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 Rida Khan

Marketing & Operations Coordinator,  IMIx Executive Programs

Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto Mississauga

Photo of Kimberly Crasta (MHSc)

, MHSc

MSc HENT Instructor, Faculty of Medicine MSc HENT Program Officer

University of Toronto

Photo of Charles Mberi Kimpolo

, PhD

Director, Industry Initiative and Head of the Next Einstein Forum

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Photo of Timothy Kinoti

, PhD Candidate

Head, Learning & Program Improvement

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

Photo of Tak Koguchi

Lead, Strategic Initiatives

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 Jessica Kumah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Toronto

Photo of Charles Lagat

, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Business and Economics Coordinator, UNESCO Chair on Enterprise Management and Sustainability

Moi University

Photo of Penina Lam

, PhD

Senior Director, International Relations, Africa & Head, AHC Secretariat

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

Profile

Rida Khan

Marketing & Operations Coordinator,  IMIx Executive Programs

Institute for Management & Innovation

Rida Khan is the Marketing & Operations Coordinator at IMIx Executive Programs at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

She leads strategic marketing, program operations, and stakeholder engagement initiatives. Passionate about creating impactful learning experiences, Rida specializes in program management, communications, experiential learning, and community building, working closely with faculty, industry partners, and learners to deliver innovative programs that drive professional and organizational growth.

Email Address
rk.khan@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Program
IMIx
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

Charles Mberi Kimpolo, PhD

Director, Industry Initiative and Head of the Next Einstein Forum

African Institute for Mathematical Sciences

Dr. Charles Lebon Mberi Kimpolo is the Director of the Industry Initiative and Head of the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) at the Global Network Secretariat of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences – Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI).

For the last couple of years, Charles brought strategic oversight and direction to the AIMS Industry Initiative across the Network, with the aim to broaden the scope and breadth of partnerships with industry in Africa and beyond. Charles leads the implementation of Work Integrated Learning programs at AIMS to develop new industry needs-driven capacity development programs and support AIMS graduates in their transition to employment, entrepreneurship and further study. Charles’s dream is to position AIMS-NEI as the industry’s leading academic partner in Africa that achieves industry and economic advancement of the continent. 

Charles is a passionate scientist, technologist and change agent with over 15 years of industry experience in data analysis, business intelligence and project management. Charles’s experience includes teaching and research in the field of Computational and Applied Mathematics. He also has hands-on experience in agile software development, delivery and consulting; and client engagement working in Africa, the United States and Asia. Charles holds a Ph.D. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in South Africa.

Charles has contributed to several global consultations and conferences on the global education industry, in particular. He has authored several blogs and articles to share his perspectives on a number of topics including Work-Integrated Learning as a pathway to stimulate youth transition to employment and entrepreneurship in Africa. Charles is a member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. Charles joined a group of global experts to participate in the Programme Committee for the United Nations World Data Forum (UNWDF). He is also a member of the Global Strategy Council of the World Association for Cooperative Education (WACE)

Charles founded the Young African Technologists (YAT) that is aimed at promoting education through technology in underprivileged African communities. During his 2-year stay in India, Charles supported African students through the Knowledge Sharing Campaign (KSC) that he founded to empower the African student diaspora and reverse brain drain. 

Email Address
ckimpolo@nexteinstein.org
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Rwanda
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile

Timothy Kinoti, PhD Candidate

Head, Learning & Program Improvement

Africa Secretariat

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
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Tak Koguchi

Lead, Strategic Initiatives

Africa Secretariat

Tak Koguchi serves as the Lead for Strategic Initiatives and Governance within the AHC Secretariat at the University of Toronto (U of T) 

His role involves establishing standardized institutional processes and templates for the network, particularly regarding Intellectual Property (IP), research frameworks, and cross-partner collaboration. Previously, Tak served as the Senior Regional Lead (Africa) and the acting program manager for the Secretariat, where he was instrumental in shaping the collaborative’s early narrative.
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
Profile

Shadrach Korsah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

As a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Toronto and formerly at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, my fundamental experience is that the Scholars Program is full of opportunities – opportunities for personal development, networking, impact and self-actualization.

The exposure has enabled me to develop a better sense of leadership, one that is premised on the values of integrity, service and positive influence.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Canada
Ghana
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Programs
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program
Social and Behavioural Health Sciences
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

Jessica Kumah

Master Scholar

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

My name is Jessica Kumah from Ghana. The Mastercard Foundation Scholarship program at the University of Toronto, aligns perfectly with my newfound passion for environmental health. Thanks to this scholarship, I am in the process of realizing my purpose, and the MPH-Environmental Health program at the University of Toronto has exceeded my expectations. The comprehensive training that I am receiving has broadened my perspective and equipped me to address environmental health challenges. I am eager to give back to Africa and the world, using my knowledge and skills to tackle global environmental health issues.

Profile Type
Scholar
Country
Canada
Ghana
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Programs
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Mastercard Foundation Masters Scholar program
Occupational and Environmental Health
Profile

Charles Lagat, PhD

Associate Professor, School of Business and Economics Coordinator, UNESCO Chair on Enterprise Management and Sustainability

Moi University

Professor Charles Lagat is an Associate Professor in the School of Business & Economics, Moi University, Kenya since 2002.

He has previously served as the Director for Directorate of International Programmes, Linkages & Alumni as Head of Marketing Department and as coordinator of different projects at Moi University. Charles had over 6 years industry experience in marketing and sales prior to joining the University. He has had international experience as a visiting scholar at Oklahoma State University USA, Netherlands and as visiting Professor in Donghua University, China. Charles has been actively involved in research in fields of management sciences, entrepreneurship, marketing and logistics. He has published papers in refereed journals and presented in international conferences, workshops and seminars. He is a Member of the Association of International Universities serving as an Ambassador for the African region, a Full Member of the Kenya Institute of Management and the Marketing Society of Kenya.

Email Address
lagatck@mu.ac.ke
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Kenya
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile
Dr Penina Lam, Lead of the Africa Health Collaborative

Penina Lam, PhD

Senior Director, International Relations, Africa & Head, AHC Secretariat

Africa Secretariat

Dr. Penina Lam is the U of T’s Senior Director of International Relations, where she leads strategic engagement and development of partnerships with Africa.

 She also leads the implementation of the Africa Health Collaborative, designed to facilitate talent development and entrepreneurship among African youth. She oversees the Secretariat team and works in close partnership with colleagues across U of T, with African institutions, and the Mastercard Foundation. 

As a scholar-practitioner, she’s passionate about research and programs that foster access to and equity in education, health, and employment opportunities.  Prior to joining U of T, she worked as an Organizational Development (OD) consultant at the World Bank, in healthcare and education sectors. She’s experienced at engaging with diverse stakeholders to design, develop, and deliver impactful learning and talent development program.

Her academic career has spanned research, faculty, staff, and senior leadership roles working with African, Canadian, and US institutions. Dr. Lam holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & OD, with a focus on Human Resource Development.

Email Address
penina.lam@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Program
Africa Secretariat
Governance
Executive Steering Committee