The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Washington, D.C. // November 19-20, 2026
President, International Trade & Government Relations, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.
Innovation Category
Founder & CEO, AppsTech, Vice-Chair, International Chamber of Commerce
For inquiries, please contact us: info@econclubafrica.org
Founder & Chairman, ECANY Capital
Prof. Fred Olayele is a seasoned economist, development finance executive, university professor, and innovation strategy leader, with a diverse career spanning academia, global business, finance, public policy, and economic development. In his previous role as Chief Economist with the New York government, he helped position New York as a global model for innovation. Prior to that, he advised two Canadian provincial governments on energy policy, foreign direct investment, and economic development. Earlier in his career, he was a global trade finance specialist with Citibank. His expertise covers trade policy, innovation, FDI, urban policy, political economy, and inclusive development. He has served as a visiting professor and guest speaker across universities and academic institutions abroad. A Senior Fellow at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, Prof. Olayele has held academic positions and taught across four Canadian universities. He was a Visiting Scholar at the World Trade Institute in Bern, Switzerland, and a Visiting Professor of Trade and Development at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. He sits on the Academic Advisory Board of the Emerging Markets Institute, Cornell University, and the International Advisory Board of the International Economic Development Council in Washington, DC. Through New York-based pan-African investment and advisory firm, ECANY Capital, he connects public and private institutions with international private capital and the expertise required to execute transformative investment opportunities on the continent. A Global Leadership Fellow at Cornell, he holds a PhD in Economics from Lancaster University, United Kingdom, and an MA in Economics from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. He is a member of the Economic Club of New York.
Founder & Executive Chairman, Svani Group
Thomas Svanikier is the founder of a number of companies including Svani Group, where he is executive chairman. Mr. Svanikier is also co-founder and chairman of Africa Capital Ltd, the largest shareholder of Fidelity Bank Ghana Ltd and Fidelity Asia Bank, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – as well as chairman of the advisory board of Fidelity Bank Ghana Ltd. He also serves as a non-executive director for several other companies. He acts as a consultant and advocate for international companies who wish to invest and operate in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa. He founded Svani Limited in 1990 as an automobile retailing company based in Accra, Ghana, supplying vehicles to Ghana and neighbouring countries. Since then, it has expanded and diversified into the Svani Group with subsidiaries and capital investments in transportation, energy, finance, and real estate. He is a founding member and former non-executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce, Ghana. He was honored with the highest award of the land (The Order of the Volta) by the Government of Ghana in 2023, recognizing his role and contribution to society.
President, International Trade and Government Relations, Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.
Nicole Bivens Collinson is a Managing Principal, Operating Committee, and International Trade and Government Relations Practice Leader with Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. She is located in the Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Collinson is a commentator on trade matters on MSNBC, NPR, and BBC and is the producer of the Two Minutes in Trade podcast. She has nearly 40 years of experience in government, public affairs, and lobbying. Prior to joining ST&R, Ms. Collinson served as assistant chief negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, responsible for the negotiation of bilateral agreements with Latin America, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, the Sub-Continent, and Africa. She also served as a country specialist in the International Trade Administration at the Department of Commerce. Further, her work representing clients before Congress has earned her a well-respected position among politicians involved in international and business affairs. She is a well-known international trade authority in Washington, regularly called upon by members of Congress and the administration to help explain complex trade programs. Her decades of work with the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees and the Senate Finance; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Foreign Relations; and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees has established deep and lasting relations with members of Congress and their staffs. Ms. Collinson holds a master’s degree in international relations from The George Washington University and a triple bachelor’s degree in political science, European studies, and French from Georgetown College. She serves on the board of trustees for Georgetown College and is the past executive director for the U.S. Hosiery Manufacturers Coalition, the U.S. Apparel Industry Coalition, and the U.S. Sock Distributors Coalition. She is conversant in both French and Spanish.
