About the Academy
Expert insights
We thank the following people for taking the time to speak to us and enrich the VC4A Startup Academy with their ‘expert insights’:

Eghosa Omoigui

Rebecca Enonchong

Khaled Ismail

Tomi Davies

Fatoumata Ba

Brett Commaille

Ian Carnevale

Hesham Wahby

Kola Aina

Adedana Ashebir

Stephen Gugu

Mustafa Othman

Danai Musandu

Stephen Haggard

Ike Eze

Lexi Novitske

Aaron Fu

Emeka Afigbo

Justin Spratt

Viola Llewellyn

Charlene Chen

Dima Rifai

Ibanga Umanah

Lauren Cochran

Yemi Keri

Juliet Wanyiri

Simeon Ononobi

Aurelien Duval-Delort

Stephan Breban

Fabian Guhl

Russell Southwood

Peter Allerstorfer

Vusi Thembekwayo

Sylvie Dalode

Wim van der Beek

Chams Diagne

Kamau Gachigi

Llew Claasen

Bernard Chiira

Fiifi Baidoo

Jumanne Mtambalike

Anna Ekeledo

Mohamed Keita

Bankole Oloruntoba

Takunda Chingonzoh

Benjamin Meltzer

Lolada Maryam Akinsete

Dotun Olowoporoku

Tom Jackson

Maxime Bayen

Isaak Mogetutu

Erick Yong

Andrea Böhmert

Chinedu Enekwe

Daniel Yu

Grégoire de Padirac

Kerushan Govender

Ndidi Nnoli Edozien

Bola Ogidan

Ben White

Chinedu Azodoh

Kamal Diaté

Chika Uwazie

Djiba Diallo Diao

Rob Withagen

Trevor Kimenye

Ido Sum

Olawale Ayeni

Malaika Judd

Shudhan Kohli

Justin Stanford

Anna Samaké

Shaun Johnson

Oluyomi Ojo

Marek Zmyslowski

Yele Bademosi

Chris Schultz

Oo Nwoye
Expert insights have been recorded at awesome events:
Theory insights
The theoretical content of the VC4A Startup Academy has been created and edited by a pool of industry experts:

Andrew Sekandi
Sofala Partners
United Kingdom
Andrew Sekandi is a lawyer-turned-consultant who has enjoyed helping investors, companies and entrepreneurs succeed in Africa for over ten years. Andrew was Associate Director at KPMG where he led the Corporate Intelligence team’s Africa practice. With a background in law and risk analysis, he has experience conducting non-financial due diligence and provides market intelligence for investors looking to acquire stakes in African tech companies and other sectors.

Ben White
VC4A
The Netherlands
Ben White has been venturing in the African technology and media space since 2003. Involved in multiple startups, Ben is also the cofounder of AfriLabs, a pan-African network of innovation hubs, and the African Business Angel Network (ABAN). Ben is on the board of ActivSpaces and in 2007 he founded VC4A.

Odunoluwa Longe
DIYlaw
Nigeria
Odunoluwa is dedicated to building and nurturing African entrepreneurs, and creating access to legal services. She co-founded The Longe Practice LP (TLP), a startup focused law practice. In the course of running TLP, Odun and her co-founder realised they could use technology to make legal and registration processes easier for entrepreneurs so they teamed up to found DIYlaw, an online platform creating access to legal services, processes and resources.

Anneke Evers
Consultant
Rwanda
Anneke Evers has experience in the area of SME finance, preparing emerging market entrepreneurs in the final stages for finance and connecting them to financiers. As an overall SME advisor she worked with different support centers in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, capacitating their staff and enhancing their business services to SMEs.

Eelco Benink
Rebel Group
The Netherlands
Eelco Benink is a specialist in private equity, venture capital and project finance, especially in relation to emerging markets. Eelco worked in Kenya to help set up and manage SME investment fund InReturn Capital. After four years in East Africa he moved to the Philippines and in 2015 Eelco moved back to The Netherlands where he works at Rebel Group.

Eric Osei
MBC Africa
Ghana
Eric Osei is an author oriented on business with a focus on entrepreneurship and investment. Some of his books include ‘Principles of Successful Entrepreneurs’, ‘Investing through Crisis in Africa’, ‘Migration & Entrepreneurship’, ‘Doing Business in Ghana’ and the new ‘Funding options for startups and SMEs’.
Presented by
The theoretical content of the VC4A Startup Academy is presented to you by:

Andile Masuku
African Tech Roundup
South Africa
Andile Masuku is a Zimbabwean broadcaster and entrepreneur based in Johannesburg, South Africa. When Andile is not covering Africa’s emerging tech industry for African Tech Roundup, he speaks widely and advises high net-worth individuals and leading brands and businesses on media strategy, market-entry plays and investment opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tania Habimana
Nonzēro Africa
South Africa
Tania Habimana is a Rwandan entrepreneur with a passion for digital innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa. She is the co-founder of Johannesburg-based, NONZēRO Africa, a purpose-driven marketing agency focussed on enterprise development and impact programs in Africa.
Special thanks to the people who made the academy happen:
- Charles Meadows, Poppy Modisane, Thero Gabaraane – Incubate Productions
- Paolo Mantero, Carolina Mutti – Armonica Film
- Björn Rudner – Contrast TV Productions
- Albert-Jan Messenberg – Zilt Design
- Hendrik Admiraal – Lead developer – VC4A
- Damien Senger – UX developer – VC4A
- Nelson Kana – Developer – VC4A
- Catherine Gray – Product owner – VC4A
- Thomas van Halen – Investor relations – VC4A
- Alina Vinogradova – Programs & partnerships lead / ‘Work in Progress!’ manager – VC4A
- Bertil van Vugt – Business development & Producer VC4A Academy – VC4A
Made possible by:
