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Debola Deji-Kurunmi is a polymath, best-selling author, keynote speaker, public policy advisor, corporate trainer and transformational coach for Visionary Leaders. Through her work of coaching, consulting and capacity building, Debola deploys her extraordinary gift of unlocking potential in people, institutions and nations. She is Founder of IMMERSE Coaching Company (a professional coaching practice), Executive Director at Ideation Hub Africa (a public policy and impact advisory firm), President at Kingdom Leaders Global Alliance and Founder of the Future-Forward Female Movement.
Across these organizations, she leads a vibrant 100, 000+ community of change-makers. She is a Certified Visionary Leadership Coach by the Oleg Konovalov Global Coaching Certification, a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, a Certified Masteries Practitioner by the International Association of Coaching, USA and renown for her archetypical breakthrough coaching frameworks as well as original assessments.
Sola Adesakin is a seasoned finance coach and chartered accountant with a wealth of experience spanning over two decades. Her unwavering passion for empowering individuals and businesses to comprehend the intricacies of "make-manage-multiply money" has seen her establish Smart Stewards Financial Advisory Limited and Smart Stewards Advisory LLC, in the United States of America.
Through these ventures and other platforms, Sola has transformed the financial lives of numerous people across 40 countries, helping them transition from financial stress to rest, from debt to wealth, and from mediocrity to an extraordinary life.
Sola is a strong supporter of SDG5 and SDG10, as she seeks to close the gender gap and reduce inequality through financial education, financial technology, and access to funding. Sola's dedication to achieving gender equality and reducing inequality is evident in her work as an alumna of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, an initiative of the US Embassy in Nigeria, and the Cherie Blair Foundation's Road to Growth Program. She is also an alumna of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program and a member of the Select Global Women in Tech (SGWIT) Mentorship Network of the United States of America.
Her impressive academic credentials include a BSc and an MBA degree from Oxford Brookes University and Edinburgh Business School, respectively. She is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of the United Kingdom (ACCA), and a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA). In addition to her impressive credentials, Sola Adesakin is also a Certified Financial Education Instructor of The United States
Sola's impressive track record includes facilitating government parastatals and private institutions, being a Tony Elumelu Foundation Mentor, and sitting on the boards of two Nigerian NGOs. Her outstanding accomplishments in the finance and business industries have not gone unnoticed, garnering numerous accolades, including being recognized as one of Nigeria's 100 most inspiring women in 2020. Her expertise in finance and business has earned her recognition from top Nigerian companies who regard her as one of Nigeria's finest upcoming business women
Sola is a well-known author who has written eight books and a number of articles that haven't been published yet. All of her work is about making money less mysterious and spreading the message around the world, and her expertise in finance and wealth management extends beyond her coaching and advisory services. As a renowned finance professional, she also shares her knowledge through her insightful columns in national newspapers, providing valuable financial guidance to a wide audience. Her contributions to the public domain have been widely recognized, with her articles and insights featured in reputable international media outlets such as Yahoo and Forbes. Her admission into the Forbes Coaching Council is a testament to her relentless pursuit of leveraging global alliances and partnerships to empower people to achieve their financial goals.
With her extensive experience, academic credentials, and global partnerships, Sola is well-positioned to empower people worldwide in their pursuit of financial success.
She ishappilymarried, andfromherbase inLagos, sheworkswithpeopleandbusinesses all overtheworld.
Frank Rimalovski is an entrepreneur, investor, and educator who founded and leads the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute, providing training, mentorship, community, and funding to students, faculty, and researchers at NYU. He also established the NYU Innovation Venture Fund, a seed-stage investment fund supporting 38 NYU startups across various sectors. Co-author of the acclaimed books "Talking to Humans" and "Testing with Humans," Frank has a rich background in early-stage investing, startups, and technology commercialization.
Before joining NYU in 2010, Frank co-founded New Venture Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in spinouts from corporate research labs. He has held roles at Lucent/Bell Labs, Sun Microsystems, Apple, and NeXT. Frank is the NYU Faculty Lead for the NSF's NY I-Corps Hub, an instructor for the NSF's I-Corps program, and has taught entrepreneurship at NYU. He mentors at Techstars and serves on the advisory board of the Tufts Entrepreneurship Center. Frank earned his BA from Tufts University and his MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
Chidi Nwaogu, began his entrepreneurial journey at 16 as an indie video game developer. In 2020, he co-founded Savvy, a global business incubation and acceleration company for aspiring entrepreneurs, recognized by HundrED.org as one of the "100 most impactful and scalable innovations in education in 2022.” He also co-founded Publiseer in 2017, a digital distribution company for African content creators, honored by Ernst & Young as one of the "100 most meaningful businesses in the world in 2023."
