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 Suying Hugh

, EdD

Program Manager, Mastercard Foundation

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Osasere Imafidon

Marketing and Communications Associate

African Impact Challenge

Photo of Charles Isidi

Marketing and Communications Lead

African Impact Challenge, University of Toronto

Photo of Joshua Ebinabo

Program Manager, African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Photo of Leila Serwaah Khalid

, MA, PMP

Communications Officer, Africa

Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Kimberly Crasta (MHSc)

, MHSc

MSc HENT Instructor, Faculty of Medicine MSc HENT Program Officer

University of Toronto

Photo of Timothy Kinoti

, PhD Candidate

Learning Facilitator

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Tak Koguchi

Senior Regional Lead (Health Ecosystem)

Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Peter Koskei

, PhD

Programme Lead, Junior Faculty Development Program, Moi University

Moi University

Photo of Isambi Mbalawata

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Profile

Suying Hugh, EdD

Program Manager, Mastercard Foundation

Office of the Vice-President International

Suying Hugh is the Program Manager for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.

In her role, Suying oversees the day-to-day management of the scholarship and the students. A dedicated student life professional, Suying’s many years of experience focuses on enhancing the student experience and more specifically the international student experience. Her research interests focus on migration and the movement of talent. As the Program Manager of the Scholars Program, she understands the commitment of the scholarship to developing human capacity in Africa.

Email Address
suying.hugh@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Governance
HECO Pillar Co-Lead
Profile

Osasere Imafidon

Marketing and Communications Associate

African Impact Challenge

Osasere Imafidon is a Marketing and Communications Associate at the African Impact Initiative, supporting the execution of marketing strategies for key programs including the African Impact Challenge (Health Entrepreneurship & Country Innovation). She strengthens AII’s brand presence by promoting events, partnerships, and initiatives through strategic, multi-platform storytelling.

Working cross-functionally across communications, design, and programs, she develops compelling content, streamlines marketing processes, and supports campaigns that expand the organization’s visibility across African and international markets.

Passionate about meaningful impact, Osasere is committed to fostering spaces where individuals and communities can thrive through collaboration and purposeful action.

Email Address
osasere@africanimpactinitiative.com
Profile Type
Staff
Program
Africa Impact Challenge
Profile

Charles Isidi

Marketing and Communications Lead

African Impact Challenge

Charles Isidi is a strategic marketing and partnerships leader driving innovation and entrepreneurship across Africa. At the African Impact Initiative, he leads marketing and communications for the African Impact Challenge (Health Entrepreneurship & Country Innovation), positioning AII as a leading platform for healthcare and cross-sector innovation.

He executes high-impact campaigns that showcase AII’s mission and success stories across Africa and the diaspora, while developing tailored marketing materials and overseeing multi-channel strategies to expand visibility and engagement. Charles also builds strategic partnerships with NGOs, government agencies, and corporate sponsors—securing funding and supporting program launches and sector expansion.

Through cross-functional leadership and strategic storytelling, he aligns brand growth with organizational impact, helping scale AII’s reach across African and international markets.

Email Address
charles.isidi@africanimpactinitiative.com
Profile Type
Staff
Program
Africa Impact Challenge
Profile
Joshua Ebinabo

Joshua Ebinabo

Program Manager, African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Joshua Ebinabo is the Program Manager for the African Impact Initiative’s flagship program, the African Impact Challenge. He works closely with cross-functional teams to plan and execute the program, ensuring a seamless experience for founders from application through acceleration.

In his role, Joshua has led the transformation of the program’s bootcamp, redesigning and upgrading its structure to provide stronger resources, clearer pathways, and greater value for participating founders. He oversees program timelines, stakeholder coordination, mentor engagement, and performance tracking, ensuring milestones are met and outcomes are impact-driven.

Through strategic planning and continuous improvement, Joshua strengthens the African Impact Challenge as a high-impact accelerator for emerging entrepreneurs across Africa.

Email Address
joshua.ebinabo@africanimpactinitiative.com
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
African Impact Challenge
Profile

Leila Serwaah Khalid, MA, PMP

Communications Officer, Africa

Africa Secretariat

Leila Serwaah Khalid is a seasoned communications and brand expert with over a decade of experience driving impactful narratives across diverse industries and continents. She has a proven track record of transforming brands into thought leaders, securing high-profile media placements in outlets such as BBC, CNN, Time Magazine, and Reuters.

Leila has excelled at leading dynamic marketing teams and executing successful multimedia campaigns that drive awareness, enhance reputation, and expand customer bases across African and European markets.


