Innovations Session N°17

Andrew Ahiaku is the Director and Head of the Financial Sector of Aceli Africa, a not-for-profit donor-funded agribusiness finance market initiative that supports lenders to increase financing to agri small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A food and agricultural finance specialist, Andrew is a certified expert in agricultural finance, FAO-certified agricultural risk manager and Chartered Marketer. He has a deep interest in the intersection of banking, agriculture, alternative finance, and policy, and is passionate about the impact and access to finance. Andrew has experience working in the tri-sectors (public, private, and development).

Isolina Boto is the Head of Networks and Alliances at COLEAD, a non-profit Association of private sector operators in the agrifood sector active in the EU, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) regions. Isolina has more than 25 years of experience in agricultural development. She started her career with the European Commission and has also worked with various ACP embassies and NGOs in areas related to food security, rural development and trade. Before joining COLEAD, she was the Manager of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) Brussels Office (2004-2020) implementing policy initiatives related to the ACP-EU cooperation in the field of agricultural and rural development. She has led agribusiness projects in support of capacity development of SMEs, entrepreneurs and farmers organisations across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.

Maimouna Coulibaly is Mali’s first female seed entrepreneur, and the founder of the Malian seed company Faso Kaba. Faso Kaba promotes public-private relations by serving as a relay between producers agricultural and research organisations. Maimouna is passionate about increasing female involvement in agribusiness. She believes that women should feature more prominently in food distribution due to their significant contribution to food production.

Ismael Ntwali is the  operations manager at S&I FRESH and also manages the company packhouse. He has been working for S&I FRESH from its starting point and has gained experience in business development and management. The company – based in Rwanda – grows fresh and organic horticultural products on their own farm but also works with local smallholder farmers. They support farmers by supplying them with seeds and training them on agricultural practices.

Jeremy Knops holds a master’s degree in business engineering from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (SBS-EM). Prior to joining COLEAD in 2009, he was involved in Guatemala with the daily operations of a farmers’ cooperative exporting loquats to the EU and the US. He started to work for COLEAD as an expert in charge of matters related to private standards and certification for ACP producers and exporters of fruit and vegetables. Jeremy is an accredited coach for leadership and professional development. He has been appointed as General Delegate of COLEAD in June 2019.

Harry Malichi is co-founder and managing director of Wuchi Wami Ltd, specialising in sustainable bee-keeping practices, processing and distributing. The company aims at empowering local farmers in a North-Western province of Zambia, with modern beehives that are environmentally friendly and do not support deforestation. Harry is passionate that sustainable beekeeping will create sustainable livelihoods. Harry has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Zambia.

Victoria Mwafulirwa is the founder and managing director of Homes Industries LTD, an award winning agro-processing company based in Karonga, Malawi. The company is the leading manufacturer of branded sunflower cooking oil, maize and peanut flour (Nsinjiro) in the region. Victoria is also the Secretary General of the Cross Border Traders’ Association of Malawi (CBTA). Victoria has experience as a communications and supply chain professional, formerly working as a Communications and External Relations officer, as well as a Supply Chain Officer.

Dr. Babafemi Oyewole, the CEO of Pan African Farmers Organization (PAFO), is a tri-sector executive and professional with experiences in the public, private and non-government sectors, and a veteran in the management of international institutions.

Khalifa Aladji Abdoulaye Thiam is a Senegalese entrepreneur, founder and the manager of JOULEU, a company that produces and trades horticultural products, serving domestic and foreign markets including through e-commerce. Khalifa has a Master’s degree in Management of Tourism and Hotel Companies from the Université Gaston Berger de Saint Louis, Senegal and a Higher Diploma in Business Management, specialising in agricultural business management and plant and animal production. Khalifa is also a trainer in employability and soft skills at the the Inclusion Division in the Department of Scientific Innovation, Inclusion, Forecasting and Community Service (D2iPS).