Since the age of 19, Nwaogu has co-founded, grown, and sold two successful tech companies, including LAGbook, a social network that achieved over 1 million users in three years. He mentors entrepreneurs through platforms like Seedstars and the Founder Institute. Additionally, Nwaogu has served as a Software Engineer for MTV's TagWorld and as an Entrepreneur in Residence for Startupbootcamp. His accolades include being an Acumen Fellow, Alibaba eFounders Fellow, and winning the $1.5M Africa's Business Heroes Prize by the Jack Ma Foundation. Nwaogu is also the author of "Dear Entrepreneur," a 586-page book offering advice to entrepreneurs.
Mercedes Ifon, known as "Lady Mercedes," is a distinguished HR professional with an MBA in Human Resource Management and a diploma in Management Consultancy Practice and Organizational Transformation. An alumna of Lagos Business School (Executive Education) and a member of the International Professional Managers Association in the UK, she is the founder of StarGuide HR Consulting Limited and Lady Mercedes Advisory. She is a Certified Global HR Professional who addresses contemporary organizational challenges, ranging from talent attraction and retention to revenue goals and customer satisfaction, while pursuing overarching business and profitability objectives. Lady Mercedes has counseled over 2000 professionals across Nigeria, Dubai, Ghana, the UK, and Ireland.
With a successful track record in diverse sectors such as Agriculture, Logistics, Aviation, Consulting, and Telecommunications, Lady Mercedes has significantly enhanced manager and employee performance, morale, and diversity, inclusion, and equity. She excels in talent acquisition, compensation, workforce planning, and organizational development, aligning HR practices with business goals. As an internal consultant, she constructs HR departments, crafts policies, and manages employment, compensation, labor relations, and employee services. A certified United Nations SDG Advocate, she is committed to SDGs 5 and 8 and actively works to eradicate rape culture in Nigeria through The Consent Workshop. Her dedication to community engagement and professional excellence underscores her commitment to a safer, more inclusive society.
Dr. Naomi Osemedua is a powerhouse speaker, coach, and advocate for personal and professional growth. As the "Sparkle Queen," she empowers individuals and organizations to unlock their potential and achieve success. Through her company, CentreStage, she guides clients in navigating reputation management with strategic visibility and impactful storytelling.
Naomi champions women's empowerment through initiatives like The Women with Stories International and the "TRASH THE LABELS" movement. Her dedication to positive change extends to her role as Cohort Principal for the Abuja Accelerator Program. Awarded for her influence and contributions, Naomi is a force to be reckoned with, inspiring others to thrive on the world's "CENTRESTAGE."
Rosemond Phil-Othihiwa is a highly accomplished three-time award-winning
Corporate-Commercial & Startup Lawyer with almost a decade of experience in delivering top-notch legal advisory services to business owners and corporate clients. In addition to her impressive legal background, Rosemond has cultivated a niche expertise in the tech startup ecosystem.
She has consistently provided comprehensive consulting, due diligence, and investor readiness services to numerous companies in the tech sector.
Furthermore, Rosemond's extensive experience extends to offering invaluable guidance in regulatory compliance and corporate governance matters for tech-focused incubator and accelerator bootcamps. She has lent her expertise to esteemed organizations such as LASRIC
(Lagos State Research and Innovation Council), Impact Hub Lagos & Accra, Kick off Africa, Validate Global Vienna, Maloba Consulting-South Africa, WEMA Bank and GAIN (Global
Alliance for Improved Nutrition), among others.
Martins Udotai stands at the forefront of disruptive technology in the ecommerce and hospitality sectors, bringing a wealth of experience as a serial entrepreneur and mechanical engineer by training. His love for innovation has led him to harness the potential of technology to develop and scale transformative products. Currently, Martins is pioneering a paradigm shift in Africa's food and beverage landscape, spearheading a digital revolution with his latest venture, Dinesurf.
An esteemed alumni of NYU Tandon, Martins has a rich history of engaging in the university's entrepreneurial competitions, achieving remarkable successes and being recognized through grants from U.S. state governments and institutions.
His expertise and insights have made him a sought-after thought leader, featuring on premium platforms like CNBC Africa's Power Lunch and in prestigious publications such as Vanguard Newspaper. He has also shared his visions on Max FM, Eko FM, TVC's Wake Up Nigeria, and other prominent media outlets, making him a celebrated voice in the world of tech entrepreneurship."