Managing Partner, Asafo & Co. LLP
Jude Kearney is the managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office of Asafo & Co. Mr. Kearney is a U.S. lawyer who has chaired the Africa practices of major international firms in the past. He focuses his practice on corporate transactions, with an emphasis on international project finance, handling various matters involving energy development, mergers and acquisitions, complex litigation and corporate matters, and has specific experience in international markets, including Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Over the past two decades, Mr. Kearney has focused his practice exclusively on advising public and private sector clients with respect to Africa-based transactions and he has lived on the African continent twice. Mr. Kearney works with major U.S. and foreign clients in the areas of energy, telecommunications, infrastructure projects, and financial services, providing counsel on the structure and terms of his clients’ commercial relationships as they relate to project developments in foreign markets. Mr. Kearney is a former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Services Industries and Trade Finance, appointed by President Bill Clinton, and was chief advisor on African policies. He has participated in various trade and bilateral negotiations, including in regard to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and market access negotiations with Japan and China. He earned his Juris Doctor from the Stanford School of Law, where he was a member of the Stanford International Law Journal, and earned his Applied Baccalaureate from Harvard University in 1980. In 1980, Mr. Kearney was awarded the Michael C. Rockefeller Travel Fellowship, allowing him to spend a year in Nigeria prior to entering law school. Mr. Kearney is a native of Arkansas.
Founder & Innovator; Former President & CEO, WDI
Wendy Taylor is former President and CEO of the William Davidson Institute, an organization dedicated to supporting businesses, entrepreneurship, and market-based solutions in low- and middle-income countries. Ms. Taylor is an innovation leader and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience building and leading high-impact teams. Working at the intersection of public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, she has founded multiple enterprises, catalyzed innovations to tackle some of the world’s toughest health challenges, and leveraged market-based solutions for transformational impact. As Vice President for Technical Leadership and Innovation at Jhpiego, Ms. Taylor led a large, multidisciplinary team focused on driving accelerated impact across women’s health, infectious disease, primary health care, global health security, and climate-health. As a Rockefeller Foundation fellow, she identified ways to leverage advances in artificial intelligence, digital health, and data technologies to transform global health. And at the US Agency for International Development, she founded and led the Center for Innovation and Impact, which applies innovative, business-minded approaches to accelerate the development, introduction and scale-up of priority global health solutions. Previously, she held senior positions with several global health nonprofits, including Bio Ventures for Global Health, which she founded, and served in both the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. Government, including the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means. Her Africa-focused work includes supporting COVID-19 vaccine delivery in South Africa and advancing maternal health, infectious disease prevention, and health systems innovation through her leadership at Jhpiego. Her expertise includes supporting entrepreneurship, scaling innovations in developing markets, mobilizing private capital, and building partnerships that deliver lasting impact. She received a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University.
Managing Partner, Total Impact Capital
John A. Simon is a Founder and the Managing Partner/CEO of Total Impact Capital (TOTAL), an impact investing firm that structures, markets, and manages financing vehicles for underserved communities. The firm has partners in Washington, New York, Amsterdam, and Geneva and focuses on investments in basic human needs such as health, water, and food. TOTAL is the Fund Manager for Azure Source Capital, on whose board and investment committee Ambassador Simon sits. Until recently, he served as Vice Chair of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Malaria, and Tuberculosis. Prior to starting Total Impact Capital, Ambassador Simon was a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development, where he co-authored More than Money, a report on impact investing as a development tool. Previously, Ambassador Simon held a variety of posts in the US federal government, including serving most recently as the United States Ambassador to the African Union and the Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). At OPIC, Ambassador Simon championed the Agency’s involvement in the social impact investment marketplace, spearheading efforts to finance affordable housing, small and medium businesses, and renewable energy. Ambassador Simon also served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Relief, Stabilization, and Development for the National Security Council (NSC) at the White House, the first to hold this post. During his tenure at the NSC, Ambassador Simon oversaw the implementation of groundbreaking development initiatives, including the Millennium Challenge Account, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, and the President’s Malaria Initiative. He was also responsible for the U.S. government response to international humanitarian disasters, such as the 2005 South Asia Earthquake. From 2002 to 2003, Ambassador Simon was Deputy Assistant Administrator at the United States Agency for International Development, overseeing the agency’s development information and evaluation units. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of Business Finance and Strategic Planning at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Executive Office for Administration and Finance in several capacities, including Deputy Director for Research and Development. Ambassador Simon received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University.
