Our Team

Amanda Opara recently obtained an MSc in Law and Finance from the University of Oxford as a Mastercard Foundation and Africa Oxford Initiative Scholar.

Before Oxford, Amanda was a senior associate at G. Elias, a leading Nigerian business law firm, where she led its banking and finance practice and, among others, advised on development financings and impact investments across Africa. She (and her work) has been recognised by several reputable directories such as the International Financial Law Review (IFLR) 1000 and Legal 500.

Amanda is currently an Operations and Impact Administration Fellow in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer at AVPA. Her role involves supporting AVPA’s operational strategy, governance administration, and impact workflows. This will include playing a key part in strengthening AVPA’s internal processes, legal and partnership compliance, and system documentation, as well as contributing research and insights to inform AVPA’s operational scale-up.

Bukola Oloyede is a Legal & Financial Administration Fellow at AVPA and a graduate of the University of Oxford, where she completed a Master’s degree in Law. Her work sits at the intersection of law, finance, and development, with a focus on how sound legal and regulatory frameworks can enable impact investing and financial innovation across Africa.

At Oxford, Bukola served as a Research Associate with the Oxford Sustainable Finance Students Society, where she contributed to projects and discussions on the role of finance in advancing sustainability. She began her professional career as an Associate at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, West Africa’s largest full-service law firm, where she advised on high-value cross-border transactions.

Through the AVPA Fellowship, Bukola is committed to leveraging her legal and financial knowledge to strengthen governance structures, support the effective deployment of impact capital, and contribute to the growth of Africa’s development ecosystem. She earned her first degree in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, and is qualified to practice as a lawyer in Nigeria.

Chinedu has an extensive background in planning and managing cross-functional business operations and projects ranging from oil and gas services, media & public relations, property brokerage, management consultation, team building, professional development, strategic implementation, and company collaboration.

She has most recently been functioning in a similar role in a different sector, as Secretary for the Organization for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA) a multi-sectoral group of professionals, companies and organizations in Nigeria and ECOWAS countries that collaborate to advance cold chain supply of perishable commodities and products, medicines and vaccines.

In this role she has had the responsibility of administering the membership database and executing the member management strategy towards the organisation’s growth and sustainability. Chinedu has a Bachelors’ degree in Political Science from the University of Lagos.

Chisom Enelamah is a researcher and strategist with a background in global development, philanthropy, and storytelling. She graduated with high honours from New York University, earning a degree in Global Liberal Studies with a concentration in Critical Creative Production and a minor in Creative Writing.

She has worked in strategy development, research, and impact-driven initiatives, starting at Start Lighthouse, a New York-based nonprofit, where she supported fundraising and literacy initiatives for underserved communities. She later worked as a Strategy Consultant to Verod Foundation, helping shape the organisation’s long-term goals and program development strategy. At African Food Changemakers, she contributes to research on African food heritage and is currently supporting the development of their Plates Without Borders podcast.

Chisom is passionate about leveraging research, storytelling, and strategic planning to drive sustainable social impact, particularly across Africa.

Dr. Frank Aswani has extensive private and social sector experience. His previousroles including 14 years in Healthcare with Eli Lilly where he worked in Kenya, England, Switzerland and South Africa.

His last role at Lilly was the Sales Director for South Africa and Regional Director for Sub Sahara Africa where he managed over 25 countries in Anglo Phone and Luso-phone Sub Sahara Africa. His other stints included being the Vice President and Director of Strategic Relations at African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg, the African Regional Director with ARK (Absolute Return for Kids) and also spent time running his own consultancy in Innovation.

Frank is a visiting faculty at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School social finance and impact investing programs. He is also a member of the Investment committee of the MasterCard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, advisory board member of the Oryx Fund of Funds and the founder and host of Afropact Podcast series, a podcast showcasing stories of African Impact by highlighting African solutions to African problems. Frank is a passionate pan-African and perennial Afro-optimist who believes that we Africans should be at the forefront of solving our own problems.

Frank holds a Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Nairobi and an MBA from GIBS (Gordon Institute of Business Studies), University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Dr. Shadrack Opon is a highly trained health systems strengthening and health programmes manager, with extensive experience in managing global healthcare programmes for international organizations and development partners.  He is a youth and mental health advocate and is passionate about strengthening health systems, particularly health financing.

