, institutional framework, FDI, trade and industry. Her company footprint is nationwide and carries an international flavor. She has worked with multinationals globally, seeking opportunities for the growth of the country. Her generosity and community development approach describes where she comes from.

Mr. Kalisa is an economist by profession specialized in Econometrics, Trade policy, Investment Promotion and Private Sector Development and Taxation related issues. He holds a Master’s Degree in Commerce with Economics from the University of Pretoria, South Africa and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the National University of Rwanda.

He has an in-depth understanding of the regional economic communities and has participated fully in negotiations of international, continental, and regional agreements.

Mr. John Bosco Kalisa has experience in private sector development and competitiveness having previously served as the Country Director of South Sudan for TradeMark East Africa (TMEA). He has also worked with the Rwanda Private Sector Federation (PSF-Rwanda) and Rwanda Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

He has global connections with leading international development partners such as USAID, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) African Development Bank and the World Bank.

As the EABC CEO/ Executive Director, Mr. KALISA steers the high-level policy advocacy at the EAC Heads of State and Ministerial level to push forward the EABC’s vision and mission of a borderless East Africa for increased business and investment.

Samuel is Advisor to the Vice President Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization, on private sector mobilization, strategic partnerships & innovations, at the African Development Bank Group. He joined the AfDB, in 2020 as Director Syndications, Co-Financing and Client Solutions Department, and has over 25 years’ banking and development finance experience across Africa, covering origination, syndication, execution of structured deals, and funds mobilization.

Prior to joining the AfDB, he established the syndication & distribution functions at the Eastern and Southern Trade and Development Bank (TDB) in Nairobi Kenya, and the African Export and Import Bank (Afreximbank), in Cairo Egypt, where he led, structured and executed over $10bn in development finance syndicated transactions.

He has over 8 years’ oil and gas industry experience in contracting, business strategy, mergers, acquisitions and divestments, with Royal Dutch Shell Oil Products Africa.

He is an independent director with Beyond Capital Fund, an evergreen impact investment fund that invests in seed-stage, for-profit social enterprises serving low-income communities in India and East Africa, and an Advisor to Beyond Capital Ventures, a fund that invests in scaling up early-stage businesses primarily in healthcare, financial services, and agriculture.

Mr Tony Nsanganira has been since May 2021 Deputy Country Director and Senior Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) in Rwanda. His main role is to support and advise the Government of Rwanda on strengthening the competitiveness of key economic sectors and on strengthening delivery for presidential priorities.

Prior to joining TBI, Mr. Nsanganira led for four years the Youth in Agri-food Systems Programme at the Regional Office for Africa of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in Accra/Ghana. His main role was to support the designing and implementation of policies and programmes aimed at creating employment opportunities for the youth in FAO member countries, as well as the mainstreaming of youth into the other FAO policies and programmes, all aimed at ending hunger and poverty on the continent. Mr. Nsanganira also supervised the designing process of a Digital Innovation Strategy in Agri-food Systems for FAO in the African region, with a particular attention to promoting youth-led innovative solutions.

Mr Nsanganira is a former Minister of State in charge of Agriculture in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of the Republic of Rwanda. He has also served as Permanent Secretary in the same Ministry and has prior to joining the Ministry served at the Rwanda Development Board as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Agribusiness, among other responsibilities. Mr Nsanganira also served on Boards of Directors in several key public Institutions. He is currently serving as Board member at the Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR).

Mr Nsanganira holds a MSc Degree in Agricultural Economics from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia in Moscow.

Alex Ntare is Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda ICT Chamber. His work at the Chamber involves bridging the gap between private and public sector players in the ICT industry as well as overseeing and establishing new innovation programs for technology startups and innovators among them; KLAB, Fablab Rwanda, LEAPR Applied Research Labs, 250 Startups Incubator and SHORA. He sits on the advisory board of the Africa Center of Excellence on Internet Of Things and a number of steering committees including the Rwanda Innovation Fund. He holds a Msc in Investment and Quantitative Finance from the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom, a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Business Information Technology from NCC Education in UK as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Makerere University in Uganda. His work experience ranges from working as a computer engineer to a financial services’ broker in London. He is a passionate enthusiast of technology, innovation and financial markets and the role they play in solving global challenges.

