Introducing The 2022 Launch Into VC Venture Fellows

Get to know some of the amazing individuals who will be joining the second cohort of the Launch into VC program!

For 2022, we are running the second edition of our Launch into VC program, which aims to ‘launch’ aspiring young professionals into the investment space across Africa. We do this through strong community-driven social capital, a mentorship network from some of the top firms across the continent, and bridging the traditional gap between talent and access.

This year absolutely blew us away with the sheer passion they had for contributing to the African ecosystem, as well as the diversity in backgrounds. After 1000+ applications and 4 application stages later, we’re proud to welcome 35 new fellows to our 2022 cohort, with a whopping acceptance rate of 3%. Without further ado, let us introduce to you the 2022 Launch into VC Venture Fellows!

Davidson Okafor (Nigerian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Davidson is a Nigerian tech enthusiast, calm, relatable, and a lover of innovative technology. He is a graduate of computer science from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Nigeria with exceptional skills in product management. He is one of the co-founders of Hostel.ng, a property technology company in Nigeria pioneering a new way of hospitality using the existing hostel infrastructure to create access to more sustainable and affordable rooms for millions of Nigerians. He is a core believer in the term, “Hard Work beats talent” and is open to exploring opportunities that would potentially create prosperity for millions of people on the African continent.

Kelvin Ashie (Ghanaian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Kelvin is a technology entrepreneur and innovation consultant passionate about leveraging technology to build innovative solutions and create new markets in Africa. Currently, Kelvin is a co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Health Direct Global where he leads communications, product management, and business strategy. Kelvin received training in Software Entrepreneurship from the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Technology and Management from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST). Kelvin is passionate about using technology to solve problems, build sustainable businesses, and create lasting change. He believes the deployment of patient capital can help African entrepreneurs and businesses compete on a global scale.

Simphiwe Mahlangu (South African) | LinkedIn

Simphiwe is a researcher with a passion for sustainable solutions, Africa, and learning about the startup ecosystem. She holds a degree in International Relations and Political sciences which gives her political insight into the socio-political environments that founders on the continent find themselves operating in. Her passion for research has also given her the latitude to learn about a variety of issues founders face in the local, regional and international contexts. Her experience in consulting and research spaces has afforded her the opportunity to learn and work in a number of different industries. When she isn’t working or learning something new she spends her time in Joburg’s art galleries, reading or dining with family and friends.

Yunus Ibrahim (Nigerian) | LinkedIn| Twitter

Yunus is a First-Class Graduate of Accounting from the University of Lagos and a Postgraduate Scholar at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM). Over the years, he has accumulated several work experiences in Sub-Saharan Africa across Buy-side, Advisory, Financial, and Macroeconomics Research. He is a 2020 Winner of the Premier CFA Industry Ethics Challenge and a recipient of several scholarships, including the $40,000 Fully funded Nigerian University Technology & Management Scholarship, the Lagos State Government Merit Award, the Federal Government of Nigeria Scholarship Award, and the University of Lagos Endowment Award. He is currently an analyst at Future Africa, a VC firm focused on supporting mission-driven founders on the continent. Yunus aspires to be a business leader who invests and supports mission-driven founders building the African continent filled with the prosperity we all desire.

Lamin Darboe (Gambian-American) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Lamin is a Gambian — American based in New York City. He grew up in Raleigh, NC before graduating from North Carolina State University in 2017, with a degree in Business Administration — Finance. His professional background is in corporate finance and investment banking primarily focused on the technology sector, with roles spanning across firms such as Credit Suisse and Bank of America. He is currently an investment banking analyst for HSBC focused on technology, fintech, and consumer/retail. Lamin is very passionate about early-stage investing and entrepreneurship. He has a strong belief that venture capital can be a vehicle to drive economic development and wealth creation in Africa.

Musa Alkassim Adamu (Nigerian)| LinkedIn | Twitter

Musa is an astute strategy enthusiast and corporate communications professional with over 2 years of experience. Having worked in diverse industries such as Fintech, Consulting, and EdTech, Musa has garnered a resounding knowledge of venture capital, investment banking, strategy, operations, business ethics, management and stakeholder engagement. Musa is passionate about building sustainable solutions for real-life problems. This has earned him great recognition such as the recipient of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Grant, and a Fellow of Millennium Campus Network among others. Currently, he’s championing initiatives that can birth innovation in all tech sectors on the African continent and transform the world.