Founder & Managing Partner, Bedford37
Eric A. Clement is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bedford37, a private investment firm specialising in cross-sector real estate and infrastructure investments across the U.S. and emerging markets. With a career defined by innovation and impact, Eric brings decades of leadership across institutional investing, development finance, and public-private partnerships. Prior to founding Bedford37, Eric served as a senior executive at RXR, where he launched and led the firm’s sustainable investment division, overseeing a portfolio exceeding $1.5 billion. His strategic initiatives integrated ESG principles with commercial performance, setting a new benchmark for impact-driven investing in real estate. Previously, Eric served as Senior Managing Director at the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), where he led the Strategic Investments Group—overseeing a $15 billion investment portfolio, all city-managed tax incentive programmes, and NYC’s taxable and tax-exempt financing authority. Under his leadership, these tools were deployed in concert to drive economic development, attract private capital, and expand socio-economic opportunity citywide. Eric’s earlier roles include leadership positions at Blue Frontier Group, SGI Global Holdings, and blue-chip firms such as Accenture, Citigroup, and J.P. Morgan, where he cultivated deep expertise across global markets. A Lehigh University alumnus, Eric serves on its Board of Trustees. He holds an MBA from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and is currently an Associate Fellow of the school.
CEO, Schaefer Global Management, LLC
Dr. Schaefer specializes in sustainable agriculture through innovative aquaponics systems. With extensive experience in farming and aquaponics education, he currently teaches Aquaponics at Bowie State University and previously at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC. Dr. Schaefer has partnered with community organizations and farmers to establish other aquaponic facilities domestically and internationally. He has expanded his agriculture business nationally as well as globally, with operations in Iowa, Texas, Cameroon, and The Central Africa Republic. Dr. Schaefer currently teaches aquaponics at Bowie State University and previously taught at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. He has partnered with community organizations and farmers to establish aquaponic facilities domestically and internationally, expanding his agricultural business through operations in Iowa, Texas, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. A third-generation farmer, Dr. Schaefer traces his agricultural roots to a family-owned business established in 1868. This background helped shape his entrepreneurial outlook and commitment to practical solutions. For twelve years, he served as CEO of a koi pond business, overseeing the design, installation, and management of custom commercial and residential ponds and water features throughout the U.S. National Capital Region. Alongside his agricultural and entrepreneurial work, Dr. Schaefer brings more than 30 years of federal service spanning security, emergency management, continuity of operations, and government programs. His experience includes public safety and emergency response communications planning; exercise development, implementation, and evaluation; and the development of national public safety communications standards.
Managing Director, Kitskoo, Inc.
Tunde Fafunwa’s mission is to harness globally inclusive technology to empower people to improve their lives and build better communities. As a business leader, Mr. Fafunwa has built and nurtured teams that delivered growth and innovation in businesses with revenue from $5 million to $5 billion annually. He has led technology and telecom businesses in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the USA. At Kitskoo, Mr. Fafunwa leads a team that advises African and Pacific Island governments, multilateral development banks (MDBs), global, and national corporations on AI, digital infrastructure and services, economic inclusion, and sustainable development. Kitskoo has provided organizational, technical, operational, and marketing due diligence and advice on transactions ranging from $40 million to $400 million. While Lead Advisor to the Digital Centre at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), he spearheaded a team that built continental African policies, initiatives, and services across digital ID, e-payments, e-commerce, digital infrastructure, and data governance. A thought leader on AI and digital transformation, Mr. Fafunwa is a speaker, co-author, and contributor to the OECD, the UN, the Africa-Europe Foundation, CNN, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. He has an MBA and a Master of Science in Technology & Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Chairman, Silverage Group
Boye Oyewumi brings more than three decades of experience spanning corporate leadership, investment promotion, financial management, public policy, and institutional governance. An accomplished business leader, entrepreneur and investment strategist, his career reflects a sustained commitment to enterprise development, strategic investment, and the creation of economic opportunities across Africa. As Chairman of Silverage Group, a diversified business organisation with interests in energy, technology, financial services, industrial solutions and investment, he provides strategic leadership across the Group’s businesses. Having previously served as Group Managing Director, he has played a significant role in its development, building partnerships and advancing business interests across Nigeria and international markets. In addition to his current role as Chairman of Silverage Group, Mr. Oyewumi has made notable contributions to public-sector investment and economic development. Between 2017 and 2022, he served as Special Adviser on Development and Investment to the Governor of Ondo State and Chief Executive Officer of the Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA), following his service as Senior Special Assistant on Development and Investment from 2016 to 2017. During his tenure, he championed initiatives to attract private capital, strengthen public-private partnerships and unlock the state’s economic potential. His work included advancing the proposed Port of Ondo deep-sea development, facilitating investment in bitumen exploration, supporting the revitalisation of Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc and promoting commercial aviation connectivity between Ondo State and major Nigerian cities. His professional experience extends to the United Kingdom, where he served as Accounts Manager at Middlesex Probation Service, overseeing financial operations and substantial institutional budgets. He brings extensive boardroom experience across several sectors. A former Chairman of Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc, he currently serves as Chairman of 21st Century Evolution Limited, Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Governance Committee of Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, and Non-Executive Director of Mutual Life Insurance Limited. As a member of the Institute of Directors, he maintains a longstanding commitment to corporate governance, institutional effectiveness and responsible business leadership. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, and a Master of Business Administration from Middlesex University, London.
