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Emerging Leaders 2017

 

Please note that the Call for Application closed on October 24th and that the selection process is ongoing. 

 

Young leaders from the around the Atlantic basin who have demonstrated leadership and initiative in their fields, who want to contribute to shaping the regional and global agenda in politics, finance, business, civil society and many other areas, who are eager to network with their peers and older, and who seek to foster and strengthen ties across the Atlantic are invited to apply.

Over the past 6 years, OCP Policy Center has been organizing the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders program for young leaders from the around the Atlantic basin who have demonstrated leadership and initiative in their fields, who want to contribute to shaping the regional and global agenda in politics, finance, business, civil society and many other areas, who are eager to network with their peers and older, and who seek to foster and strengthen ties across the Atlantic. This community, which started in 2012 with 35 Emerging Leaders, has grown to encompass about 250 brilliant young and dynamic leaders in 2017, all from different sectors, fields, regions and backgrounds. This diverse group includes the 50 Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders (ADELs) who were selected to take part in the 2017 EL program.

This year, OCP Policy Center received over 1000 applications, which reflects the growing interest around the program and the exposure our leaders have experienced during and past Atlantic Dialogues. We are hence glad to report that 2017 ADEL cohort has grown into a strong community of young professionals.

Similar to last year’s edition, we have designed a special program which will consist of two full days, the first one focused on addressing key worldwide issues such as energy efficiency and education, and the second one dedicated to a series of workshops at the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University. The goal of these workshops will be to have the Emerging Leaders engage in brainstorming sessions that help them identify the common cause  of the program, and elaborate a framework for the OCPPC Emerging Leaders long term vision.

One of the main foci of this year’s program will be the experience sharing between the past cohorts and this year’s selected group. We will be involving 20 ADEL alumni from the past 6 editions in the process, and will dedicate a full session to an Alumni panel. In addition to this, we will also be welcoming 10 additional African Young professionals in the workshops, which will enable us to take stock, examine the progress and shape the future of the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders program.

As we strive to strengthen their exposure to high-level leaders and to thought provocative thinking during the Atlantic dialogues, 2017 ADEL cohort will take a greater lead in the conference agenda, which will give us the unique opportunity to challenge the established perspectives and forward the conversations.

 

Call for Application

Application Process

The applicants must be between the ages of twenty-three and thirty-five (inclusive) on September 8th 2017, the day the applications for the program open. To be considered, the applicants must be citizens of countries located in Africa, North America, South America, Central America, the European Union or the Caribbean. Furthermore, the applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English and guarantee their availability for the full duration of this five days’ program, which will take place December 11th to 15th, 2017 in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Interested applicants should submit a copy of their resumes/ CVs in .pdf format, and a personal statement of no more than 250 words detailing their motivations for applying and their prospective contributions and benefits from the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders Program. The application form can be found below.

More information about the program

For selected applicants, the OCP Policy Center will cover local travel, meals, and hotel expenses for the duration of the conference. Limited international travel assistance for the selected applicants is also available. 

Applications will close on Monday, October 23rd. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact Lilia Rizk, Program Officer at lilia.rizk@ocppc.ma .  

Agenda

Emerging Leaders Agenda 
December 11th to December 15th 
2017 Edition 

 

Sunday, December 10th
 

Upon Arrival Registration 
(Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Marrakech – space in front of elevators) 

20:00 – 22:30 Informal Welcome Dinner
Location: Restaurant Lila, Radisson Blu

Monday, December 11th

09:00 – 9:30 Welcome and AD Connect introduction 
Location: Lila Bar, Radisson Blu

Speakers: 
- Yassir Essyagi, Program Officer, OCP Policy Center
- Thomas Pereira da Silva, Visiting Fellow, OCP Policy Center
- Lilia Rizk, Program Officer, OCP Policy Center


9:30 – 10:30 Ice Breaker- Exploring Leadership Values

This session will explore leadership characteristics and will answer the question: what makes a great leader? Many have pondered this question, and while some argue that one is born a leader, others believe that leadership skills and abilities can be developed with time and experience. What can be agreed upon is that a great leader has a certain set of qualities that inspire and challenge people. Leadership can be interpreted in many different ways, and the program’s opening will give emerging leaders an opportunity to discuss the values that make up their ideal leader. Participants will then reflect on their leadership qualities and how they relate to their own experiences. This interactive session will help participants get to know each other and engage with other peers from other regions, sectors, fields and backgrounds.

