Benedict is the Co-Founder and CEO of Owanga, a DRC-based clean energy startup bringing affordable battery solutions to off-grid households and businesses. A lawyer by training and a builder by nature, Benedict started Owanga from scratch. He has since secured partnerships with USAID and UNDP and won numerous awards, including from the World Bank.  

Candice Chirwa is a South African program manager, gender equity specialist, and social impact leader with over eight years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating high-impact programmes in South Africa and internationally. Her work sits at the intersection of health, gender equity, research, advocacy, and community-centred programme design, with a focus on translating evidence into practical and lasting social change.  

Damilola Hamid Balogun is a Nigerian lawyer, sustainable development practitioner, and clean energy strategist working at the intersection of youth leadership, entrepreneurship, climate action, and economic development across Africa. He is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Sustainable Development Network (YSDN), a pan-African organization advancing sustainable development through capacity building, policy engagement, and project implementation.

Recognized as a Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 honoree, Damilola has led development, climate, and energy initiatives valued at over $500,000, working with governments, development partners, investors, and private-sector actors to expand energy access, strengthen SME competitiveness, and promote inclusive growth. His work focuses on translating policy ambitions into practical outcomes through innovative financing, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and locally driven solutions.

Damilola has contributed to international policy dialogues at COP26, COP27, COP28, and the Africa Energy Forum, and has supported capacity-building and institutional development initiatives across more than 20 countries. He holds an MSc in Entrepreneurship, Sustainability and Social Change from Linnaeus University, Sweden.

Jessica Mshama is a Tanzanian youth leader, entrepreneur, education advocate, and digital transformation champion dedicated to empowering young people and women through technology, innovation, and leadership. She is the Founder and Director of Assumpter Digital Schools, one of Tanzania’s pioneering digital schools focused on equipping children and youth with practical digital skills, entrepreneurship, and modern education for the future economy. She is also the Founder of Nakua na Taifa Langu, a youth-centered organization that supports economic empowerment, financial literacy, and leadership development for young people and women across Tanzania.
Jessica currently serves as the National Secretary for Mobilization and Chipukizi Affairs for UVCCM, where she leads national youth engagement and mobilization strategies aimed at increasing youth participation in social, political, and economic development. Her leadership focuses on nurturing a generation of patriotic, responsible, and economically empowered Young Tanzanians.
Academically, Jessica has pursued studies in finance, international economic diplomacy, leadership, and international relations. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and later pursued postgraduate studies in International Economic Diplomacy at the Centre for Foreign Relations. She has also undertaken Advanced leadership and international relations training through Harvard University and the MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation.

Kennedy Ekezie is a technology entrepreneur working in service of a world where people live as good ancestors.

He founded Kippa, the digital finance platform used by over one million small businesses across Africa for bookkeeping, payments, and access to credit. Kippa became one of Africa's fastest-growing fintechs and a model for grassroots economic transformation.

He helped lead TikTok's international expansion into Africa, and was Nigeria’s top-ranked competitive debater for two years. He has received the Future Awards Africa Prize for Technology, the One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year award, the Queen's Young Leaders Award from Queen Elizabeth II, the Obama Foundation's Mandela Washington Fellowship, and was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Finance.

He is a Yenching Scholar of Peking University and an Interact Fellow.

 Dr Khadija Owusu is an award-winning medical doctor, global health & gender equity advocate, international speaker, and social impact leader. She is the Founder of the AKAYA Foundation, a Founding Member and Trustee of Melanin Medics. A proud British-Ghanaian, Dr Khadija is passionate about advancing health equity, girls’ empowerment, youth leadership, and inclusive systems change. Through her work across healthcare, education, and social impact, she has reached and inspired thousands globally through advocacy, public speaking, and grassroots action. At the AKAYA Foundation, she is leading initiatives impacting thousands of young women and girls across Ghana and the UK, focused on health education, leadership development, mental wellbeing, employability, mentorship, and school development projects. Her work centres on creating opportunities, amplifying underrepresented voices, and ensuring young women have the support and confidence to thrive. Dr Owusu is a Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 honouree (2025), Diana Award recipient, and TEDx speaker, and has been recognised by HRH Princess Anne for her contributions to STEM and youth leadership. She has spoken on global stages including the United Nations, the White House as a guest of Michelle Obama, the World Health Summit, and many more, and has also been featured on BBC, ITV, and Channel 5 News amongst others. Alongside her clinical career in the UK, she continues to champion community-led impact, global health equity, and the next generation of African women leaders. She recently earned her Global Master of Public Health from Imperial College London, further strengthening her commitment to building systems where every girl, woman, and underrepresented voice has the opportunity to lead and flourish.  

Ramoudane Orou Sannou is a Research Fellow at UNU Resource Nexus dedicated to advancing sustainable finance, agribusiness investment, and nature-based solutions that foster inclusive and resilient development - particularly across Africa and other emerging markets.

A versatile socio-economist and agronomist with strong analytical and quantitative skills, Ramoudane has extensive experience supporting multilateral institutions such as the World Bank Group, IFAD, UNFPA, and the African Union Commission in integrating environmental, social, and climate considerations into their operations. His current research and consulting work focus on leveraging data science, geospatial analysis, and sustainability metrics to inform decision-making on managink social and environmental risks for sustainable private sector development.

Prior to joining UNU Resource Nexus, Ramoudane worked with the UNFPA Country Office in Burkina Faso, where he supported the modernization of the national civil registration and vital statistics system, and with the African Union Commission, where he contributed to continental initiatives on youth and development. He has also collaborated with IFAD’s Office of Evaluation and with FAO as a World Food Forum Young Scientist, contributing to initiatives linking agrifood systems transformation, women’s empowerment, and access to sustainable finance.

Ramoudane holds a PhD in Integrated Management of Water, Soil, and Waste from UNU Resource Nexus and TU Dresden, Germany. His work reflects a deep interest in bridging climate science, social sustainability, and finance to foster investments that deliver lasting environmental and social impact.

Seka Jean Blaise (Seka JB) is a Cameroonian sustainability architect, business analyst, and social entrepreneur committed to advancing clean energy, digital innovation, and youth empowerment across Africa. As President and Co‑Founder of DeWise Foundation, he leads transformative initiatives such as WiseBox, which converts e‑waste into solar units providing light to conflict‑affected households, and WiseCool, a smart solar cold storage system that safeguards vital medicines and food supplies in off‑grid regions.

Currently serving as a Business Analyst at the African Union Commission, Seka drives ICT governance reform and digital transformation strategies that strengthen institutional capacity across the continent. Recognized as Africa Young Talent of the Year 2025 and listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 (2026), he continues to champion scalable solutions that advance Africa’s energy independence and digital future.

Sibusiso Mazomba (South Africa) is a climate justice activist, advocate, and researcher. He leads youth advocacy at the African Climate Alliance, driving initiatives to ensure meaningful youth participation in decision-making. He has mobilized young people across Eastern and Southern African communities and played a pivotal role in the #CancelCoal campaign, which successfully blocked new coal procurement in South Africa’s energy plans in 2024 and won the Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Award. A junior negotiator for South Africa’s UNFCCC delegation since COP26, he has contributed to negotiations on adaptation, oceans, and loss and damage, representing youth and national interests on the global stage.