Arif has Chief Finance Officer experience for 25 years for global multi brand portfolio of businesses in various sectors. Arif qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the UK and gained significant Corporate Finance experience including in M&A activity, fund raising, and transactional and advisory work undertaken at KPMG for many diverse industry sector blue chip multinational clients.
 

As EMEA Chief Finance Officer Arif led and managed commercially and
financially large projects ranging in value from $10-$50m that were delivered across multi markets and jurisdictions.

Arif also holds an MBA from The University of Aston Business School in the UK.
 

Whilst Arif undertook all his qualifications in the UK, he has over the years, worked on various projects and campaigns for clients in Africa.
As he was born and brought up in Kenya, Arif has always held a close passion to pursue business interests in the East African region and beyond in Africa.

Mark has more than 15 years of Venture Capital, Corporate Finance, and Financial Executive/Management experience with rapidly growing
entrepreneurial companies, including a long history in Technology and CleanTech.
 

Mark began his Venture Capital career as the 3rd employee at Gentry, a Chicago based VC firm where he led growth initiatives to open both their New York and San Francisco offices. Over the next 5 years he moved progressively deeper in the balance sheet supporting multiple complicated debt and equity financings. At Gentry, Mark also led the International Development program exploring partnerships in the Middle East. Past notable venture capital exists include; Twitter and Glori Energy.
 

Mark matriculated through Northern Arizona University on a Cross Country and Track and Field scholarship earning both BS and MA degrees. In addition, he holds his MBA from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.

Max has more than 10 years of Venture Capital, Corporate Finance, Business Intelligence and Data Governance experience including a long history with Real Estate and Technology investments.
 

Max began his Venture Capital career at a Chicago-based VC firm where he led operational support within their Technology, Secondaries, and Wealth Management divisions.  Prior to Gentry, Max worked in London at a Specialty Insurer in the M&A and Strategic Growth division.   More recently, Max has led Data Transformation consulting engagements for one of the largest global Real Estate firms, developing and implementing Business Intelligence and Data Governance programs for clients. He is most passionate about technology, culture and travel.  
 

Max graduated with a double major in Finance and Entrepreneurship and a minor in Telecommunications from the Kelley School of Business at University of Indiana.  In addition, he holds a real estate license and data governance certifications.

Bitange Ndemo is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi’s Business School.  His research centers on the link between ICTs and small and medium enterprises with emphasis on how ICTs influence economic development in Africa.   Prof. Ndemo is the Chairman of Kenya’s Distributed Ledgers and Artificial Intelligence Taskforce that is developing a road map for the country’s digital transformation.  

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He is also an advisor and Board member to several organizations including Safaricom, one of the leading telecommunication companies in Africa, OECD Expert Panel for Blockchain, and Research ICT Africa that is based in South Africa.  

 

Besides having been a Permanent Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Information and Communication where he was credited with facilitating many transformative ICT projects, he is a member of the Global Learning Council, a member of the Global Blockchain Council (part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Fourth Industrial Revolution Councils), a Senior advisor to UN’s Global Pulse (Big Data initiatives) and the UNCDF’s Better than Cash Alliance.  He is an Open Data/Big Data evangelist and dedicated to simplification (visualization) of data for ordinary citizens to consume. He writes two columns every week for the Business Daily and Nation on-line.

Dr. Edward Omete brings over 10 years of experience in the public and private health sectors to AFZA Capital.  His focus includes financing models and delivery of sustainable health interventions that leverage on technology to improve data collection for efficiency. 

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He is the co-founder of HealthInfo, an industry platform seeking to catalyse a multi-sectoral approach in solving healthcare challenges through data driven decision making. In addition, Dr. Omete runs a 3- year-old startup, Outsourced Medicare, that offers health services in small rural townships and emerging markets. 

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Dr. Omete holds a dual B.Sc. (HONs) in Medical Physiology and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery M.B.Ch.B degrees from the University of Nairobi.  In addition, he holds a Certificate in entrepreneurship in the digital health ecosystem from the World Bank, InfoDev and mLab programs. A graduate scholar in International Healthcare and Hospital Management at the Frankfurt School.

Matthew Magare brings over 10 years of experience in corporate and commercial law.  He is the Managing Partner of Matthew Magare Advocates. His practice areas include mergers and acquisitions, project finance, corporate finance, privatization, joint ventures, corporate restructuring and real estate.  He has previously worked in Kenya’s leading firms, Bowmans (Coulson Harney) and Mohammed Muigai Advocates. He has also worked in the magic circle firm of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, London (UK). 

 

Matthew has both an undergraduate law degree and a Master’s in International Investment Law from the University of Nairobi. In addition, has a degree in International Relations from the USIU and an Executive Leadership diploma from the University of Notre Dame (USA). He boasts impressive awards that include the Mandela Washington Fellow 2015, the flagship leadership program of President Barrack Obama and the International Lawyers for Africa Fellow in 2017.