Moderator: Lilia Rizk, Program Officer, OCP Policy Center
Location: Lila Bar, Radisson Blu

10:30 – 12:00 Town Hall Meeting: Exchanging Ideas, Experiences, Common Challenges, and Shared Priorities 

One of the first qualities of leaders is the entrepreneurial spirit they exude throughout their substantial careers and projects within their working life. The power of these rising leaders lies in their ability to significantly and positively impact the environments in which they evolve. This exercise aims at primarily providing this edition’s unique cohort with the opportunity to present and pitch their projects (oriented business or nonprofit) in order to receive feedback from an impressive multicultural crowd. Each EL would in turn introduce the group to the mission statement and vision of their proposal or, the obstacles and challenges faced. After each pitch, the group would share its honest feedback and constructive suggestions. The added value would be the emergence of a wide array of ideas representing different backgrounds, perceptions and interpretations that can help advance the presented projects. Ultimately, this session is acting as a lasting bond between the members of EL through a fundamentally creative experience, combining the value of their intellectual capital with their awareness of the importance of cultural diversity

12:00 – 13:30 Lunch
Location: Lila Restaurant, Radisson Blu

13:30 – 15:00 Technological Advances, Skills, and the Jobs of Tomorrow 

Technology has been changing the way we work and the skills we need. Ever since the steam machine was invented in 1765, our societies have witnessed rapid human and social transformation in an era called the First Industrial Revolution. Today and following nearly a half century of unprecedented technological and digital progress, we are well into what experts call the Second Machine Age or a new Industrial Revolution. With computers performing what was once Human’s “mental work”, robots are substituting human labor, introducing new dimensions to our economies and societies. The established standard educational system is not offering nor teaching children a set of skills efficient enough to handle the needs of the future.

Policy makers and political leaders do not yet fully grasp what the future holds for us in terms of labor market structures and job opportunities. More approaches linked to this shift are necessary in order to better understand what different policies will be needed to address this Second Machine Age.

• What are these specific set of skills that will be useful in the near and distant future?
• How can we transform our educational systems to better prepare us for a rapid transformation of labor markets?
• How can we assess these transformations in labor markets? What are the aspects that we have to emphasize upon or criticize? Are there any positive changes than we praise?
• How does context matter in addressing this global issue?

Moderator: Thomas Pereira da Silva, Visiting Fellow, OCP Policy Center
Speakers : Ade Mabogunje, Senior Research Scientist, Center for Design Research, Stanford University, Martine Kappel, Founder, True North Leadership
Location: Ras Al Hanout Radisson Blu

15:00 – 15:15 Coffee Break

15: 15 – 16:45  The Role of Women in Government and Political Spheres

The current political developments around the world have led to the questioning of the contemporary political status quo. Globalization and the ongoing technological revolution have created social and political cleavages that have divided countries on many issues. Age has shown to be a key factor when casting votes insignificant political events illustrating a mutual lack of understanding between young people and the political establishment. Women are still under-represented in governments in most countries across the Atlantic Basin and worldwide. Nevertheless, political systems are experiencing changes around the world as people seek for better inclusion and governance. At the heart of these changes should be a new generation of young initiative-risk takers, problem solvers, and innovators that will challenge the existing frameworks and carry energizing visions, and an increased representation of women as elected officials, heads of state, and in key decision making positions. The Emerging Leaders will discuss the issues of governance, leadership, and the role of women in government, emphasizing the potential role that youth should be playing in shaping global agendas with a prominent leader and active citizen.

• How can we reframe leadership to include more women?
• What role can youth play in influencing policymakers and decision-makers at the national and international levels? 
• What are the policies that need to be implemented to fully support women and youth empowerment? 

Moderator: Lilia Rizk, Program Officer, OCP Policy Center

Speaker: TBC

Location: Salle Cannelle II,  Radisson Blu

16:45 – 17:00 Coffee Break

17:00 – 18:30 Civil Society, NGOs, and Entrepreneurial approaches for Development

In a context where development assistance is losing popular support and public financing, various roles can be taken by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Entrepreneurs to push for development agendas. Civil society organizations can work on: collecting and analyzing information to help better target scarce financial resources; assessing environmental conditions and monitoring compliance with environmental agreements; and advocating environmental justice. NGOs on the other hand can be a stronger partner and advocacy voice (e.g., Gates Foundation, etc.), supporting respect for human rights and corporate social responsibility. Finally, entrepreneurs can combine innovation with rapid growth and risk taking, using their respective business associations across-borders to make development projects more targeted and efficient. All actors should use both top-down and bottom-up approaches to capture both the political reality of change with the population’s most urgent needs.