Her expertise spans strategic planning, digital marketing, content development, and public relations.


Currently, she serves as Communications Officer for Africa at the University of Toronto, where she spearheads communication strategies for the Africa Health Collaborative, collaborating with 10 institutional partners.


Leila holds a Master’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Ghana, a certification in Marketing Management from the University of Stellenbosch, and a Bachelor of Laws from KNUST, Ghana. She is also a certified Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute.

Email Address
leila.khalid@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Ghana
Profile

Kimberly Crasta (MHSc) , MHSc

MSc HENT Instructor, Faculty of Medicine MSc HENT Program Officer

University of Toronto

Kim is a healthcare innovator, researcher, and mentor dedicated to improving access and equity for underserved communities. She holds a Master of Health Science in Translational Research and a Public Health Policy certification from the University of Toronto (U of T), blending policy and clinical insights to address health system inefficiencies. At Toronto General Hospital, Kim co-leads projects to optimize clinic flow and resource allocation, using electronic health records to enhance patient care and support frontline teams.

A passionate traveller, Kim has visited more than 40 countries across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia—immersing herself in local communities and embracing their diverse cultures, traditions, and histories. These global experiences shape her commitment to health equity and drive her collaborative work in Africa.

Kim also co-leads the summer bootcamp for healthcare venture founders in the African Impact Challenge and serves as the UofT’s program officer and instructor for the MSc in Health Entrepreneurship at KNUST in Ghana.

Email Address
kim.crasta@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Profile

Timothy Kinoti, PhD Candidate

Learning Facilitator

Office of the Vice-President International

Timothy Kinoti holds the role of Learning Facilitator, Africa at the University of Toronto (U of T), where he oversees all aspects of Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Adaptation within the Mastercard Foundation Health Collaborative initiative in Africa.

Collaborating closely with colleagues at U of T and African Higher Learning Institutions, he draws upon 16 years of professional experience dedicated to research, impact measurement and program design; with a strong focus on development financing, youth employment initiatives, entrepreneurship, education, gender, and healthcare. He is an accredited Development Finance Fellow from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Before joining U of T, he contributed to the education portfolio and led the social protection program at World University Service of Canada within the refugee context and supported national education programs in Kenya at RTI International.

Email Address
timothy.kinoti@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Tak Koguchi

Senior Regional Lead (Health Ecosystem)

Africa Secretariat

Tak is Senior Regional Lead (Africa) and Co-lead for the Health Ecosystems Pillar in the AHC for the University of Toronto (U of T). 

As Pillar Co-Lead, his role focuses on establishing collaborative certificate and short course programs to train professionals in a wide range of disciplines critical for sustainable and equitable health-sector growth in Africa. As member of the collaborative’s Secretariat, he plays an active role in supporting the network’s collective activities and governance.  In his capacity of Senior Regional Lead, he is responsible for growing U of T’s engagement with Sub-Sahara Africa. Tak is a graduate of U of T (BA) and York University (MPPAL).  

Email Address
tak.koguchi@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Africa Secretariat
Governance
HECO Pillar Co-Lead
Profile

Peter Koskei, PhD

Programme Lead, Junior Faculty Development Program, Moi University

Moi University

Dr. Koskei is a Lecturer and former Head, Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics at the School of Public Health Moi University, Kenya. He teaches Principles of Epidemiology, Principles of One Health, Research Methods as well as Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Control. Prior to his joining Moi University, He worked for the Rinderpest eradication project in Southern Sudan undertaken by Veterinaires Sans Frontiers – Belgium and funded by FAO. He has also worked as a Veterinary investigation officer and as a field Veterinarian at the ministry of livestock development, Government of Kenya. He is the academic leader for the newly developed Masters of Science in Infectious Diseases and Global Health programme

Currently, Dr. Koskei is the activity lead for the Junior Faculty Development programme under the Mastercard Foundation. He has also been the One Health Central and Eastern Africa (OHCEA) focal person for Moi University, a project that brought together 16 schools (8 Public Health and 8 Veterinary) across eight countries in East, Central and West Africa.

Dr. Koskei is committed to training, mentoring and promoting an inclusive and supportive scientific environment, while providing training in rigorous and unbiased experimental design, methodology, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. He is also committed to aiding and supporting trainees in identifying and transitioning into careers in the biomedical research workforce that are consistent with trainee skills, interests, and values.

Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Profile

Isambi Mbalawata

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

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