Dr. Opon joins AVPA as a Programme Manager – Healthcare. Previously, he was the Director of Programmes at Pamela Steele Associates, where he led the design and delivery of multiple programmes. He also served as a Senior Technical Advisor for Health Systems Strengthening at Amref Health Africa, while leading the department of Health Systems at Amref International University. Prior to this, Dr. Opon worked with Africa Health Business (AHB) as a Senior Project Manager where he provided health market insights and technical guidance on innovative health financing mechanisms to international health investors. He has also been a Lecturer at Kenya Methodist University, Mount Kenya University, and Maseno University where he taught and published articles on viable health reforms.

Dr. Opon has PhD and master’s degrees in health systems management both from Kenya Methodist University, and a bachelor’s degree in health services management from Kenyatta University.

Erick Macharia is a Communications Associate at AVPA. He has a background in Journalism, Mass Communication, and Media Studies. At AVPA, he supports strategic communications across the Pan-African network. Based in Nairobi, Erick leads content creation, digital engagement, and event communications to amplify AVPA’s mission of catalyzing social investment in Africa.

He manages newsletters, social media growth, media outreach, and virtual convenings, ensuring clear and impactful storytelling across AVPA’s regional hubs. Passionate about leveraging communication for social impact, Erick is committed to amplifying African-led solutions that drive sustainable development across the continent.

Fredrick Ochieng Ndege is the Knowledge and Climate Desk Program Associate at the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA), specializing in climate finance and business development. He brings a wealth of experience to his role, focusing on advancing climate solutions and sustainable business practices across Africa. At AVPA, Fredrick is instrumental in mobilizing resources, and driving business development for the Climate Desk. His work aligns with key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Fredrick’s professional journey includes significant roles that have shaped his expertise in climate and business development. As a Business Development Consultant for Light For the World, he facilitated technical training for agricultural enterprises, and developed business training modules. His experience as a Business Mentor at Practical Action involved promoting the productive use of solar energy for irrigation, developing alternative cooking fuels, and advocating for clean energy policies.

Between 2022 and 2023, Fredrick served as a mentor for the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET), where he contributed to advancing gender diversity and leadership in the clean energy sector. His robust understanding of climate challenges and his proactive approach to sustainable development make him a key asset in AVPA’s mission to drive climate action and empower impact actors across Africa.

Inez Wakungwi is a Membership & Partnerships Associate at AVPA, where she contributes to building a new generation of African impact investors. AVPA focuses on mobilizing and deploying capital to scale impactful initiatives across the continent.

Inez’s commitment to social impact and her role in the AVPA demonstrate her dedication to creating positive change in Africa.

Previously, Inez worked at Pangea Accelerator and the Royal United Services Institute. Her expertise lies in impact investing, social entrepreneurship, and fostering sustainable development across Africa.

Jayeola is an impact research analyst at AVPA, she is one of the Mastercard Foundation Associate. She has robust background knowledge on research and leadership.

Jayeola obtained her bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and holds a Diploma in Leadership Development from Covenant University, Nigeria.

She worked with KPMG as a graduate auditor where she gained experience in financial analysis, auditing and compliance. She is a UN volunteer and member of the Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF).

Nasri Adam is a highly seasoned professional with a rich background in the development sector. Prior to her current role at AVPA, Nasri held a pivotal position at the African Philanthropy Forum where she served as the Regional Programs Lead.

Her career also features a decade-long commitment to The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, where she played a key role in leading Global Compliance and Quality Assurance, while actively supporting Global Programmes.

Nasri, a native of Kenya, is currently based in Nairobi, Kenya, and holds an LLB in Law from the University of Nairobi.

Precious Wilson Nkandu is a seasoned executive with nearly 20 years of leadership experience spanning Africa, Europe, and the U.S. She brings deep expertise in strategy, operations, commercialisation and scale, resource mobilisation, and impact investment. Nkandu has led high-impact organisations across sectors including infrastructure, healthtech, venture capital, and capital markets.

As CEO of Baobab Circle, she transitioned the company to majority commercial revenue and led its expansion into Rwanda. Previously, as the founding CEO of AfIDA, she institutionalised the organisation corralling investors, project developers, transaction advisors, government ministries and development finance partners with investment in the full infrastructure and energy asset classes.

In previous roles Nkandu catalysed institutional investors with over 1 trillion dollars in assets under managed and mobilized over $300 million in investments. Known for building high-performance cultures and driving data-led decision-making, Nkandu holds an MBA from the University of Liverpool and serves on multiple boards supporting impact-driven initiatives.

Rachael is a seasoned public relations professional renowned for her outstanding oral and written communication skills. With a knack for captivating audiences and conveying complex ideas effortlessly, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role.

Her background includes serving as a Communications Attachee at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and earning a BA(Hons) in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Nairobi. Throughout her career, Rachael has consistently demonstrated her ability to articulate ideas clearly, concisely, and persuasively.