• How can these actors reach their full potential when addressing their respective agendas?
• What major roadblocks are they currently facing (in their specific context)? 
• What recent initiatives exists based on a collaboration between these three actors?

Moderator: Sara Mokaddem, International Relations Specialist, OCP Policy Center

Speakers:  Marcus Vinicius de Freitas, Senior Fellow, OCP Policy Center, Lamia Bazir, Director of South-South Cooperation, Groupe Credit Agricole of Morocco, Founder and President, Empowering Women in the Atlas

Location: Salle Cannelle II,  Radisson Blu

20:00 – 22:00 Networking Dinner and Welcome Address  

Speakers: Karim El Aynaoui, Managing Director, OCP Policy Center 
Location: Cour des Lions, Essaadi Palace 

Tuesday, December 12th

7:45- 22:00 Departure for Benguerir- Workshops and closing cocktail 

8:45-9:45:  Mohammed VI Polytechnic University-Visit 

9:45 -10:00: Coffee Break
 
10:00 – 11:30 Workshop 1: Panel of EL Program Alumni – Bridging the Generational Divide Lessons learned from EL Program

The road to development takes different paths and is at the heart of the policies of developing countries. This session aims to explore the various aspects of this challenge, and through the voices of our Emerging Leaders Alumni, look at the input that each sector can bring to the table. Having all addressed the issue of development through different mechanisms, they will share their respective expertise and panel a discussion on this topic. With diverse professional backgrounds (private sector, public sector, entrepreneurship, academia), the EL Alumni will be able to provide a complete overview of the role that the leaders of tomorrow can play to shape the development strategies of developing countries.

Location: Mohammed VI Polytechnic University- Multipurpose Room
Moderator: Lilia Rizk, Program Officer, OCP Policy Center

Speakers
- Ciré Dye Ba, Executive Director, CIRTECH-CTC
- Prince Boadu, MapTech Logistics Limited 
- Teocah Dove, The Teocah Dove Legacy Foundation
- Pablo Medina, Senior Mexico Analyst, Wood Mackenzie 
- Hiba Rizk, Senior Environmental Specialist, Jacobs Engineering

11:30 -11:45: Coffee Break

11: 45 -12:30: Presentation of Workshop Rationale

Coach: Ade Mabogunje, Associate Director, Stanford University
Location: Mohammed VI Polytechnic University- Multipurpose Room

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch

Location: Mohammed VI Polytechnic University- Restaurant

13:30 – 16:30 Workshop 2: Vision for incoming ELs – How to maximize the Program’s Impact / Conversation: Time for Action – What roles for, and which ideas from, the new generation

13: 30 -16:00- Parallel Workshops and Facilitations

The goal of these workshops will be to take stock and think about how we can continue building the community of Emerging Leaders while providing a framework, rationale, and vision for the program. Through these workshops, we hope to note Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leader’s (ADEL) expectations, learn from the ADEL alumni experiences, and help establish a basis for future discussions. In four simultaneous workshops, facilitators will guide the discussions to 1) help identify a common cause that the Emerging Leaders can carry by discussing the most serious issues that the countries represented are facing; 2) assess where we are now, where we want to be and how we can get there; and 3) revisit how to align the Emerging Leaders Program with OCP Policy Center’s motto (Think, Stimulate, Bridge). The desired workshop output is a strategic framework for the ADEL program and a roadmap that we will be presented to OCP’s Chairman and CEO, Dr. Mostafa Terrab in an informal discussion.

The above mentioned will be achieved by involving 20 ADEL alumni from the past 5 editions in the process along with 10 additional African Young professionals recommended by OCP (in addition to the 50 ADELs selected for this year’s cohort), which will bring up the total number of Emerging Leaders involved in the workshops and in the development of the “Common Cause” to 80.

Location: Mohammed VI Polytechnic University- Conference Center

16:00 -16:30- Reporting

16:30 -18:00- Presentation of Workshop Results, Informal Discussion with OCP Chairman and CEO 

Moderator: Lilia Rizk, Program Officer, OCP Policy Center

Speaker: Mostafa Terrab, Chairman and CEO, OCP Group

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University- Library

In order to propel the Emerging Leaders community beyond the conference, the younger generation of leaders needs to identify a common cause to carry. This common cause will be brainstormed during a series of workshops organized within the 2017 Emerging Leaders program. They will be presented to the Chairman of OCP, Mr. Mostafa Terrab, during an informal discussion in order to allow for experience sharing and an ability to have a comprehensive look into involving youth in bridging the generational gap present in policy and decision-making.