Frank Nana Addae (Ghanaian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Frank has a background in Business Administration with a major in Banking & Finance from the University of Ghana Business School. Prior to pursuing entrepreneurship, he used to work as an analyst at Annan Capital Partners where he facilitated the launch of Semblance World in the UAE. Also foundered and a couple of startups such as Frikanda (a social on-demand marketplace for Made-To-Order and Ready-Made fashion and its accessories. Sew, Shop & Sell) & Startupfundos (a community built to give entrepreneurs and startups all over Africa an equal opportunity to receive funding from anyone and anywhere in the world and was nominated for Top 10 Innovative Ideas by TEDx Accra 2017). He is a co-founder of Shopa, a fast-growing retail tech startup in Africa, and currently serves as the CFO/COO. He is passionate about solving some of the most critical problems on the African continent and also help contribute to the development of the Startup Ecosystem in Africa.

Oluwabukunmi Familoye (Nigerian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Oluwabukunmi is a portfolio management analyst at CardinalStone Asset Management, one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing asset management firms where she handles private wealth management. Prior to this, she worked as a data/business analyst in a consulting firm where she facilitated the growth of an ed-tech startup. She is passionate about using technology to drive health and education solutions in Africa and hopes to establish her own fund in the nearest time to come. She has a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Adedapo Omoniyi (Nigerian)| LinkedIn | Twitter

Dapo is a technical program manager at Intel and the co-Founder of Squord, an equity crowdfunding platform that democratizes access to capital for early-stage African startups. As an engineer, he has over five years of experience in project management, data analysis, and product development and validation while working with customers to create products that solve their needs. He prefers to see himself as a problem solver which is why he founded KITI and Squord. He is passionate about transforming the outlook and reality of Nigeria by turning its major challenges into massive businesses opportunities. As an investor, he has backed multiple private and public companies, mostly in the technology sector. He is always eager to learn and seeks new avenues to impact those around him both personally and professionally. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching documentaries, playing golf and spending quality time with family and friends.

Garvil Singhal (Indian) | LinkedIn

Garvil is a young professional, currently working as a risk quant at Goldman Sachs India. He is a self-proclaimed geek with a passion for math and puzzles in his free time. Garvil is focused on financial technology and web3, with a hope to democratize all financial services. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and has previously worked as a summer research student at KAUST, Saudi Arabia and UC San Diego, California.

Precious John-Adeyemi (Nigerian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Precious is a result-driven professional with acquired skills in strategy, startup advisory, and communication. She is part of a fast-paced solution-driven team at Founder Institute that works closely with founders to help them scale and get traction for their products. She is experienced in working across verticals. She has a passion for the African tech ecosystem and can always be found leading discussions about the innovative changes taking place in the ecosystem. She is a curious and fast learner and is always seeking opportunities to grow and challenge herself. When she’s not working, you can find her watching a Marvel movie or arguing about superheroes with her friends.

Ian Ludovic (Tanzanian)| LinkedIn

Ian is a well-rounded professional with a background in financial services with rich experience of over 7 years spanning across Mobile Money, Telecom, Banking, Credit Reference Bureau, and Digital Currencies. He has worked with teams and delivered on projects and products such as Micro-lending, Micro-insurance, Cross-border remittance, and various Mobile and Banking applications. Ian is currently a micro-investor within the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) and learning the ropes of VC for the future. He’s a graduate of Africa Nazarene University having majored in Business and Information Technology.

Jeremiah Adebayo (Nigerian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Jeremiah is an entrepreneur bent on unlocking the full potential of Africa. He is a relentless advocate of building leverages between mission-oriented talents and needed capital to build the future of Africa. Over the years, he has built a solid repute in leading project teams, executing projects, and building solutions that tackle problems effectively, triggering social and economic impact in underserved communities. He has experience in developing compelling strategies for project leadership and management, while also having a vast experience in business development, marketing, data analytics, design, business growth, consulting, and technology advisory. Jeremiah Adebayo continues to balance his entrepreneurial passion with his continent-building drive and an unwavering commitment to his family while being very active in his Christian faith.

Sharon Kabubi (Swedish-Ugandan)| LinkedIn

Sharon is an Associate Business Analyst for PwC Change Solutions services in London, UK. Her experience in Business and IT consulting spans across Change Management and Change Transformation programs in the private and public sector. She has worked across multiple teams in division and program-wide communications, strategy, adoption, project support, and operations for financial services and the public sector. Sharon also worked in Business Development pertaining to the life sciences private sector; with experience in Biotechnology and a personal interest in medical genomics. Sharon graduated with a BSc degree in Biomedical Science (Hons) from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. In her spare time, Sharon is a School Governor and a Co-Director for the WFWP Young Women's Speech Contest, UK.

