Speakers

Abodunrin Babalola is an accomplished "social impact developer" renowned for driving successful digital transformation projects and forging robust transformative partnerships across Sub Saharan Africa. With a rich background in developing large scale impact programmes and managing complex CSR projects for companies like Google, Abodunrin excels in driving SME digitization and youth development in Africa. Leading and designing social impact projects across Africa, Abodunrin has equipped over 1 million youths and businesses with digital skills, securing substantial funding and fostering enduring client connections. With more than 6 years experience, leading and designing programmes that have impacted more than 10,000 businesses in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa Abodunrin stands out as a dedicated professional driving transformative initiatives

Brett Johnson is a solutions-oriented leader with a track record of driving business growth and managing large, diverse, and impact-driven teams in the U.S. and globally, focused on accelerating and sustaining impact through public-private collaboration, innovation and enterprise growth. 

Carlos Enriquez Montes is Senior Director for Regulatory Affairs at DHL Express. He is an expert in international trade and customs with over 20 years of experience in international trade negotiations, trade policy and trade facilitation reform, including relevant Customs international standards. He is a former trade negotiator and international Customs representative, and has collaborated with international organizations like the WTO, WCO, UNCTAD, OECD, and IDB, in developing policies, and designing strategies for the implementation of trade facilitation and Customs reforms in several countries

Craig Kirkland drives digital, eCommerce, business development and financial inclusion in amazing places - American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Devandran Muniandy is the GoTrade Regional Coordinator – Asia Pacific at DHL. His role includes coordinating customs modernization projects and capacity building for local businesses to access global market. Prior to joining DHL, he worked as Senior Officer of Central Management Team at the ASEAN Secretariat. He has also worked in public sector as Project Manager for Cross Border Rail and Head of Land Freight Unit.  

Erica Libertelli is a professional with 19 years of experience in business and technology-oriented education. She is an executive director at eCommerce Institute where she leads global projects and initiatives for the development and acceleration of the digital economy, including through the design of scalable and tailored training programs and MSME access to digital services.

Erik is an experienced trade and public affairs professional working to help UPS advance its goals in Europe, Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. He works on trade policy and sustainability through expert analysis, engagement with key stakeholders, and strategic communications.

As Vice President for Global Public Policy Heba Shams leads multilateral engagement for a Fortune 500 company. In this role, she develops and leads the execution of engagement strategies with multilateral institutions on key policy issues in payments and digital development. She builds partnerships and bring the voice of business to bear in global policy conversations. She builds on over 15 years of highly diverse experience in international development at the world's leading development organization, where she honed her skills in diplomacy, public affairs, finance and investment policy, and government engagement strategy.

Hilda Kragha is the current CEO at The African Talent Company, leading the amazing teams at Jobberman Nigeria and Ghana + Brighter Monday Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania as we tackle Africa's unemployment challenges by bringing transparency to the labour markets and improving workplace productivity.

Jehiel Oliver is responsible for the overall management and strategy of Hello Tractor, an agricultural technology company that connects tractor owners and farmers through a farm equipment sharing application. He has been honored with numerous awards for his work in social entrepreneurship including being recognized by Foreign Policy Magazine as a Top 100 Global Thinker for 2016. He was appointed under the Obama Administration as a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa, where he chaired the technology subcommittee. Prior to Hello Tractor, Oliver worked in consulting and investment banking. Outside of work, Oliver remains active serving on the board of Shared Interest and H4H, both impact investment funds focused in sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Kati Suominen is Founder and CEO of Nextrade Group and ideates and leads Nextrade Group engagements with the company's more than 50 clients.  Kati has ideated and built dozens of data and analytical products, pilot initiatives, and eight global initiatives and public-private-partnerships to support Nextrade's clients in enabling world rade through technology - including, most recently, the Alliance for eTrade Development I and II between 13 leading companies and USAID to enable SME ecommerce in developing nations, and the Prosper Africa Tech for Trade Alliance with 21 companies and U.S. government's Proper Africa initiative.