18:00– 19:30 Dinner Cocktail

19:30 – 20:30 A discussion with Laoye Jaiyeola

Moderator: Asmaa Azehaf, Program Assistant, OCP Policy Center

Speaker: Laoye Jaiyeola, CEO, Nigerian Economic Summit Group

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University- Foyer

20: 30– 22:00 Workshop 3: Preparation for Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders 1 min pitches

Moderators:  Laoye Jaiyeola, CEO, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Amanda Mathe, Managing Director Ndlovukazi Online Media

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University- Multipurpose room

During a town hall meeting organized at the start of the Emerging Leaders program, the ADELs will be presenting their projects and ideas for social, economic and political change. The cohort will then proceed to voting for the 15 best ideas,that will then be presented during the Atlantic Dialogues conference in a series of pitches. The Atlantic Dialogues high level audience will engage with the ADELs in a system of feedback enabled by the Spotme application Word Cloud. This session will help the selected ADELs prepare for their pitches with the assistance of Fatim Zahra Biaz and Laoye Jaiyeola.

22:00: Departure from Benguerir/ Return to Radisson Blu

Emerging Leaders in the Atlantic Dialogues Program

Wednesday, December 13th 

11:00 – 11:15 Emerging Leaders 1 minute Pitch  

Five emerging leaders will be pitching their ideas to the Atlantic Dialogues audience, who will in turn engage with them through a voting system enabled by the SpotMe Application. Each pitch will last one minute, and ADELs will present their ideas one after the other before leaving the floor to the following panel.

Speakers: 5 Selected ELs (TBD)

Thursday, December 14th 

14:00 – 14:15 Emerging Leaders 1 minute Pitch  

Five emerging leaders will be pitching their ideas to the Atlantic Dialogues audience, who will in turn engage with them through a voting system enabled by the SpotMe Application. Each pitch will last one minute, and ADELs will present their ideas one after the other before leaving the floor to the following panel.

Speakers: 5 Selected ELs (TBD)

21:45-23:15 AD Evening Session: Documentary Projection followed by a discussion with Zeinab Badawi, Journalist, BBC & Abdoulaye Bathily, Former Special Representative

Participation of all Emerging Leaders

Friday, December 15th 

11:00 – 11:15 Emerging Leaders 1 minute Pitch  

Five emerging leaders will be pitching their ideas to the Atlantic Dialogues audience, who will in turn engage with them through a voting system enabled by the SpotMe Application. Each pitch will last one minute, and ADELs will present their ideas one after the other before leaving the floor to the following panel.

Speakers: 5 Selected ELs (TBD)

17:30 – 18:45 Emerging Leaders Closing Plenary – Discussion with Zeinab Badawi
 

Adel Cohort

Nejat Abdella, Analyst, Dalberg Advisers

Noura Alj, Chargée de Mission, Sanam Holding

Irais Aviles Garcia, Head of Multilateral Cultural Cooperation, Ministry of Culture Mexico

Touria Benlafqih, Founder and CEO, EMPEOPLE Sales Incubator

Jessica Berlin, Founder and Managing Director, CoStruct

Reda Berrehili, Entrepreneur & CTO, OneFineStay

Cristian Botan, President, Coalition for Digital Economy

Goodiel C. Moshi, Director of ICT, The University of Dodoma

Malancha Chakrabarty, Associate Fellow, Observer Research Foundation

Ayman Cherkaoui, Special Advisor to the COP22 President and Chief Negotiator, COP 22 Presidency

Rumbidzai Chisenga, Program Manager, Mandela Institute for Development Studies

Dounia Chraïbi, CSR Senior Manager, OCP

Renata Dalaqua, Head of Project Division, Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)

Sidi Mohamed Dhaker, Director of Strategy, Transformation and Communication, Central Bank of Mauritania

Adrian Fielding, Consulstant, AfricaPractice

Asmaa Guedira, Consultant/ Social Entrepreneur, The Womanity Foundation/ OuiShare / Hyper-Gender

Tameka Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Tameka Hill Foundation

Idia Irele, Social Justice Educator, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Jonathan J. Jackson, Co-founder, Blavity

James Kirchick, Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution

Dustin Klaudt, Law Clerk, Constitutional Court of South Africa

Blanche Leridon, Fellow, Institut Montaigne

Bio Bertrand Mama, Research Officer, Presidency of Benin

Robel Minassi, Analyst and Contract Consultant, Mckinsey and Co.

