MIT Sloan Africa Innovate Conference

?? Fireside Chat: Beyond Extraction—Building Africa’s Knowledge Economy ?? Join us at the MIT Africa Innovate Conference 2025 for an enlightening fireside chat titled “Beyond Extraction: Building Africa’s Knowledge Economy.” This session will delve into strategies for transitioning from resource-dependent economies to knowledge-driven growth across the African continent. Speakers: ? Ayo Sopitan: Founder and CEO of Metalex Commodities ? Dr. Haitham Khoury: Director of Fellowships & Global Initiatives, MIT Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship ? Adel Boseli: Founder and CEO of Salasel Technologies Details: ?? Date: March 1, 2025 ?? Time: 2:40 pm – 3:20 pm ?? Venue: MIT Innovation Headquarters (IHQ), 292 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142 Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from industry leaders on fostering innovation and building sustainable knowledge economies in Africa. ?? Register now: https://bit.ly/mitaic2025 #MITAIC2025 #KnowledgeEconomy #AfricaRising #InnovationInAfrica

?? Speaker Announcement: Dr. Haitham Khoury We are honored to announce that Dr. Haitham Khoury, Director of Fellowships and Global Initiatives at the MIT Center for Development and Entrepreneurship, will be speaking at the MIT Africa Innovate Conference 2025! With over 17 years of experience as an organizational psychologist and leadership development expert, Dr. Khoury has been instrumental in fostering high-growth ventures and innovation ecosystems. His dedication to equipping entrepreneurs and executives with the tools to build and scale impactful ventures has made him a recognized leader in the field. At MIT, Dr. Khoury oversees programs that provide mentorship, funding, and ecosystem support to emerging entrepreneurial leaders, particularly across Africa. His research, including the influential white paper “Pan-African Deeptech: Key to Sustainable Prosperity,” continues to shape educational programs and policy recommendations. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain insights from Dr. Khoury’s extensive expertise in leadership development and innovation strategies. ?? Date: March 1, 2025 ?? Venue: MIT Innovation HQ ?? Register now: https://bit.ly/mitaic2025 #MITAIC2025 #LeadershipDevelopment #InnovationEcosystems #AfricaRising #TheFutureIsNow

?? Speaker Spotlight: Adel Boseli We’re excited to welcome Adel Boseli, Founder & CEO of Salasel Technologies, to the MIT Africa Innovate Conference 2025! ??? As a fintech pioneer, Boseli is revolutionizing supply chain finance by enabling banks and financial institutions to digitize financial products and provide SMEs with seamless access to capital. With over a decade of expertise in alternative financing, he has supported 1000+ startups globally and advised governments on innovation strategies. Don’t miss his insights on the future of fintech in Africa! ?? March 1, 2025 | ?? MIT Innovation HQ ?? Register now: https://bit.ly/mitaic2025 #MITAIC2025 #FintechInnovation #TechForImpact #AfricaRising #TheFutureIsNow

?? Women Leading Change at MIT AIC 2025 ?? Join us for an exclusive fireside chat with trailblazing women who are shaping the future of business, sustainability, and leadership across Africa and beyond. ?? Featuring: ?? Dina Sherif Dina H. Sherif – Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan & Executive Director, MIT Legatum Center, driving impact-driven entrepreneurship & sustainable development. Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT ?? Neveen El Tahri – Chairperson of 138 Pyramids, Delta Inspire & Delta Shield, a trailblazer in finance, investment, and venture capital. Neveen El Tahri ?? Naomi Nwokolo – Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria, championing corporate sustainability, ESG, and human rights advocacy. Naomi E. Nwokolo. Esq ?? March 1, 2025 ?? MIT Sloan School of Management ?? Register now: https://bit.ly/mitaic2025 Be part of a powerful discussion on leadership, sustainability, and impact, and gain insights from women who are breaking barriers and driving meaningful change. #MITAIC2025 #WomenInLeadership #AfricaInnovate #Entrepreneurship #Sustainability #ESG #EconomicDevelopment #CorporateImpact

?? MIT Africa Innovate Conference 2025 Speaker Spotlight: Neveen El Tahri ?? We are honored to welcome Neveen El Tahri, a pioneering entrepreneur, corporate leader, and financial expert, to #MITAIC2025! With over 40 years of experience in banking, investment, and venture capital, Neveen has been at the forefront of Egypt’s financial markets. As the Chairperson of 138 Pyramids, Delta Inspire & Delta Shield for Investment and a member of Egypt’s Parliament (2021-2026) on the Economic Committee, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s investment landscape. A trailblazer in the Egyptian Capital Market, Neveen was the first woman elected to the board of the Egyptian Stock Exchange. Her passion for fostering entrepreneurship led her to establish Delta Shield for Investment, providing seed capital and incubation for startups and SMEs, driving job creation and economic growth. Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including recognition by Forbes Middle East as one of the 200 most powerful businesswomen and the Best Businesswoman in Egypt Award from the American Chamber of Commerce. ?? Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from one of the most influential figures in finance and entrepreneurship at MIT AIC 2025! ?? March 1, 2025 ?? Register now: https://bit.ly/mitaic2025 #MITAIC2025 #AfricaInnovate #Entrepreneurship #Finance #VentureCapital #WomenInBusiness #EconomicDevelopment