Briggette Harrington is an international entrepreneur specializing in Africa with more than 30 years of experience in international trade in Africa. She is a business development specialist, avid golfer, and Pan-Africanist.  Ms. Harrington holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Business.  She holds a Master of Science Degree in Project Management, a Master’s Certificate in Organizational Leadership and Development, and a Master’s Certificate in Multicultural Marketing.

She is the President / CEO of Igire Coffee Company Ltd. located in Kigali, Rwanda. The company was founded to empower the women that grow coffee in Rwanda while earning a profit. Igire Coffee Company purchases coffee from the Hinga Kawa Women’s Coffee Association comprised of survivors of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide. The company adds value by processing and packaging this coffee for export. Igire Coffee Company was the first company to export under the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in October 2022 by exporting coffee to Ghana.

Ms. Harrington specializes in assisting companies in adding value and packaging their products for export. This includes meeting international standards for content and labeling.

François KANIMBA holds the position of Commissioner for Common Market, Economic, Monetary and Financial Affairs of the ECCAS Commission since September 2020.

Since his selection at this position, Mr François KANIMBA has been working to set up an operational economic integration program within ECCAS region, focusing on the following priorities :

1. Operationnalization of the Common Market of the ECCAS region,
2. Establishment of the Central Africa Business Council as a necessary platform to mainstream Public-Private dialogue in the regional integration agenda ;
3. Development of an operational Action Plan to enhance the Business Environment Reform agenda for Private Sector Development in Central African States ;
4. Working with Development Partners to build institutional capacity within the ECCAS organizational structure to play a role in catalyizing the Development of Regional Industrial Value Chains with a high growth potential in the framework of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.

Before joining the ECCAS Commission, Mr François KANIMBA has been a long serving senior official within the Rwandan Government which took over the management of the country after the 1994 genocide of the Tutsis. Among the key positions occupied we can mention :

1. Minister of Trade and Industry of Rwanda from 2011 to 2017 ;
2. Governor of the Central Bank of Rwanda from 2002 to 2011 ;

Over this period of 15 years, Mr François KANIMBA contributed significantly to the economic recovery process of the Rwandan economy after the 1994 genocide.

Prior to joining the Central Bank of Rwanda, Mr François KANIMBA was the Principal Economist at the World Bank Office in Rwanda for a period of five years from 1995 to 2000.

In the period before the 1994, Mr François KANIMBA, was one of the key senior economic oficials in Rwanda who was mandated by the Government of Rwanda at that time to work with the IMF and World Bank teams to design the first Structural Adjustment Program of Rwanda concluded in october 1990, just beforre the start of the Liberation war.

In terms of Education background, Mr François KANIMBA graduated in 1983 as a Statistician Economist engineer from the Paris based Center for training statistician economists from Developing Countries.

Trade and development professional with experience in the areas of Market Systems and Private Sector Development, Private Public Dialogue and Advocacy and experience in working with government Ministries responsible for trade facilitation, trade policy and with Regional Economic Communities

Currently leading the Business Competitiveness portfolio at TradeMark Africa, a not-for-profit company which works with EAC institutions, national governments, business, and civil society organizations to promote prosperity through trade in Africa. Programmes under the portfolio aim to enhance women participation in trade, strengthen the business environment through evidence- based public-private dialogue facilitate export growth by enhancing market access, facilitating efficiency in logistics services for trade and leveraging innovation and technology including the use of e-commerce to boost trade and supply chain traceability in targeted sectors.

Eric Rutayisire Muziga is the CEO and Founder of charis UAS. He founded Charis in 2014 and now the company operates in 8 African countries. In 2019, He was recognized on Forbes 30 under 30 and top 3 all business africa awards.

Eric is a holder of a master’s degree in electrical engineering from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Extensive background in developing new technologies and tech products as a systems engineer Globally.

Founded Charis UAS in 2014, the first drone company in Rwanda to provide aerial imagery for intelligent decision making.

Listed on the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list-technology categories and was voted top 3 All Africa Business Leader Award-Young business and innovator Award

Andrew Mold is Chief of the AfCFTA Cluster at the office for East Africa of Economic Commission for Africa.  He has a PhD. in economics and has worked for the United Nations in Costa Rica, Chile, Ethiopia, Chile and Rwanda. He was also a Senior Economist at the OECD in Paris. His work has focused on international trade, multinational corporations and regional integration. He is also co-author (with Francis Mangeni) of a forthcoming book ‘Borderless Africa – A Sceptic’s Guide to the Continental Free Trade Area’ (Hurst & Company, London) to be published in March 2023.