Alexis Morin, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Students for Education Reform

Jean Claude Muhire, Founder and President, Love the Kids Foundation

Marie Louise Mujawayezu, Program Manager, Youth and Women Driver of Peace

Mehdi Nassir, Founder and CEO, Bawaba

Malao Ndiaye, Monitoring Specialist, Minister of Energy, Senegal

Ana Jaina Nelson, Corporate Responsibility Director, Latin America, Bacardi

Vicky Ngari-Wilson, Social Innovation Consultant, Good Ambition CIC

Chimaobi Nna, Senior Research Officer, Energy Commission of Nigeria-National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Eric Ntumba, Head of Corporate, Private and Siaspora Banking, Equity Bank Congo

Can Ogutçu, Outreach Countries Officer, International Energy Charter Secretariat

Joana Ama Osei-Tutu, Head of Women Peace and Security Institute, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre

Funlola Otukoya Investor Lead, CDP

Anas Oulmidi, Surgeon, University Hospital Center

Oluseyi Oyenuga, Executive Director, ATMANCorp Nigeria LTD        

Zach Pagovski, Program Officer, Strategic Partnerships, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Avril Perry, Director, Africa Expert Network (AXN), United States

Omar Recho, Data Analyst, Global Affairs Unit, OCP Group

Amilcar Romero, Founder and President, Ankawa International

Anabella Ron, Strategic Consultant – Analytical Contractual, Inter-American Development Bank

Andrei Serbin Pont, Research Director, Regional Coordination for Economic and Social Research, Argentina

Richard Ahedor Seshie, President, Association 3535 Ivory Coast

Sandiso Sibisi, Open Innovation Africa Lead, Accenture

Selassie Tay, Founder and Director, Tongu Youth Agenda for Development

Sem Mandela Uutoni, Special Assistant to the Advisor of the Chairperson an Regional Integration, African Union Commission

Chika Uwazie, CEO, TalenBase

Lisa Ventura, Project Specialist, Society and Innovation, World Economic Forum

Gustavo Vidigal, Special Advisor on Creative Economics, Culture Secretariat of the Federal District Brazil

Devorah West, Private Sector Engagement Advisor, Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance at the U.S. Agency for International Development

Speaker Biographies

Dounia Chraïbi, CSR Senior Manager, OCP

Dounia Chraïbi is currently a Senior Manager within the Sustainable Development direction at OCP, a Moroccan company and world leader in phosphates industry. She is in charge of defining OCP’s CSR policy and governance. She is also conducting an entrepreneurship program aimed at underprivileged youth as well as the monitoring of major territory development projects. Her previous professional experience was in a private equity fund dedicated to agribusiness industry in Morocco. Prior to this, she was a senior strategy consultant in charge of defining public policies for the Moroccan government. Dounia co-created EMLyon Moroccan alumni association and she is currently launching InspYre, a mentoring initiative for the youth. Dounia completed her MSc in Management at EMLyon business school in 2008.

Karim El Aynaoui, Managing Director, OCP Policy Center (Morocco)

Karim El Aynaoui is Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. He is also Managing Director of OCP Policy Center, a think tank based in Rabat and serves as advisor to the CEO and Chairman of OCP Group, a global leader in the phosphate sector. From 2005 to 2012, he worked at Bank Al-Maghrib, the Central Bank of Morocco. He was the Director of Economics and International Relations, where he provided strategic leadership in defining and supporting monetary policy analysis and strategy. He was also in charge of the Statistical and International Relations Divisions of the Central Bank, led the research division and was a member of the Governor’s Cabinet. Before joining Bank Al-Maghrib, Karim El Aynaoui worked for eight years at the World Bank, both in its Middle Eastern and North Africa, and Africa regions as an economist. He has published papers, books and articles in scientific journals on macroeconomic issues in developing countries. Recently, he co-authored a book outlining a growth strategy for Morocco and was the guest editor of a special issue on food price volatility in Oxford Economic Papers. Karim El Aynaoui is a board member of the OCP Foundation, a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) and a member of the COP22 Scientific Committee. He also participates in the Malabo-Montpellier Panel. Karim El Aynaoui holds a PhD in economics from the University of Bordeaux, where he taught for three years courses in statistics and economics.

