Reta Jo Lewis, Esq
Export Import Bank of the United States
President & Chair
Facilitating U.S/Africa Trade and Investment: Women and the Diaspora
Partnering to Accelerate Africa’s Industrialization
Export Import Bank of the United States
President & Chair
Facilitating U.S/Africa Trade and Investment: Women and the Diaspora
Partnering to Accelerate Africa’s Industrialization
Mr. Matthew Miller
Richard Attias and Associates
Director, Emerging Markets
Scaling Agribusiness Ventures: Opportunities and Challenges in Taking African Agriculture to the Next Level
Richard Attias and Associates
Director, Emerging Markets
Scaling Agribusiness Ventures: Opportunities and Challenges in Taking African Agriculture to the Next Level
Mr. Dele Odufuye
Cavista Holdings
Vice President and Country Director
Scaling Agribusiness Ventures: Opportunities and Challenges in Taking African Agriculture to the Next Level
Dele Odufuye is an award-winning IT professional, entrepreneur, mentor, and investor with a passion for innovation and technology. As the Managing Director of Cavista Holdings, he leads a conglomerate of companies operating in Technology, Agriculture, Fintech, and Hospitality sectors. He is also a key leader at Axxess, the leading home healthcare technology company in the United States.
Dele has a proven track record of building innovative technology solutions that address business challenges. Prior to his current role, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Tsaboin, where he developed TrafficTalk, a free traffic information sharing platform for mobile, web, and desktop platforms. He is also the founder of API Focus, a non-profit community dedicated to educating tech startups, software developers, and firms on the integration of APIs into their core offerings to facilitate information exchange.
Dele is committed to promoting open-source technology and has played a significant role in establishing open source as a catalyst for technological development in Nigeria. Through his various tech startups, including Tsaboin, PayWitty, and Flobyt, he has provided motivation and inspiration to hundreds of young engineers and web developers. Dele holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Management and Toxicology from the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
Cavista Holdings
Vice President and Country Director
Scaling Agribusiness Ventures: Opportunities and Challenges in Taking African Agriculture to the Next Level
Dele Odufuye is an award-winning IT professional, entrepreneur, mentor, and investor with a passion for innovation and technology. As the Managing Director of Cavista Holdings, he leads a conglomerate of companies operating in Technology, Agriculture, Fintech, and Hospitality sectors. He is also a key leader at Axxess, the leading home healthcare technology company in the United States.
Dele has a proven track record of building innovative technology solutions that address business challenges. Prior to his current role, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Tsaboin, where he developed TrafficTalk, a free traffic information sharing platform for mobile, web, and desktop platforms. He is also the founder of API Focus, a non-profit community dedicated to educating tech startups, software developers, and firms on the integration of APIs into their core offerings to facilitate information exchange.
Dele is committed to promoting open-source technology and has played a significant role in establishing open source as a catalyst for technological development in Nigeria. Through his various tech startups, including Tsaboin, PayWitty, and Flobyt, he has provided motivation and inspiration to hundreds of young engineers and web developers. Dele holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Management and Toxicology from the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
Ms Vanessa Adams
Level4 International
CEO and Founder, Level 4 International
Real World Suggestions about What Works under AGOA and How to Improve It
Vanessa Adams, Vice President Strategic Partnerships at AGRA, and Chief of Party of the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Innovation in Africa (PIATA) is a proven leader with strong private sector, investment facilitation and project management experience. PIATA is a 5-year $500M USD strategic partnership to improve the livelihoods of 30 million smallholder African farmers and agricultural actors in 11 priority countries including: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. AGRA is driving an inclusive agricultural transformation across value chains to leverage agricultural investments and building sustainable systems that will transition agriculture from subsistence to highly productive inclusive agriculture, increasing incomes of nearly 8 million smallholder households.
Vanessa Adams has over 25 years of professional experience, including with Fortune 500 companies.in the US. She has 18 years’ experience working in 28 African countries with governments, businesses and farmer cooperatives to increase productivity, meet buyer specifications, access finance, and compete in international markets. She partners with governments, donors and businesses to develop and implement strategies which increase productivity and international trade, expand investments, improve business environments, access financial services as well as reduce constraints to economic growth.
Previously, Vanessa led $70+ million USD projects with multi-cultural teams, facilitated over $300 million in exports from Africa, and catalyzed over $70 million in investments as well as over $140 million in credit. She contributed to the foundation of three pan-African NGOs including the African Cashew Alliance, Borderless Alliance, and Global Shea Alliance, as well as initiating the Women in Agribusiness Leadership Network in Ethiopia.
