Speakers

Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak is the Principal Secretary for Research and Innovation in Kenya. He brings over 30 years of experience in science, technology, and innovation, with a distinguished career spanning academia, government, and international development.

He previously served as Director for the Africa Division at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), CEO of the Kenya National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), and Vice-Chancellor of Umma University. He has held leadership roles in key national institutions including KMFRI, KEMRI, and the National Economic and Social Council.

Prof. Abdulrazak is a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences, the African Academy of Sciences, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He holds a PhD from the University of Aberdeen and completed his postdoctoral research in Japan. He has published widely and remains committed to advancing research and innovation for sustainable development.

Daren Tang is the current Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), having assumed office on October 1, 2020. Before joining WIPO, he served as the Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) from 2015 to 2020. Under his leadership, WIPO has focused on making intellectual property (IP) more accessible and inclusive, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women, youth, and Indigenous communities. He has also championed digital transformation within WIPO to improve efficiency and accessibility. His strategic vision emphasizes using IP to drive economic growth, innovation, and social progress worldwide

Pulkit is a dynamic entrepreneur with over 15 years of international experience across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. As a third-time founder, Pulkit spent eight years scaling EVage Motors, a leader in electric trucks and buses. His journey spans multiple industries, from SaaS to Agtech, Medtech, and Energy, with experiences that include ventures in China, the Czech Republic, and Israel.

Pulkit’s journey isn’t just about successes—he’s also experienced the valuable lessons that come from startups that didn’t quite take off. These experiences have shaped his belief in the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and innovation.

Now based in Kenya, Pulkit is dedicated to supporting African startups in their growth journeys, bringing a wealth of experience and a passion for building thriving communities.

Martin is an accomplished leader in the innovation and startup investment space, with a strong focus on Africa and Asia Pacific. As the Director for the GSMA Innovation Fund, he plays a pivotal role in supporting early-stage startups through catalytic funding, helping them scale and attract significant follow-on investments. He oversees one of the most impactful early-stage tech funds in emerging markets, focusing non-dilutive funding by prioritizes startups that combine profitability + social impact.  

His expertise spans startup investment, mobile innovation, business development, and tech distribution, across emerging markets. His work at GSMA has significantly contributed to bridging the gap between startups and mobile operators, fostering digital inclusion and economic growth in Africa and Asia Pacific. 

Key Highlights of Martin’s Career:

• GSMA Innovation Fund: He currently serves as a Director for the fund that has backed 130+ startups, that have collectively raised over £660M in follow-on funding indicating strong market validation and proving the fund’s ability to de-risk ventures for later investors.
• GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator: Previously served as Senior Manager and later as a Market Engagement Director, driving startup funding and partnerships with mobile operators in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).  
• Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE): Served as Distribution Business Manager for East, West, and Southern Africa. He scaled HPE’s channel partner network, driving enterprise hardware/software sales in fragmented markets.  
• Symantec Corporation: Worked as Regional Business Development Manager for East and Francophone Africa, focusing on cybersecurity solutions.  
• Airtel Africa: Held a Group Product Marketing Specialist role, managing value-added services (e.g. airtime lending, content platforms) across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Martin holds a Masters in Global Business Management and BSc. in International Business Administration from United States International University (USIU-A).  

Serah is an international development specialist with over 15 years of experience working with innovators, researchers, and policymakers in the climate change sector. She currently serves as Managing Director at the Global Innovation Fund (GIF), where she leads the Kenya Office and spearheads the organization’s climate change initiatives.

Before joining GIF, Serah worked at the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), where she supported climate adaptation innovators and played a key role in mainstreaming adaptation strategies into multilateral development bank (MDB) projects. Her previous experience also includes working in the donor space as a Science and Innovation Manager at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and as a Climate Specialist at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF).

Serah holds a Master’s degree in International Development from the University of Edinburgh. She also holds professional development qualifications from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and the London School of Economics

Steve Suchi is a high-performing strategic thinker in the commercial marketing industry, known for his global exposure and "Glocal" perspective, which integrates global best practices with local needs. As Director of Marketing & Admissions, he excels in people management, cross-cultural team interfacing, and aligning marketing strategies with business goals to drive growth. His strong interpersonal skills and high-level networks support his corporate pursuits, while his love for leisure travel and spending time with children enrich his personal and professional life, fostering empathy and a broad perspective.