Joseph Olaoye Jaiyeola, CEO, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (Nigeria)

Joseph Olaoye Jaiyeola is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), a private sector led economic think tank and advocacy group in Nigeria. Worthy of note are his contributions to the Money Market Association of Nigeria (now Financial Markets Dealers Association) when he was the President between 2001 and 2003. Also, he has been an active member of The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). He is a Fellow of the Institute, where he became the President and Chairman of Council in 2010. He has made significant contribution to Nigeria’s services sector, notably through his work during the development of Nigeria’s Financial Systems Strategy 2020 (FSS 2020) as well as during the development of Nigeria vision 2020. He served in the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) as the Chairman of the Central Organizing Committee for the annual summit 14 as well as the Chairman of the Technical sub-committee for the annual NES 13. Other Boards on which he sits include Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), Board of Trustees of Financial Markets Dealers Association and was a foundation Board member of FMDQ OTC Plc

Martine Kappel, Founder, True North Leadership

Martine Kappel, Founder of True North Leadership, Ambassador for Africa 2.0, Partner of Mkenya Daima, EABS, and a Rotarian, is leading specialist in implementing personal and organizational transformation with a focus on Self Actualization and Self Leadership. She holds a Master of Science in Auditing, Diploma in Self Actualization and in Pedagogy, she has worked as an auditor, lecturer, HRM, and is a former diplomat (CFO) for Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is an Executive Coach, Master NLP Practitioner, Transformations Trainer, Certified NLP Trainer, and High-Level Advisor on Leadership, Changing Mindsets, Community Development. She is originally Danish, and has since 2002 lived in Kenya, Ghana and Mozambique. Through actualizing excellence, “changing” mindsets, and Viral Self Leadership she champions responsible, ethical, creative Innovation and Initiatives towards an improved socio-economic quality of life; by providing tools for Self-Actualization and thereby tools for bridging the gap between Knowing and Doing – between Vision and Implementation. As executive coach and high-level consultant on changing mindsets and self-actualization she is passionate about empowering especially young emerging leaders in Africa

Youssef Kobo, Strategic Innovation Consultant (Belgium)

Youssef Kobo is a Strategic Innovation Consultant. CD&V politician. Former advisor to the Brussels Secretary of Digitalization. A Belgian author, publicist and public speaker. Who predominantly writes about International Relations, MENA, Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Member of the Think Tank. Vrijdaggroep and member of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers. A social entrepreneur and founder of several non-profit programs around the world.

Ade Mabogunje, Associate Director, Design Center, Stanford University (Nigeria)

Ade Mabogunje is the Associate Director for Stanford’s Center for Design Research and serves as a strategic advisor to the Kauffman Fellows Program. Ade Mabogunje conducts research on the design thinking process with a view to instrumenting and measuring the process and giving feedback to design thinking teams on ways to improve their performance. He works in collaboration with partners in the engineering education, design practice and investment community as a participant-observer in the practice of building and developing ecosystems that support accelerated and continuous innovation in products and services. Prior to this he was the associate director of the Stanford Center for Design Research (CDR). He was also the lead of the Real-time Venture Design Lab program (ReVeL) in the school of Humanities and Sciences. Ade earned MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and originally hails from Nigeria where he earned his undergraduate degree.    

Eniola Mafe, Strategist, Economic and Private Sector-Led Development Professional (United States)

Eniola Mafe is a strategist, international development leader and expert on private sector led development in Africa. She manages the Niger Delta Partnership Initiative (NDPI) Foundation, a $90 million corporate social enterprise that applies a market-based approach to development, builds partnerships, and develops innovative projects for sustainable development. At NDPI, Mafe works with a range of partners to tackle the myriad of complex and interrelated impediments to sustainable development, with a focus on the development of robust infrastructure and markets, markets that link Africa to international markets, that are inclusion of vulnerable populations such as women and youth. Mafe joined NDPI in 2013 after serving as program manager on Africa at Vital Voices Global Partnership in Washington, D.C. focusing on organizational development, entrepreneurship and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. Mafe was named one of the 99 most influential foreign policy leaders under the age of 33, or the “99 Under 33,” by Diplomatic Courier and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy in 2011 and one of 13 Young Africans Business/Economic Leaders to Watch in 2013 by Ventures Africa Magazine. Previously Mafe worked at the Women’s World Banking Ghana in Accra and Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York City. She holds a M.A. from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. and a B.A from Spelman College (Phi Beta Kappa).