Bodam Taiwo has over 16 years of experience in marketing, branding, and communications. Currently, she leads a portfolio at Pernod Ricard, crafting and executing strategies for sustainable brand growth. Her expertise extends beyond the corporate world. Bodam is a respected author and advocate for feminine leadership.
Through The Refined Lady Movement and The Refined Lady School, Bodam equips women with the tools to cultivate influence and authority while embracing their femininity. Her organization offers training programs on a range of topics, from communication to hospitality. This dedication to empowerment is further reflected in her work as a facilitator and mentor for organizations like Lagos Business School and the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs.
Bodam's achievements are numerous. In 2023, she was recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Marketing and Communications. Her numerous awards showcase her impact on society and her commitment to creating positive change, particularly for women.
Munachiso Okonkwo is a dynamic Senior Business Development and Partnership Manager at BetterYou and the Entrepreneur in Residence for Bridgemakers Youth Tech Entrepreneur Program. As a Co-founder of SitEat and a retired international professional basketball athlete, Munachiso brings a unique blend of sports discipline and entrepreneurial expertise.
A graduate of Upper Iowa University with a triple major in Business, Biology, and Exercise Sports Science, he also holds an associate degree in General Engineering from John Wood Community College. Munachiso is passionate about his faith, his two daughters Mette & Mayzie, wellness, and driving innovative business solutions through His dedication to fostering new business relationships and creating winning business models.
Oluwatoyin Aralepo is a commercially astute business leader and finance professional, with over 20 years of experience across Banking, Telecoms, and FinTech. She has made a name for herself as a "strategic finance expert" in building strong financial frameworks.
She is currently a Finance Director in the International Development sector, working in one of the top global non-profit organizations which focus on Education, entrepreneurship and other thematic sectors that work towards ensuring dignified and fulfilling work for young people.
Previously, she had worked in various multifunctional, multi-sectoral roles, and led multifunctional teams of over 50 people in finance strategy, business partnering, financial controls, and governance to support corporate decisions.
She was the Head of Budget in UBA - responsible for over 400 business offices’ budget preparation and consolidation; Commercial Controller and Financial Controller at Airtel Nigeria where she managed a portfolio of over $1 billion and supported cost initiatives that saved millions of Dollars, and former CFO of Cellulant Nigeria & Liquid Technologies. Former Director of Corporate Excellence and Programme Management IHS Towers.
At the peak of the COVID epidemic, she founded the Africa Finance & Strategy Hub, which is a financial advisory and strategy consulting firm that helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Sub-Saharan Africa set up financial structures that make it easier to put their business goals into action strategically. Over the years, she has coached more than 5,000 business owners through programs like She Leads Africa, Access Bank, Keystone Bank, Wema Bank Business School, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and Women in Business (Wimbiz).
Head, Technology Innovation - ALAT by WEMA | WEMA Bank
Solomon is the Head, Innovation [Corporate Transformation, Innovation & Analytics] at WEMA Bank & ALATByWEMA [Nigeria’s first fully digital bank]. Solomon is a results-driven manager, well-versed in leading teams and driving business transformation, leveraging expertise in building customer-centric technology products.
Solomon graduated with a BSc in Political Science and Public Administration from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko and an MBA, with a focus on Strategy from Heriot University, Edinburgh Business School.
Solomon was an Analyst, Innovation Digital Enablement and Analytics at Stanbic IBTC where he drove digital strategy execution by managing product development from conceptualization to delivery to customers; leading design thinking training and workshops; driving partnership engagements with the technology ecosystem and facilitating digital emersion sessions to boost the digital knowledge quotient within the organization.
Prior to working at Stanbic IBTC, Solomon worked as the Business Transformation Lead with an EDTech outfit and managed the Project Management and Change Management arm of the business. Solomon joined Stanbic IBTC in 2015 and worked in diverse roles across personal and business banking, IT Project management, Data Analysis and Executive Management.
He is a multiple TEDx Speaker, TEDx licensee, recipient of the Prestigious CBN Next Gen Banker for Trailblazers under 30, BudgIT Active Citizen Award for Community Service, Digi-Bank Digital Leadership Award in Nairobi, Future Awards for Activism & Advocacy & he was recently listed as the top 50 Young Africans to look out for.
He is an Author of 3 Books & his overarching objective in life is to transform the fortune of Africa with his voice and the enabling power of technology.