Ayomide Abayomi (Nigerian)| LinkedIn | Twitter

Ayomide is a student at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Known for innovative, critical thinking, and an authentic, influential leadership style. He is skilled in building the relationships, consensus, and strategic partnerships needed to move large-scale and challenging initiatives forward. He is an enthusiastic, self-motivated and hardworking individual, passionate about investing in and building African tech startups that change the world. He’s currently building his startup, Paenyte. He also loves reading and playing the piano and is an avid sports lover.

Roaa Karar (Sudanese-American) | LinkedIn

Roaa Karar is an engineer based in Seattle and works in cybersecurity as a product security engineer in the aerospace industry. Roaa has prior experience in product development and model based systems engineering. Raised in Sudan, Roaa is passionate about the startup ecosystem in Africa and is excited to contribute to emerging startups in the region. Her goal is to learn something new every day and be at the forefront of new technology development.

Emmanuel Wanjuu (Kenyan) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Emmanuel is currently the Investment Analyst in the Global Partnerships Social Venture Fund (SVF). He works with the team across the whole investment process from sourcing, analyzing, executing, and monitoring investments in early-stage businesses that make household-level transformational impact. He believes in the transformative power of capital at the intersection of impact and growth of early-stage companies that are actively working to solve large and meaningful problems. Previously at Lattice Consulting (Member of Larive Group), he worked as part of a transaction advisory/project management team across East Africa in sectors such as agribusiness, healthcare, real estate, energy, manufacturing, and WASH among others. He was involved in financial modeling, market research and new market entry studies, due diligence, business planning, and strategy; he also supported and executed business acumen training activities. He holds a Bachelor of Economics & Finance.

Ziyaada Abdulfatai (Nigerian-American) | LinkedIn

Born & raised in Nigeria, a country that breeds entrepreneurship led to fueling Ziyaada’s passion for supporting emerging tech ecosystems. She graduated from the Illinois Institute of technology in 2020, with a Master’s degree in Finance. Ziyaada is currently an associate in the startup banking Crypto practice at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), where she manages Crypto/ Web 3.0 startups through compliance review, due diligence, and portfolio management processes. Prior to this experience, Ziyaada worked as a research analyst at Eurex Exchange, focusing on researching alternative assets including Crypto and Wine. Apart from her Main role at SVB, Ziyaada is also committed to finding opportunities that support underserved founders. She works with accelerators and Non- profit organizations within the innovation ecosystem to provide resources to founders that have been historically overlooked. In her free time, she loves to bike ride, travel, binge watch Grey’s anatomy, and loves to talk to anyone that wants to listen about the solutions Blockchain provides to the economy.

Kwadwo Botwe (Ghanaian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Kwadwo is an Accra-based analyst with professional experience in capital and commodity markets across West Africa. He holds a bachelors degree in Actuarial Science and a masters in Finance from Loughborough university. He has held positions in multinational FMCG distributors, petroleum companies and financial institutions and is well grounded in the workings of both physical and financial markets. Kwadwo is an avid blockchain enthusiast and is zealous about the wonderful opportunities it presents to the African continent. His understanding of traditional markets further informs his passion for the mitigation of rent-seeking agents and capital leakages across the continent. Kwadwo is also passionate about the tech ecosystem especially the gap in early-stage growth funding. He provides advisory and fundraising services for startups within the Ghana tech ecosystem as well as scouting and due diligence for investors interested in the sub-region.

Solomon Elekwa (Nigerian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Solomon is a scholar at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM). He co-founded Nerdsville Code Clubs in 2018, an EdTech startup focused on technology and entrepreneurship education for students. Passionate about the startup ecosystem in Africa, he is interested in expanding founders’ access to the necessary information to enable them to hit key milestones and build venture-scale startups. An AIESEC alumna, Solomon is an advocate for the SDGs, an African Changemakers fellow, and has served as a World Literacy Foundation Ambassador. He hopes to break into the VC space as an Analyst or Associate.

Hamzaali Moledina (Tanzanian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Hamza is obsessed with leveling the entrepreneurial and VC playing fields in Tanzania and Africa in general. He owes his passion for attempting to solve the most excruciating and fundamental challenges in emerging markets, to the difficult circumstances that he has had to witness his country and people succumb to. He is currently the CEO of Aion Holdings Limited, a private impact investment firm looking to bet on the future green technologies of Africa. He also Co-Founded Hover, the first data-driven taxi top/mobile digital agency in EA, leveraging proprietary computer vision and machine learning algorithms technologies to provide performance statistics and targeting capabilities to its clientele. Hover is now exploring verticals across the Electric Vehicle industry. While that may be a lot for others, Hamza is only getting started, with interesting projects underway in the Fintech and Global delivery/E-commerce sectors.