Amanda Onamandla Mathe, Founder at Qhakaza Girl IT (South Africa)

Amanda Onamandla Mathe has grown up in the ever-changing society of South Africa. Born in the bustling city of Durban, her home is the seashore and digital is her playground. She prides herself in building recognizable brands and providing support in the love of building a better community. Amanda O Mathe is a professional journalist, with years of experience in the news media, corporate social media management, and online development. As the Managing Director of Ndlovukazi Online Media, she takes her client's digital interaction and engagement to a new level. Under her belt is a National Diploma in Journalism obtained at Durban University of Technology (2011), Certificate in Basic Principles of Public Relations (2014), Training in Microsoft Excel and Excel for non-finance individuals 2014 as well as a certificate in Strategic Innovation and Leadership from the Technology and Innovation Agency in partnership with Stanford University (2016). Her most recent delivery of work is as a communication consultant to Innovate Durban and launching the first event Innovation Festival Durban 2017 driving social, economic and job creation impact in Durban. Ms. Mathe currently sits as stakeholder and representative of women in the technology sphere of Durban, advising on the Internet for All South Africa initiative as the WEF Global Shaper. Through this initiative, she has launched a policy & advocacy non-profit company known as Qhakaza Girl IT, which aims to shift current policy and enable educational support of young women into the ICT & infrastructural development sector. It does this through pipeline creation, resource sustainability, and mentorship support.

Njoya Tikum, Regional Anti-Corruption and Economic Governance Policy Advisor, UNDP (Cameroun)

Njoya Tikum is the regional anti-corruption advisor for the UN Development Program based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He leads UNDP’s efforts to strengthen capacities of African governments and regional organizations to prevent and combat corruption and related development and economic governance challenges in Africa. A noted human rights lawyer and activist, Njoya joined UNDP through the Leadership Development Program (LEAD), a highly competitive program that prepares young professionals for leadership in the UN(DP) system. Njoya helped managed the Access to Justice and Rule of Law program in South Sudan following its independence from Sudan in 2011. After a second food crisis plagued countries in the Sahel region in 2012, Njoya developed and implemented the UNDP’s Peace Consolidation and Governance in the Sahel Regional Project, which has been instrumental in addressing structural governance and development hurdles across the five affected countries in the region. Njoya is the founder and co-founder of a number of human rights based organizations in his native country of Cameroon (including Human Rights Focus and The Tort for Tortured Victims Center), and is currently developing clinical human rights models of study with a number of universities. Identified as an Emerging Leader by the German Marshall Fund for the United States, and a former Human Rights Fellow with Columbia University, Njoya continues to be passionate about issues of social justice and the inclusive economic transformation of Africa.

Marcus Vinicius de Freitas, Senior Non-Resident Fellow, (Brazil)

Marcus Vinicius de Freitas teaches international law and international relations at the undergraduate and graduate levels at The Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation, where he served as the coordinator of their International Relations Program from December 2012 until December 2013. His professional experience in Washington, DC included the Inter-American Bank and Occidental Petroleum Corporation, where he worked in governmental affairs. He was president of the Sao Paulo Directorate of the Progressive Party, having run for vice governor of the State of Sao Paulo in 2010, where his party polled in third place with more than 1.2 million votes. He also served as the Administrative Director of the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Housing Company until December 2015. Currently, he is the Chief Advisor for Emerging Markets at Providence Group of Companies. Mr. De Freitas holds an LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) degree from the University of Sao Paulo, a master of laws from Cornell University and a master of arts in economics and international relations from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Sara Mokaddem, International Relations Specialist, OCP Policy Center (Morocco)

Sara Mokaddem is an International Relations Specialist in the Geopolitics and International Relations’ research program at the OCP Policy Center. Prior to that, she has worked as a research analyst in charge of specific due-diligence reporting and risk analysis on private placements for a London-based investment fund focused on the mining and energy sectors. She has also worked with firms and individuals on attaining FCA authorization and regulation in the United Kingdom. Her previous professional experience includes a position as a visiting researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in 2011 and 2012 where she has produced research on the post-revolutionary situation in Tunisia and Libya and on the security of the Sahel. Having written modules on corporate forensics and on employee protection as part of the certificate in corporate security policy, Sara was a member of the RUSI academic team for the ACTIS center for security policy. She holds a MBA in Finance and International Management supported by an analysis on the piracy off the coast of Somalia and its effects on the insurance business, and a Master’s degree in International Relations and Security with a dissertation on the Northern Mali conflict (2012) completed at Westminster University

Lilia Rizk, Program Officer, OCP Policy Center

Lilia Rizk is currently a Program Officer at OCP Policy Center, where she manages international partnerships in France, the United Kingdom and the United States, and contributes to designing and planning international relations programs and events. Prior to that, she interned at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations as an event coordinator. She obtained a dual degree in Political Science and International Development from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and completed Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.