Andrew Julius Bende is a Senior Associate at BioInnovation Institute (BII), where he is part of the Global Markets team. With over 25 years of experience in global development and civil society, he specializes in accelerating life science startups, particularly in emerging markets. His work focuses on bridging innovative ventures from the Danish life sciences ecosystem into low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), helping them navigate regulatory environments, establish partnerships, and scale sustainably. Beyond BII, Bende is a founder of several initiatives, including Grassroots Allies, Civil Connections Community Foundation, and RISE Uganda, all of which emphasize inclusive innovation, entrepreneurship, and social impact. His deep expertise in market entry strategies and startup ecosystems makes him a key voice in discussions on leveraging innovation for sustainable development

Anne is a seasoned professional with expertise in ICT for education, research consulting, project management, and product development. With over 15+ years of experience, she has held senior roles at companies like iHub, Longhorn Publishers PLC, Eneza Education, and Moringa School. Currently, Anne consults for local companies, including Qhala, where she serves as an Innovation  Lead Consultant and Senior Product Manager. She is passionate about fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in Africa. In her spare time, Anne applies Design Thinking to enhance ICT programs and facilitates hackathon events.

Paul is the Co-Founder & CEO of Shortlist, an advisory firm dedicated to solving human capital challenges for Africa’s impact and innovation sectors. Shortlist has supported over 1,000+ companies and engaged 2,000,000+ professionals across 30 countries. Shortlist Search provides executive search services for leading startups and impact organizations in Africa. Shortlist Futures is a future of work innovation lab dedicated to helping more Africans work and earn across the continent.

Previously, Paul was the founder & MD of Accion Venture Lab, a VC fund investing in inclusive fintech startups globally, and new business head for SKS Microfinance in Hyderabad, which IPO’ed in 2010. He has also been a corporate lawyer and advertising account executive, and is an active angel investor and advisor to several Africa-focused investment funds.

Victor Otieno MBA (Entrepreneurship), BCOM, CPA (K) is the Managing Director of Viffa Consult and former County Chief Officer in Charge of Digital economy and startups in Nairobi City County and former Policy advisor to the Association of startup and SME enablers of Kenya (ASSEK) board.

At Viffa Victor Leads in conducting in-depth research on issues affecting Kenyan SMEs and Startups, analyzing existing policies and propose evidence-based recommendations to improve the business environment for SMEs and Startups, engage with government, private sector, and CSOs to advocate for policy reforms and initiatives that support SME and Startup growth and disseminating research findings, policy recommendations, and best practices through publications, mainstream media and online platforms among others.

Victor is deeply passionate about the African Entrepreneur and has worked with over 500 organizations in over 5 African countries in East and Southern Africa.

Victor has worked with over 500 organizations in Africa and globally.; AUDA-NEPAD, Ministry of EAC and Regional Development Department of Business Reforms and Transformation-Kenya , Ministry of cooperatives and MSME development, Kenya space agency, Expertise France, Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), SNV Kenya, GIZ, UK Tech Hub-Kenya, Afrilabs, Strathmore Business School (SBS), National Environmental Trust Fund (NETFUND), Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations (KNFJKA) Startup entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) including Ihub, Pangea, IbizAfrica, SOMO, Ongoza among others)

Victor has participated in SME policy discourse across the African continent such as review of Kenya’s 2020 MSE policy and development of MSME policy 2025, framework for the development of the African union guidance note on corporate governance, targeted review of Big 4 sectors spear headed by The African Peer Review Mechanism (NEPAD-APRM) , development of Common Payment Policy guidelines towards a COMESA digital payment Scheme for MSMEs , Collaboration framework between MSMEs/Jua Kali and TVET sub sector in Kenya (Key output being Recognition of prior learning {RPL) of jua kali artisans) as well leading the technical working group that developed Kenya’s Startup bill