Obianuju Ndedigwe (Nigerian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Obianuju is an enthusiastic professional with an interest in business management and Venture Capital. Transitioning from an academic background in pharmacy, Obianuju has garnered experiences that span across startup support, management consulting, operations, and stakeholder management. As a marketing strategist, she assists businesses in optimizing for growth, and leveraging data and technology. Born and bred in the African continent, Obianuju identifies with the challenges small and medium-sized enterprises face which include funding and availability of insightful data. It is her goal to provide solutions that will help local businesses scale beyond these obstacles and reach their highest potential. Outside work, Obianuju enjoys having book conversations with members of her book club — her preferred genre of books being biographies. She also volunteers with non-profit organizations as her contribution to strengthen systems and help social groups achieve their goals.

Mwoyo Chinoda Jr. (Zimbabwean-American) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Mwoyo is a storyteller, playmaker, and tech geek that is curious about all things related to business strategy and positive social impact. He is passionate about exploring creative and innovative tactics that can take a company to new heights and catalyze real change. He is the founder of The SleepingGiant Project, which helps minority students with getting the exposure, guidance, and tools they need in order to unlock their potential and unleash it on the world. He is also a Senior Consultant at Deloitte with a focus on VC (Catalyst Fund) and Innovation Strategy (Future of Work, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Cyber). His past experience ranges across firms such as Techstars, IBM, and Cintrifuse.

Benjamin Udokwu (Nigerian) | LinkedIn

Benjamin is an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) proponent who believes profit and impact are entirely compatible. He has a track record of creating ESG training curricula and facilitating ESG integration exercises for tech startups, venture capital firms, and accelerator programs. He also functions as an Africa-focused VC Scout for a host of notable VC firms across Africa, North America, and Asia. Currently sourcing for deals (predominantly pre-seed and seed) across the Big Four Sub-Saharan African markets (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa). As a Venture Builder, he mentors and supports startup founders in a variety of areas, including product-market fit, team cohesion, business development/partnerships, investment readiness, and fundraising.

Katerina Msafari (Kenyan) | LinkedIn

Katerina is an impact-driven professional. She has over six years of experience in banking, business development, and product management. She is currently an institutional banking relationship manager at I&M Bank, one of the top-tier banks in Kenya. In this role, she supports the growth of businesses in education, healthcare, and financial services by providing financing and advisory services. She is particularly interested in developing the venture capital space in Africa and is passionate about supporting startups transforming the African landscape. Katerina received her Bachelor’s Degree in Financial Economics from Strathmore University; she is an advanced financial modeler and has passed CFA level two.

Oluwole Agbede (Nigerian) | LinkedIn

Oluwole (Wole) is a native of Lagos, Nigeria. He graduated from Babcock University in 2016, with a first-class degree in Accounting. His experience spans taxation, transfer pricing, finance, and fiscal policy. He is currently a Senior Associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In this role, he is committed to providing valuable solutions to companies and startups in areas of tax, regulations, and finance. Wole is passionate about breaking into the VC space and looking to provide value to start-ups and founders alike. He is particularly interested in the revolution and transformation that technology can bring to Africa and Nigeria in particular. In his free time, he loves to spend time with family and friends, play and watch football, play video games, and volunteer.

Ropafadzo Musvaire (Zimbabwean) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Ropah is the Head of Venture and Investor Relations at Methys Group, which is the parent company of AfricaArena, an African tech accelerator that runs Corporate Open Innovation challenges across the continent, Africa Rise an African tech investment network, as well as Enrich in Africa, a program that links the African and European startup ecosystems. An entrepreneur at heart she started her career at one of South Africa’s largest fintech companies Yoco, where she discovered her passion for using technology to catalyze the growth of small businesses and subsequently co-founded a start-up called Kweza technologies which solved last-mile distribution and working capital provision in informal retail markets. She is passionate about supporting the growth and success of underrepresented entrepreneurs and currently mentors early-stage founders sustainably solving for the SDGs through the Unleash Global programs.

Nicholas Anakwue (Nigerian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Nicholas is a versatile and experienced professional with extensive experience working in business and market research, and with startups across the African continent. He has a first-class degree in Philosophy from the University of Ibadan, and a Master's with distinction in African and Diaspora Studies from the University of Lagos. He currently works as the Business Manager for Startup Lagos, a platform that aims at accelerating the growth of Africa’s tech ecosystem through data-driven insights, and opportunities for mentorship and investment for startups on the continent. Prior to his work with Startup Lagos, he had worked in growth marketing for Hazon Technologies, developing and overseeing go-to-market strategies for various tech products, and in business research in the area of Business Ethics and Sustainability at the Lagos Business School. He is keen on helping startups on the continent in gaining the right impetus for growth through opportunities for mentoring, and access to investments.