Board Director, Economic Club of Africa Network
Prof. Paul Clyde served from 2014 to 2024 as President, William Davidson Institute, University of Michigan where he was responsible for projects and programs working with the private sector in low- and middle-income countries. He is a Clinical Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy and the Movses and Maija Kaldjian Collegiate Lecturer in Business Economics and Public Policy at the Ross School of Business. Over the past 20 years, he has worked with dozens of companies experimenting with different business models in low- and middle-income countries. This work includes advising or directing more than 150 projects with firms in finance, education, energy, and healthcare industries in more than a dozen low- and middle-income countries. He has also worked with corporations ranging in size from small startups to large organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, and Microsoft. From 2004-2013, he served as the Academic Director of the Part-time Program at the Ross School of Business, where he led the development of the Weekend MBA Program. Prior to joining the University, Prof. Clyde was an economist at the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and a consultant with National Economic Research Associates. While at the Antitrust Division, he advised the governments of many transition economies on their competition laws and natural monopoly laws. In 1993, he lived in Slovakia and served as an economic adviser to the governments of the Czech Republic and Slovakia on competition policy. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and his B.S. in Business from Indiana University.
Dr. Kingsley Obiora is a distinguished economist and central banker with over two decades of national, regional, and global experience. He began his career at the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) in Accra, Ghana, before joining the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2007. Between 2011 and 2014, he served as Technical Adviser to Nigeria’s National Economic Management Team under President Goodluck Jonathan, advising on fiscal and macroeconomic policy. He later became Special Adviser on Economic Matters to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and subsequently returned to the IMF as Alternate Executive Director representing 23 African countries. From 2020 to 2023, Dr. Obiora served as Deputy Governor for Economic Policy at the CBN, overseeing key departments such as research, monetary policy, and financial markets while managing over 1,000 staff, including more than 100 Ph.D. economists. He is credited with championing major policy initiatives, including leading the creation of Africa’s first Central Bank Digital Currency, the eNaira. His extensive board experience includes chairing the African Finance Corporation (AFC), the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), and the FMDQ Group PLC, among others. He also served on the boards of both the CBN and the IMF. Dr. Obiora currently serves as Senior Advisor to AfriCatalyst, a Dakar-based global development advisory firm, and leads Economic Square LLC, a Washington, D.C.– based policy consulting firm, as Chief Economist and Managing Director.
Dr. Joshua Gogo is an economist, investment professional, engineer, entrepreneur, author, and institutional strategist whose work focuses on the intersection of finance, innovation, governance, and economic development. With professional experience spanning four continents and nine countries, he has advised governments, businesses, investors, and family enterprises on economic strategy, investment, institutional resilience, and long-term value creation. He is the Founder and President of Afcote Associates, an economics, strategy, and risk advisory firm, and the Founder of Afcote Investment Management, a private investment and family office advisory platform. He is also the founder of GEUTech Autonomous Data and Intelligent Control Systems, reflecting his commitment to applying technology and innovation to practical business and industrial challenges. Dr. Gogo’s research explores political economy, institutional quality, investment risk, conflict, and sustainable capital formation. He is the author of Resource, Region, and Ruin: Understanding Conflict in Resource States, Political Economy of Violence: Allocation, Power and the Logic of Conflict, and On the Road to Success: Understanding Success, Maturity and the Four Pillars. He is also leading research on the Political Economy of Irreversible Capital (PEIC), a framework examining how institutions influence long-term investment, capital formation, and economic development. A passionate advocate for institution-building, Dr. Gogo has served in numerous leadership and governance roles across business, community, and public organizations. His contributions have been recognized through several honours, including being named among Canada’s Top 100 Professionals. Through his work, writing, and research, Dr. Gogo is committed to advancing ideas and institutions that strengthen investment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable economic development across Africa and the global economy.