Thomas Awazu Pereira da Silva, Visiting Fellow, OCP Policy Center (Brazil)

Thomas Awazu Pereira da Silva is visiting fellow at the OCP Policy Center pursuing research on Education Policies and Reform. He holds a Master’s of Arts in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), concentrating in International Development. Prior to his Master’s degree, Thomas worked for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. as a Trade Analyst for the Treasury Services and Trade Department within the Corporate Investment Bank division. He was also involved with Unlock Foundation as a Young Professionals Network Board Member, where he partnered alongside teachers and community members to build needs prioritized assessment reports, and evaluated major educational gaps in Unlock’s rural African schools using bottom-up approach focused on small sustainable projects. As a result of his family background, work assignments, and various studies throughout the world, he is fluent in French, English and Portuguese with basic conversational skills in Spanish and Italian.

Prince Boadu, Senior Supply Specialist at Merck KGaA (Ghana)

Prince is Senior Supply Specialist at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany where his work in the Consumer Health division is focused on the Middle East & Africa cluster.
Prince is also an entrepreneur and passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa. He is co-founder of Maptech and Kumasi Hive. Maptech leverages the power of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to solve business problems by developing and deploying GIS-based applications. Kumasi Hive, on the other hand, is an innovation hub that promotes the rapid prototyping of ideas, entrepreneurship and youth development. The Hive focuses on promoting collaboration among tenants within our co-working spaces and hardware facility. This is a radical shift from the usual software centered hubs in Ghana. In 2016, Prince was named by FORBES Africa on the 30 under 30 list. He is the founding curator of TEDxKNUST, a World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Shaper (Kumasi Hub) and a Fellow of Afrika Kommt! Program. He served as a speaker in 2015 at the Atlantic Dialogues in Morocco as one of 40 named Emerging Leaders from four continents across the Atlantic Basin. He is an active member of the GhanaThink Foundation.

Lamia Bazir, Director of South-South Cooperation, Groupe Credit Agricole of Morocco, Founder and President, Empowering Women in the Atlas (Morocco)

 Listed among the 60 most influential Moroccan Women by the Magazine Challenge, Lamia Bazir is an inspirational civil society actor and  a sharp professional. 
For more than three years, she held positions within the office of the Head of Government of Morocco where she worked on the 2nd compact of Millennium Challenge Corporation to reduce poverty through economic growth. She is currently the Director of South-South Cooperation within the Group Crédit Agricole of Morocco. She also has experience at the UN in New York where she was a representative at the ECOSOC; she conducted political analysis for the Arab League, consultancy with Transparency International, and field research in Niger.
In parallel to her professional work, Lamia is well known for her advocacy. Within her foundation: “Empowering Women in the Atlas”, she launched several programs and initiatives to promote leadership and entrepreneurship among women and youth in the rural world. Her humanitarian work got her recognition at a national and international level. In 2015, she won the United Nations’ Volunteering Award.
Lamia is a graduate from Columbia University in New York, Sciences Po Paris and Al Akhawayn University. Most recently, she completed her executive education at Harvard Kennedy School. 
Lamia aspires to sharpen her leadership skills to emerge among a new generation of leaders in her country! 

Hiba Rizk, Senior Environmental Specialist, Jacobs Engineering S.A. (Morocco)

Hiba graduated from Stanford University in 2007 with a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering.   She obtained her PMP certification in June 2012 from the Project Management Institute.  She is currently in charge of several environmental projects including environmental impact assessments, environmental feasibility studies, and waste management and Jacobs Engineering SA. Prior to working for JESA, Hiba has worked at Transcarbon Africa Middle East where she managed a wide range of environmental consulting and engineering projects for energy, waste, industrial, real estate and transportation sectors.  She started her career in the construction field in Morocco for almost five years and has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in the Dominican Republic for one year.  She is fluent in English, French and Arabic and can communicate well in Spanish.

Cire Dye Ba, Executive Director, CIRTECH-CTC (Senegal)

Cire Ba has over six years' experience in political consulting. After the completion of his master’s degree in Management Studies from the Bordeaux Management School, he began his professional career in the management of development projects before specializing in public communications. His experience led him to work for NGOs and governments. In order to acquire state of the art skills to cater to his clients, he took a professional development hiatus that led him to the Al Jazeera Training Center, Decker Communications, and Harvard University. Cire currently works as an advisor to numerous African statesmen and politicians on political strategy and public policy. He has also managed over 20 victorious campaigns. Very active in the volunteering field, he is also curator of the Dakar Hub of Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum. He plans to expand his consulting activity to lobbying when he returns home after the program.