Nicole Mountain (South African) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Nicole is a highly motivated operator and ecosystem professional. Her career spans 6+ years across Fintech Open Innovation, Web 3, and Economic Participation. In her current role, she successfully leads an online platform, supporting female founders on profitability and mindset alchemy. Nicole’s collective impact has facilitated opportunities in Africa, South East Asia, and Europe, reflecting her exceptional zeal for innovative environments and advancement. As one of the first South African talents to be selected by Young Global Pioneers — a global organization developing responsible and global-minded leaders, Nicole has also served on the advisory board for the network. She is set to build on this work at Oxford University later this year. Outside of work, she enjoys cold water immersion swims, reading, and exploring wine farms. A true trailblazer, forming part of the next generation of African Venture Capitalists, her mission is to support the continent’s most promising, and purpose-driven entrepreneurs.

Chikamso Nwani (Nigerian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Chikamso is passionate about building and investing in products that solve important problems in Africa. He has experience working in different industries including engineering, education, and venture capital. He previously worked with LoftyInc Capital Management, one of the most active VCs on the continent, to find the next unicorns coming out of Africa. Before this, he led a team to remove barriers for undergraduate founders to get capital and mentorship at the PAADC. He’s currently working in Sterling Bank, delivering financial services through the use of technology. He also writes a newsletter on the African startup ecosystem at OpenAfrica (openafrica.substack.com). When he’s not doing the “serious stuff”, he’s looking for new recipes to try while supporting Manchester United.

Ogehenkevwe Jefia (Nigerian)| LinkedIn

Kevwe is a result-oriented individual with a track record spanning 5years in business development and project management. She is a 2-time founder ranging in industries in retail and beauty tech, a volunteer for the Nigeria Startup Bill, and an Editor at a media company. Kevwe is passionate about all things entrepreneurship development spanning from SMEs, MSMEs to start-ups. In the future, she hopes to support entrepreneurs with the funding, resources, and network required for them to succeed.

Jordan Wolken (American) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Jordan is passionate about all things environment and social entrepreneurship, including agriculture, energy, and waste management startups. He is currently in the final month of his Master’s in Sustainability and Social Innovation at HEC Paris and soon will work for an emerging market-focused impact investing firm after graduation. His past experience includes working for an agtech startup based in Uganda and a pre-seed VC based in Nairobi. Jordan has dedicated his time to supporting impact startups across the continent for five years now with Bridges for Enterprise, a UK non-profit he helped lead with some amazing volunteers across the globe. Outside of school and professional life, he’s a huge basketball fan (Chicago Bulls), loves to learn languages, go running in nature, and read about history and politics.

Johnson Adebisi (Nigerian) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Johnson is a UX/Content Designer that uses words to design experiences and build products that delight customers and make their lives simple. He has always been fascinated by the potential for Venture Capital to drive change on a massive scale and this has ignited his passion for technology. He has a newsletter and a podcast where he journals his journey into venture capital and helps young Africans understand the rudiments of VC. As an investor, Johnson looks for large underserved market spaces, product-led business models, community-driven projects, and exceptional teams. He wants to invest in people’s dreams and work with them side-by-side for years to turn dreams into reality.

Brandon Solomons (South African) | LinkedIn | Twitter

Brandon holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from the University of Cape Town and is currently a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration Candidate at the University of the Western Cape. During his undergraduate years, Brandon was part of a team who developed a platform to help students from outside of Cape Town navigate the local scene. Shortly thereafter, Brandon worked at Amazon in customer services and later became a training manager for a local marketing agency. Brandon has held leadership positions throughout his university career including serving as the Entertainment & Culture Representative of his university residence. He is passionate about Blockchain technology and its applications, EdTech and Fintech.

Mercy Chukwu (Nigerian) | LinkedIn

Mercy is an astute finance professional with experience spanning from reporting processes and analysis in the FMCG sector for multinational organizations. In this role, she is committed to ensuring that revenue is correctly reported with a deep dive done on variances. This informed her interest into the venture capital terrain where this knowledge acquired can duly impact on the analysis for startups across Africa. Mercy intends to weigh in strongly on startups valuations as a ripple effect of learnings provided by Dream VC. In her spare time, she loves to cook, spend time with family and friends, travel and teach personal finance. She looks forward to meeting and connecting with the other fellows in the program.