Ms. Adams has worked in 42 countries, integrating over twelve agricultural and consumer goods value chains into regional and global markets. She is fluent in English, French and speaks conversational German and Bambara. Vanessa holds an executive MBA from INSEAD.
Level4 International
CEO and Founder, Level 4 International
Real World Suggestions about What Works under AGOA and How to Improve It
Vanessa Adams, Vice President Strategic Partnerships at AGRA, and Chief of Party of the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Innovation in Africa (PIATA) is a proven leader with strong private sector, investment facilitation and project management experience. PIATA is a 5-year $500M USD strategic partnership to improve the livelihoods of 30 million smallholder African farmers and agricultural actors in 11 priority countries including: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. AGRA is driving an inclusive agricultural transformation across value chains to leverage agricultural investments and building sustainable systems that will transition agriculture from subsistence to highly productive inclusive agriculture, increasing incomes of nearly 8 million smallholder households.
Vanessa Adams has over 25 years of professional experience, including with Fortune 500 companies.in the US. She has 18 years’ experience working in 28 African countries with governments, businesses and farmer cooperatives to increase productivity, meet buyer specifications, access finance, and compete in international markets. She partners with governments, donors and businesses to develop and implement strategies which increase productivity and international trade, expand investments, improve business environments, access financial services as well as reduce constraints to economic growth.
Previously, Vanessa led $70+ million USD projects with multi-cultural teams, facilitated over $300 million in exports from Africa, and catalyzed over $70 million in investments as well as over $140 million in credit. She contributed to the foundation of three pan-African NGOs including the African Cashew Alliance, Borderless Alliance, and Global Shea Alliance, as well as initiating the Women in Agribusiness Leadership Network in Ethiopia.
Ms. Adams has worked in 42 countries, integrating over twelve agricultural and consumer goods value chains into regional and global markets. She is fluent in English, French and speaks conversational German and Bambara. Vanessa holds an executive MBA from INSEAD.
Mr Ikechukwu Ofuani
Johnson and Johnson
Director Government Affairs and Policy Africa
Cancer Detection and Care: Importance of Diagnostics and Treatment Access
Johnson and Johnson
Director Government Affairs and Policy Africa
Cancer Detection and Care: Importance of Diagnostics and Treatment Access
Hon. Hon. Mmusi Kgafela
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Minister
Future of U.S .- Africa Trade and Investment: AGOA and Beyond
Honourable Mmusi Kgafela was appointed by His Excellency the President of Botswana Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi as the Minister of Trade and Industry. Minister Kgafela previously served as the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development.
Honourable Kgafela is a lawyer by profession. He was an Attorney of the High Court and all other civil courts of Botswana. Conveyancer and a Notary Public jurisdiction of Botswana. He partnered with former Cabinet Minister Mr. Sadique Kebonang before he became a sole practitioner. He is a Member of Parliament for Mochudi West Constituency.
He holds Bachelor of Law from the University of Botswana where he started his political journey as a student politician. He became active in National politics from the year 2017 when he joined the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) to date.
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Minister
Future of U.S .- Africa Trade and Investment: AGOA and Beyond
Honourable Mmusi Kgafela was appointed by His Excellency the President of Botswana Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi as the Minister of Trade and Industry. Minister Kgafela previously served as the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development.
Honourable Kgafela is a lawyer by profession. He was an Attorney of the High Court and all other civil courts of Botswana. Conveyancer and a Notary Public jurisdiction of Botswana. He partnered with former Cabinet Minister Mr. Sadique Kebonang before he became a sole practitioner. He is a Member of Parliament for Mochudi West Constituency.
He holds Bachelor of Law from the University of Botswana where he started his political journey as a student politician. He became active in National politics from the year 2017 when he joined the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) to date.
Ms. Florie Liser
Corporate Council on Africa
President and CEO
Opening Ceremony
Celebrating 20 Years of MCC in Africa
Facilitating U.S/Africa Trade and Investment: Women and the Diaspora
Closing Ceremony
Florizelle (Florie) Liser is the third President and CEO of CCA. Ms. Liser brings expertise and an extensive network on trade and Africa to her new role, along with a strong track record of working with the private sector to translate policy into action. She is the first woman to lead the Council since its founding in 1993.