As a Communications Associate at AVPA, Rachael manages internal and external communications, including social media management, newsletter writing, and supporting all marketing efforts. She aims to use her skills and experience to promote and grow the communications and marketing department of AVPA.

Mr. Mutisya, is a Program Manager, Private Sector Development Specialist, Policy Advisor, Delivery, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning expert with over 10 years’ experience across public, non-profit and private sectors.

He previously supported the Council of Governors in conception of Maarifa Centre , the knowledge sharing platform for all the 47 Counties in Kenya. In 2018, The centre was awarded in the Best Innovation in Service Delivery Category during the African Public Service Day and has been featured by the World Bank as the first award-winning platform which collates, shares and promotes home grown innovations.

Mr. Mutisya is an accredited Trainer of Trainees with the ICR Facility for women’s economic empowerment training (BER4WEE) to apply a gender lens in policy Dialogues (PPDs) in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. He is enhancing the AVPA Pan African Knowledge Sharing and Learning Centre offerings, peer to peer learning to enhance the critical aspects in the funding and investment landscape of SMSEs in the African continent in various sectors and contributing to delivery, monitoring, evaluation and learning for impact story telling.

Sharon Lwane is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with expertise in strategic communications, brand management, and advocacy across conservation, global health, hospitality, and sustainability sectors.

Before joining AVPA, she was the Deputy Marketing and Communications Team Lead at Space for Giants in Kenya, where she spent nearly three years driving multi-country communication campaigns and stakeholder engagement. She also held communications roles at Serena Hotels and Levanter Africa.

Sharon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and is a certified public relations and marketing practitioner with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Susan Ngatia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Project Management from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and a Data Analytics certification from ALX. She currently works as an Impact Evaluation Associate at the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance, where she develops evaluation frameworks and assesses program impacts.

Susan has previous experience as an Administrator at Bosco General Contractors, a Research Assistant for the Cinch Gender Study, and a Project Manager at Ivolve Construction Company Limited. She is passionate about global project management, monitoring and evaluation, and stakeholder engagement.

Tafadzwa is a finance and accounting professional who is deeply passionate about Pan-African development.

In a career spanning over 13 years, he has had the privilege to work in social impact organisations in Zimbabwe, the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and most recently in South Africa (Letten Foundation, ATEMP and African Leadership Academy). Common to the roles he fulfilled was end-to-end management of the finance function, operationalising organisational strategy, cost control and efficiencies, treasury management as well as audit planning and execution.

Tafadzwa has a number of impressive qualifications under his belt which include: an MBA from Gordon Institute of Business Studies (GIBS), University of Pretoria, South Africa; a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Finance from the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Accounting from the Oxford Brooks University, London, UK.

Tochukwu Ezeukwu is a finance and investment leader with over a decade of experience raising capital for and facilitating the flow of funding into qualifying enterprises. He has served as a Global Tony Elumelu Foundation Guild Mentorand as a mentor to startups and SMEs across Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, West Africa, and Nigeria.

Tochukwu is a widely engaged thought leader and has trained extensively acrossa wide range of subjects. Prior to joining AVPA as Regional Director, Tochukwu was the Investment Lead at the USAID Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity where he helped with facilitating nearly $100m into various qualifying enterprises.

Tochukwu qualified as a chartered accountant (ACA) in 2009 and has a degreein Finance from the University of Lagos and an MBA from Edinburgh Napier University.

Victor Mwanza is a project management enthusiast with expertise in project management, business consulting, strategic administrative and operational management, and events management.

Committed to supporting high-impact programs, projects, and initiatives that drive meaningful and lasting change in social and economic development.

Previously worked as a project manager at Africa Health Business (AHB), coordinating the planning and implementation of technical consulting projects aimed at providing innovative solutions to support the growth and prosperity of C-suite clients in Africa’s healthcare space.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship Studies from Moi University, combined with an additional training in project management offered by the Institute of Applied Project Management (IAPM).

Zinhle brings a keen eye for detail and a strong understanding of financial processes to the AVPA team. Their role focuses on streamlining financial operations, ensuring accurate financial reporting, and optimizing workflows to support the organization’s strategic goals. They collaborate closely with various departments to meet financial needs and drive organizational growth. With a solid foundation in finance, they are committed to enhancing efficiency, supporting strategic financial planning, and upholding the highest standards of financial integrity and operational excellence.

Zinhle holds a Certificate in Accounting Science from the University of South Africa and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting Science with a focus on financial accounting. Prior to joining AVPA, they served as a Financial Administrator at the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA), gaining valuable experience in a membership-based organization and developing key professional skills.