?? Women Leading Change at MIT AIC 2025 ?? Join us for an exclusive fireside chat with trailblazing women who are shaping the future of business, sustainability, and leadership across Africa and beyond. ?? Featuring: ?? Dina Sherif Dina H. Sherif – Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan & Executive Director, MIT Legatum Center, driving impact-driven entrepreneurship & sustainable development. Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT ?? Neveen El Tahri – Chairperson of 138 Pyramids, Delta Inspire & Delta Shield, a trailblazer in finance, investment, and venture capital. Neveen El Tahri ?? Naomi Nwokolo – Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria, championing corporate sustainability, ESG, and human rights advocacy. Naomi E. Nwokolo. Esq ?? March 1, 2025 ?? MIT Sloan School of Management ?? Register now: https://bit.ly/mitaic2025 Be part of a powerful discussion on leadership, sustainability, and impact, and gain insights from women who are breaking barriers and driving meaningful change. #MITAIC2025 #WomenInLeadership #AfricaInnovate #Entrepreneurship #Sustainability #ESG #EconomicDevelopment #CorporateImpact

?? Speaker Spotlight: Chukwuemeka Afigbo | MIT Africa Innovate Conference 2025 Emeka Afigbo is a Senior Director of Developer Success at Okta and Convener of the Africa Deep Tech Foundation. With a career spanning Google, Facebook, and Okta, he has been instrumental in empowering developers across Africa and beyond by driving access to developer content, community resources, and strategic partnerships. At Facebook, Emeka led the global developer community programs strategy and Platform Partnerships for the Middle East and Africa. Before that, he spearheaded developer programs in Sub-Saharan Africa at Google. His expertise spans software development, strategic business development, and deep tech advocacy. Beyond his corporate work, Emeka is Chairman of the Advisory Board for Nigeria’s 3MTT program, a government initiative building the nation’s technical talent pipeline for the digital economy. ?? Join us at MIT AIC 2025 to hear Emeka discuss the future of developer ecosystems and deep tech in Africa! Register here: bit.ly/mitaic2025 #MITAIC2025 #DeepTech #DeveloperSuccess #AfricaTech #DigitalInnovation ??

?? Speaker Spotlight: Philips Akinyele | MIT Africa Innovate Conference 2025 Phillips Akinyele is a seasoned Chief Technology Officer with 14+ years of experience in software engineering and fintech. As the Co-founder of Payaza Africa, he has played a pivotal role in scaling payment infrastructure across 12 countries, supporting 12,000+ merchants, and facilitating $100M+ in transactions. Phillips has spearheaded strategic partnerships with Mastercard and Visa, leading innovations in digital products, fraud tracking, and loyalty reward systems. A leader in digital transformation and fintech optimization, he is passionate about building high-performance teams that shape Africa’s financial landscape. ?? Register now to hear Phillips share his insights at MIT AIC 2025: bit.ly/mitaic2025 #MITAIC2025 #Fintech #DigitalTransformation #AfricaTech ??

?? MIT Africa Innovate Conference 2025 Moderator Spotlight: Dina H. Sherif ?? We are honored to have Dina Sherif as a moderator at #MITAIC2025! A Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan and Executive Director of the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT , Dina is a globally recognized expert in entrepreneurship, innovation, economic development, and impact investing. With over 20 years of experience, she has advised governments, built mission-driven organizations, and championed financial inclusion—particularly for women. As a founding partner of Ahead of the Curve and Disruptech, Dina continues to drive meaningful change in emerging markets. Her expertise in ecosystem development, responsible business, and strategic philanthropy makes her an invaluable voice in shaping the conversation at Africa Innovate 2025. ?? Join us as she leads dynamic discussions on the future of Africa’s innovation landscape! ?? March 1, 2025 ?? Register now: https://bit.ly/mitaic2025 #MITAIC2025 #AfricaInnovate #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #ImpactInvesting #EconomicDevelopment

?? Meet Our Diverse Finance Panel at MIT Africa Innovate Conference 2025! ?? From investment leaders to fintech disruptors, policy experts to venture capitalists, our finance panel brings together a diverse group of trailblazers shaping Africa’s financial future. ???? ?? Get insights on: ? The future of investment in Africa ? Fintech & digital banking innovations ? Financial inclusion & wealth creation ? Navigating capital markets & venture funding This is your chance to learn from the best minds in finance, ask questions, and network with the people driving real impact! Christopher Balliet Bleziri Claude Grunitzky Naaman Elbouri Pesa ( Formerly Pesapeer) ?? Secure your spot today! → https://bit.ly/mitaic2025 #MITAIC2025 #FinanceAfrica #Investment #Fintech #WealthCreation #AfricaInnovate #Entrepreneurship #DiverseVoices