President, DelReeve Konsult Limited
Obi Emekekwue is President of DelReeve Konsult Limited, which he established in 2020 as a specialist provider of Africa-focused strategic communications and business advisory services. A key area of focus at DelReeve has been helping to develop and build sustainable business and investment linkages between the African Diaspora and local businesses in Africa. Mr. Emekekwue retired from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in April 2020 as the pioneer Director & Global Head for Communications and Events Management. He was both a Member of the Bank’s Executive Team and Secretary of the Management Committee. In that capacity, he led the development, design, management and implementation of the Bank’s communications strategy, managing annual budgets in excess of $10 million and overseeing all the Bank’s public events, public relations and brand implementation activities. He established the Bank’s communications function in September 2012. Prior to Afreximbank, Mr. Emekekwue worked for 18 years at the United Nations, serving both at the New York Headquarters and in the field. Mr. Emekekwue first came to the UN as Chief of the UN/North America Bureau of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), becoming the only African resident correspondent at the UN. He had also served NAN as Senior Political Correspondent, Business Correspondent, Editor, Sub-Editor, and Sports Correspondent. During the course of his career, Mr. Emekekwue has lived and worked in four countries on three continents – Nigeria, United States, Papua New Guinea and Egypt – and has travelled to more than 52 countries. He completed his Master of Arts in International Relations at St. John’s University, New York, earning the highest possible GPA of 4.0, for which he was awarded the Graduate Certificate of Excellence. He also earned a postgraduate certificate in International Law and Diplomacy from the same institution and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also holds a certificate in Corporate Governance and one in Leading Professional Service Firms from the Harvard Business School, Boston, in addition to a certification in High Performance Leadership from the IMD Business School.
Journalist, Filmmaker & Former CNN Reporter
Carol Pineau is an award-winning filmmaker and journalist with more than 20 years experience reporting on Africa. She has reported for CNN, BBC, NPR, VOA, Radio France Internationale (RFI) and other major worldwide broadcasters. She is the host and producer of Foreign Policy’s Africa Forward podcast. Her groundbreaking film, Africa Open for Business, and the advocacy campaign accompanying the film, helped change the coverage in major media on Africa. The film won several awards and was voted BBC Documentary of the Year. Additional credits include Africa Investment Horizons, Kenya Stories and Africa and the Trump Administration, a 10-part current events talk show. Ms. Pineau has reported and produced numerous television news stories for major international broadcast media, including two postings in Africa: Nairobi, covering the 12 East African nations for Voice of America, and Eritrea for CNN covering the Eritrean/Ethiopian conflict. She is a Senior Fellow at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, where she co-leads a speakers series on African-led development and a study abroad program in Eritrea. Ms. Pineau is the author of numerous articles as well as a book. Her writing on Africa has appeared in major publications throughout the world.
Chairman, Lilium Capital Group; Chairman, Vista Bank Group
Simon Tiemtore is the Chairman of Lilium Capital Group, an Africa focused investment holding company and Chairman of Vista Group Holding, the holding company of Vista Bank Group. Vista Bank is one of the fastest-growing pan-African banks with a strategic expansion strategy to promote investment and trade in Africa. Under his leadership, Vista Group Holding acquired numerous BNP Paribas and Société Générale banks on their exit from Africa and rebranded them as Vista Bank. Before founding Vista Group, Mr Tiemtore was the Group Head of Corporate Finance and Advisory Services at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and a member of the Executive Management Committee. He successfully led several African investment bank and debt capital markets transactions. Mr. Tiemtore previously worked at Morgan Stanley in New York, where he led several M&As in the US, Europe and Asia. Prior to his time at Morgan Stanley, he worked as lawyer at Skadden, Arps in New York. He is currently involved in several initiatives in Africa. Mr Tiemtore is a member of the Board of the US Chamber of Commerce-Africa, where he co-chairs the Banking and Financial Institutions Task Force, and is also a member of the Board of the US Chamber of Commerce-Ecowas Initiative. He is a member of the New York Bar Association, the American Bar Association-Section of International Law, Business and Practice, and the NYU School of Laws Weinfeld Fellows. He is also a TEN Children Foundation board member, a charity that supports orphanages across Africa. Mr. Tiemtore holds an LLM in Law from the New York University School of Laws, an LLM in International Studies from the American University—Washington College of Law in Washington, DC, and an LLB in Laws from the University of Ouagadougou School of Laws.