Ms. Liser joined CCA from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where she was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa since 2003. At USTR, she led trade and investment policy towards 49 sub-Saharan African nations and oversaw implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Previously, Ms. Liser served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications from 2000-2003. She also served as Senior Trade Policy Advisor in the Office of International Transportation and Trade at the Department of Transportation from 1987-2000; worked as a Director in USTR’s Office of GATT Affairs, and served as an Associate Fellow at the Overseas Development Council (ODC) from 1975-1980.
Currently, Ms. Liser serves as a re-appointed member of the 2022-2023 Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee for the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) where she previously served from 2019-2021. Ms. Liser also served as co-chair of the Advisory Council for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and has also served as a Board member for the Women in International Trade (WIIT). Ms. Liser holds a M.A. in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a B.A. in International Relations and Political Science from Dickinson College.
Corporate Council on Africa
President and CEO
Opening Ceremony
Celebrating 20 Years of MCC in Africa
Facilitating U.S/Africa Trade and Investment: Women and the Diaspora
Closing Ceremony
Florizelle (Florie) Liser is the third President and CEO of CCA. Ms. Liser brings expertise and an extensive network on trade and Africa to her new role, along with a strong track record of working with the private sector to translate policy into action. She is the first woman to lead the Council since its founding in 1993.
Ms. Liser joined CCA from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where she was the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa since 2003. At USTR, she led trade and investment policy towards 49 sub-Saharan African nations and oversaw implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Previously, Ms. Liser served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications from 2000-2003. She also served as Senior Trade Policy Advisor in the Office of International Transportation and Trade at the Department of Transportation from 1987-2000; worked as a Director in USTR’s Office of GATT Affairs, and served as an Associate Fellow at the Overseas Development Council (ODC) from 1975-1980.
Currently, Ms. Liser serves as a re-appointed member of the 2022-2023 Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee for the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) where she previously served from 2019-2021. Ms. Liser also served as co-chair of the Advisory Council for the Millennium Challenge Corporation and has also served as a Board member for the Women in International Trade (WIIT). Ms. Liser holds a M.A. in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a B.A. in International Relations and Political Science from Dickinson College.
Mr. Chris LeGrand
Broadreach
CEO
Health Regulatory System Strengthening
Chris LeGrand has more than 30 years of experience across 40+ countries, spanning private sector healthcare and life sciences industries, public health, and international health, leading organizations at the convergence of positive social impact and sustainable business results. He currently serves as CEO of BroadReach Group, a South African-based social enterprise that helps healthcare organizations to deliver better outcomes, improved resource efficiency, cost savings, enhanced organizational performance, and sustainable health systems. He serves on multiple boards, is a frequent speaker and has been awarded multiple business leadership honors. LeGrand also recently authored a book entitled ‘The Complete Business Leader: A Framework for Impact in Work and Life'. He believes in the possibility of science and technology for good, democratization of knowledge as a great equalizer, and global human-to-human connection as the path to peace.
Broadreach
CEO
Health Regulatory System Strengthening
Chris LeGrand has more than 30 years of experience across 40+ countries, spanning private sector healthcare and life sciences industries, public health, and international health, leading organizations at the convergence of positive social impact and sustainable business results. He currently serves as CEO of BroadReach Group, a South African-based social enterprise that helps healthcare organizations to deliver better outcomes, improved resource efficiency, cost savings, enhanced organizational performance, and sustainable health systems. He serves on multiple boards, is a frequent speaker and has been awarded multiple business leadership honors. LeGrand also recently authored a book entitled ‘The Complete Business Leader: A Framework for Impact in Work and Life'. He believes in the possibility of science and technology for good, democratization of knowledge as a great equalizer, and global human-to-human connection as the path to peace.
Ms. Heather Lanigan
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa
Health Regulatory System Strengthening
USG and Private Sector Programs to Support Women and Diaspora
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa
Health Regulatory System Strengthening
USG and Private Sector Programs to Support Women and Diaspora
Dr. Lawrence Evans III
USP
Senior Director, Global Health Technical Programs
Health Regulatory System Strengthening
USP
Senior Director, Global Health Technical Programs
Health Regulatory System Strengthening
H.E. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
World Trade Organisation
Director General
Women’s Economic Empowerment: Catalyst for Impactful U.S. - Africa Trade Investment and Business
World Trade Organisation
Director General
Women’s Economic Empowerment: Catalyst for Impactful U.S. - Africa Trade Investment and Business