People Directory

Our team is the heartbeat of our collaborative efforts, comprising diverse experts from various fields. Each member brings unique skills and perspectives, uniting to drive innovation and impact in the health sector. Together, we are more than just a team; we are a community committed to transforming healthcare across Africa.

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People Directory

Photo of Isambi Mbalawata

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Photo of Caroline Mbindyo

CEO, Amref Health Innovation

Amref International University

Photo of Ignacio Mongrell

Assistant Director, ICUBE

University of Toronto Mississauga, ICUBE

Photo of Lisa Morgan

Assistant Dean, International and Specialized Programs

University of Toronto

Photo of Angel Motsamai

, MBA, PhD

Program Officer (South) South Africa

University of Toronto, Office of the Vice-President International

Photo of Winnie Nakiyingi

Research Assistant

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Photo of Marie Therese Ndiaye

, PhD

Regional Lead (Health Networks), International Research Officer

University of Toronto, Office of the Vice-President International

Photo of Anuli Ndubuisi

, MBA, PhD Candidate

Regional Lead (Health Entrepreneurship), International Research Officer

University of Toronto, Office of the Vice-President International

Photo of Celestine Nema

Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurship & Work Integrated Learning - Management Department; Projects Lead - African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge, University of Toronto Scarborough, The BRIDGE

Photo of Sharon Ngugi

Marketing Manager, African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Profile

Isambi Mbalawata

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Email Address
imbalawata@nexteinstein.org
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Rwanda
Governance
HECO Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Caroline Mbindyo

CEO, Amref Health Innovation

Amref International University

Ms. Mbindyo is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Amref Health Innovations.

She is an experienced leader at the intersection of digital innovation, global health, and international development. She has extensive experience in driving complex program deployments in multiple countries, scaling innovations, and developing new business opportunities through innovative financing models in emerging markets. She has over fifteen (15) years of experience running and growing entrepreneurial ventures in the non-profit and commercial space, implementing access programs, and deploying innovative approaches for profit, purpose, and sustainability. Ms. Mbindyo is a Board Member of D-Tree and Qhala and is on the Advisory Board of Analytics for a Better World.

Email Address
caroline.mbindyo@amref.org
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile

Ignacio Mongrell

Assistant Director, ICUBE

University of Toronto Mississauga

Originally from Uruguay, Ignacio moved to Canada in 2010 and earned a Master’s of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) from the University of Waterloo.

He worked at the Waterloo Accelerator Centre as Director of Client Services where he led the JumpStart funding program and other strategic initiatives. Ignacio also worked at Haltech Regional Innovation Centre supporting clients and community members by managing a range of business advisory programs, including the Haltech HEAT™ startup services program, and specialty programs to support scaleup of high-growth ventures. Ignacio is also an entrepreneur at heart and co-founded and exited a real estate start-up (Apartmint). Ignacio is currently the Assistant Director at ICUBE – and chair of Positive Space at the University of Toronto, advocating for LGBTQ2S+ students, staff and faculty.

Email Address
ignacio.mongrell@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Profile

Lisa Morgan

Assistant Dean, International and Specialized Programs

University of Toronto

Lisa Morgan is Assistant Dean, International and Specialized Programs at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (SCS) where she leads strategic design and business development with a focus on international initiatives and other specialized programming in lifelong learning. She also leads the planning, direction, and oversight of the English Language Program (ELP) and Post-secondary Education Preparedness.

In collaboration with the Office Vice President International and in participation with the Africa Health Collaborative, she is leading a co-creation project with an interdisciplinary team featuring SCS, UofT Faculty, and Ashesi University, Ghana.

Formerly, she served as ELP Director and Academic Director, where she established and maintained strategic and collaborative international partnerships with institutions and governmental organizations including those with a focus on equity-deserving groups in various regions around the world and has participated in several trade missions in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Lisa Morgan has a B.A.A in Education from Ryerson University and an M.A. in Education from University of Toronto.

Email Address
lm.morgan@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Countries
Canada
Ghana
Program
Public Policy
Profile

Angel Motsamai, MBA, PhD

Program Officer (South) South Africa

University of Toronto

Dr. Angel Motsamai is the Program Officer: Southern Africa, at the University of Toronto, Canada.

Prior to join the University of Toronto, Dr. Motsamai was working at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, in Durban, South Africa. She held the position of Principal Project Co-Ordinator, where she was instrumental in coordinating and implementing projects that brought significant value to the university and were recognized, valued and approved by the local government of Kwa-Zulu Natal. 

Her other previous employment includes the Mangosuthu University of Technology, where she worked as a Project Officer. Her duties included the placement of students with industry, establishing partnership with companies for the purpose of placing students to do internships. She also worked with government entities to get funding towards monthly stipends for the students doing internships. She also worked at the Durban University of Technology, as a Senior International Relations Officer. Her duties included, recruiting International Students, organizing events i.e. international students’ orientation, hosting international visitors, establishing partnerships with international universities, embassies, ministries of education all over Africa but mostly in Southern Africa. 