Founder & CEO, AppsTech; Vice-Chair, International Chamber of Commerce
Rebecca Enonchong is founder and Chief Executive Officer of AppsTech, a leading global provider of enterprise application solutions. She served as Board Chair of Afrilabs, a Pan-African network of over 500 innovation centers in 53 African countries supporting over 1 million entrepreneurs in Africa. Ms. Enonchong chairs ActivSpaces (African Center for Technology Innovation and Ventures) supporting entrepreneurs from three tech hubs in Cameroon. She is Vice Chair of the WHO Foundation and also sits on the boards of the International Chamber of Commerce, Venture Capital for Africa (VC4Africa), US Exim SAAC, and the UNECA Center for Digital Excellence. She is cofounder of Cameroon Angels Network and cofounder and Vice-President of African Business Angels Network. Ms. Enonchong currently serves as a mentor/advisor to several technology startups. She was elected in 2022 as International Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, earning the FREng designation. A recipient of numerous awards, Ms. Enonchong was named a Global Leader for Tomorrow (GLT) by the World Economic Forum of Davos, Switzerland. Forbes Africa listed her as one of Africa’s 50 most powerful women in 2020 and 2025. New African magazine named her one of the most influential Africans in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020. Jeune Afrique magazine listed her as one of Africa’s 50 most influential women of 2017 and as one of world’s most influential Africans in 2018, 2019 , 2020 and 2021.
Founder, Chairman of AfricaGlobal Schaffer
Dr. Nedelcovych is the Founder and Chairman of AfricaGlobal Schaffer, a strategic consulting firm focused on project development, project finance, trade facilitation, and public-private partnerships in developing countries, with a particular focus on Africa. In addition to his role as CEO of AfricaGlobal, Dr. Nedelcovych is President Emeritus and Senior Advisor to the Initiative for Global Development (IGD), an organization for which he was CEO from 2014 to 2018. Dr. Nedelcovych also serves as Co-Chair of the Advisory Council at the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and sits on the Boards of the Chevron-backed Niger Delta Partnership, EX-IM Global Partners, Lilium Capital, Guinea Gas, LLC, and Marathon International Bank. Previously Dr. Nedelcovych served as the U.S. Executive Director to the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and was instrumental in formulating the “private sector initiative” at the AfDB, the African Business Roundtable and the African Export-Import Bank. After leaving the AfDB, he led the expansion of the Schaffer Global Group in agro-industrial and green energy project development throughout Africa, a role that led him to found AfricaGlobal. At the beginning of his career he served as Peace Corps Country Director in Gabon, as Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator for Africa at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and as Special Projects Officer at the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Mima received a BA in Political Science from Yale University, an MA in International Relations from George Washington University, and a PhD in Comparative Political and Economic Development from Florida State University (in conjunction with Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco).
Founder & Managing Partner, Bedford37
Eric A. Clement is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bedford37, a private investment firm specialising in cross-sector real estate and infrastructure investments across the U.S. and emerging markets. With a career defined by innovation and impact, Eric brings decades of leadership across institutional investing, development finance, and public-private partnerships. Prior to founding Bedford37, Eric served as a senior executive at RXR, where he launched and led the firm’s sustainable investment division, overseeing a portfolio exceeding $1.5 billion. His strategic initiatives integrated ESG principles with commercial performance, setting a new benchmark for impact-driven investing in real estate. Previously, Eric served as Senior Managing Director at the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), where he led the Strategic Investments Group—overseeing a $15 billion investment portfolio, all city-managed tax incentive programmes, and NYC’s taxable and tax-exempt financing authority. Under his leadership, these tools were deployed in concert to drive economic development, attract private capital, and expand socio-economic opportunity citywide. Eric’s earlier roles include leadership positions at Blue Frontier Group, SGI Global Holdings, and blue-chip firms such as Accenture, Citigroup, and J.P. Morgan, where he cultivated deep expertise across global markets. A Lehigh University alumnus, Eric serves on its Board of Trustees. He holds an MBA from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and is currently an Associate Fellow of the school.