Dr. Motsamai holds a Doctoral Degree in Business Administration (DBA), a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Management.

Email Address
angel.motsamai@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
South Africa
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Winnie Nakiyingi

Research Assistant

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Winnie Nakiyingi is a master at research and report writing with a specialization in mathematical and statistical processes.

She is an alumna of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), where she currently works as a Research Assistant (Data & Quantum) at the Research and Innovation Center in Kigali, Rwanda. Winnie brings a wealth of experience through data collection, analysis, and report writing plus her passion to contribute to the Standard Development Goals (SDGs). She is a certified researcher through the TRREE Training program in Research Ethics Evaluation. She has also been engaged in humanitarian work through Axiom-DK as a Statistics consultant. Winnie is one of the Science Diplomacy alumni at the United Nations Institute and Training and Research (UNITAR), and the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) in Switzerland. More recently, she has been selected as one of the prestigious Women In Africa (WIA) Young Leaders 2023 laureates.

Email Address
wnakiyingi@quantumleapafrica.org
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Rwanda
Governance
HECO Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Marie Therese Ndiaye, PhD

Regional Lead (Health Networks), International Research Officer

University of Toronto

Ms. Marie Therese Yaba Ndiaye is the Regional Lead, Health Networks at the Office of Vice President International at the University of Toronto.

She leads the implementation of the Health Employment Pillar of the Africa Health Collaborative, which aims to expand the capacity to train primary healthcare workers to meet growing demand in Africa. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, she worked with USAID, World Food Programme, and community-based organizations on climate resilience and humanitarian assistance programming. In those positions, she covered and traveled widely in West and Central African countries. She holds a Ph.D. in Rural Sociology and can work in French, English, and Portuguese.

Email Address
marietherese.ndiaye@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Africa Secretariat
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
HENT Pillar Advisory Committee
HECO Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Anuli Ndubuisi, MBA, PhD Candidate

Regional Lead (Health Entrepreneurship), International Research Officer

University of Toronto

Anuli Ndubuisi is the Regional Lead, International Research Officer (Africa) at the Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto. She supports partnership engagement and research collaboration for the Health Entrepreneurship (HENT) Pillar of the Africa Health Collaborative. 

Anuli’s career has spanned research, program and project management, business analysis, business process improvements and leadership roles within African, Canadian, and US institutions across industry and academic departments. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, Anuli worked with Shell Global in Nigeria and the USA, where she garnered global perspectives working on global multidisciplinary projects.

Anuli holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, U.K. She is completing a PhD in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), with a collaborative specialization in Engineering Education at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto.

Email Address
anuli.ndubuisi@mail.utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Africa Secretariat
Governance
HENT Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Celestine Nema

Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurship & Work Integrated Learning - Management Department; Projects Lead - African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Celestine Nema is a Program Coordinator for Entrepreneurship and Work-Integrated Learning at The BRIDGE, an entrepreneurship accelerator in the Management Department at the University of Toronto, Scarborough.

She also acts as the Projects Lead for the African Impact Initiative, a University of Toronto partner that runs the African Impact Challenge, a startup incubator program that  supports young African entrepreneurs to create viable solutions for the most pressing challenges within their communities. Celestine’s career spanned public service for almost a decade before pivoting her career to focus on her passion for entrepreneurship, youth education, and youth development.

Email Address
celestine.nema@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
African Impact Challenge
Profile

Sharon Ngugi

Marketing Manager, African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Sharon Ngugi, a distinguished Pan African Change Leader and Marketing Guru, is committed to driving positive change across Africa through the art of storytelling. As the Marketing Manager for the African Impact Initiative, she harnesses her multifaceted skills to inspire transformation.

A “Brand Whisperer” and “Favorite Storyteller,” Sharon recognizes that stories possess the extraordinary power to ignite social change. She masterfully employs storytelling to amplify the impact of the African Impact Initiative’s projects. Sharon’s narratives not only raise awareness but also forge genuine connections with audiences, motivating them to become catalysts for change.

Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice & Influencer, Sharon utilizes her influential platform to share compelling stories of resilience, progress, and hope from Africa. Her dedication to illuminating these narratives has not only expanded the Initiative’s outreach but has also ignited thought-provoking dialogues about the continent’s potential.

Sharon’s innovative marketing strategies, coupled with her passion for storytelling, position her as a driving force behind the organization’s growth and success. Her ability to seamlessly blend storytelling with impactful marketing has not only made her an industry influencer but has also led to tangible change within African communities.

Through her visionary leadership and distinctive approach, Sharon inspires others to join the African Impact Initiative’s journey toward a brighter, more prosperous future for Africa.

Email Address
sharon@africanimpactinitiative.com
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Program
African Impact Challenge