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News & Events

Photo of David Palmer

Vice President, Advancement

University of Toronto

Photo of Chris Suzdak

Director, ALX Ventures

African Leadership University

Photo of Caroline Mbindyo

CEO, Amref Health Innovation

Amref International University

Photo of Dancan Irungu

, PhD

Dean, Graduate School and Director of Enterprises

Amref International University

Photo of Wilberforce Owusu-Ansah

, PhD

Professor, School of Business

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Photo of Princess Ruhama Acheampong

, PhD

Liaison Officer, Health Collaborative

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Photo of Charles Lagat

, PhD

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

Moi University

Photo of Diane Uyoga

, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Businsess, Department of Marketing and Logistics

Moi University

Photo of Solange Rosa

, PhD

Director, Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

University of Cape Town

Photo of Klaus Von Pressentin

, PhD

Associate Professor and Head of Division of Family Medicine Deputy Head, Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE) Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Cape Town

Profile

David Palmer

Vice President, Advancement

University of Toronto

Since 2007, David has served as Vice-President, Advancement for the University of Toronto.  Under David’s leadership, U of T launched Boundless which concluded in 2018 as the largest campaign in Canadian history with $2.64 billion raised.   

David is a Senior Fellow of Massey College, a Council for Advancement and Support of Education Laureate and former trustee, an executive committee member of the National Council of Foundation Executives, and a director of the Earth Rangers Foundation. He earned his Master of Fine Arts in musicology from Princeton University and began his career as a Lecturer in the Faculty of Music at Western University, his undergraduate alma mater.

From 1999 to 2007, David served as President and Executive Director of the Royal Ontario Museum Board of Governors. From 1993 to 1999, David led a ground-breaking campaign for the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University, ushering in a new era in professional-faculty fundraising in Canada.

David was recognized in 2011 with the Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2016 he was recognized with the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education.

Email Address
davidnpalmer@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

Chris Suzdak

Director, ALX Ventures

African Leadership University

Chris Suzdak is based in Mauritius and serves as the Director of ALX Ventures, which develops, connects and funds early-stage tech entrepreneurs emerging from the African Leadership Group ecosystem.

Chris also leads The FutureList, a global platform and community that spotlights tech innovators and connects them with investors, talent and partners. He previously started and scaled up teams in the fintech, agtech and edtech sectors across Africa. He’s passionate about finding and supporting the next big thing.

Email Address
csuzdak@sandtech.com
Country
Rwanda
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
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

Dancan Irungu, PhD

Dean, Graduate School and Director of Enterprises

Amref International University

Dr. Dancan Irungu is the Dean Graduate School and Director of Enterprises at Amref International University.

He holds a BED (Business & Mathematics) an MA in Project Management & Planning and a Doctorate in Business Administration and Management. He is a scholar and an expert in Entrepreneurship, Corporate strategy, Organizational Development (OD), and Project Management. He has been a member of think tank, technical advisor and lead consultant for projects funded by GOK, World Bank, Global Fund, UNDP, USAID and European Union.  Dancan has a passion for social economic empowerment and transformation of the youth of Africa through enterprises development. 

Email Address
Dancan.Irungu@amref.ac.ke
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Kenya
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile

Wilberforce Owusu-Ansah, PhD

Professor, School of Business

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Professor Wilberforce Owusu Ansah is an accomplished researcher, lecturer, trainer and consultant in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, Public Policy, Public Health, and Immigrant Entrepreneurship.

He has worked in private, public and not-for-profit organizations and academic institutions throughout the world including Norway, The Netherlands, Ireland and his native Ghana in many and varied capacities. He is a former Head of Department of the Marketing and Corporate Strategy Department and a former Vice Dean of the KNUST School of Business. Professor Wilberforce Owusu-Ansah is the Pillar Lead for Health Entrepreneurship, under the Africa Health Collaborative.

Email Address
woansah@gmail.com
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Ghana
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile

Princess Ruhama Acheampong, PhD

Liaison Officer, Health Collaborative

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Princess Ruhama Acheampong (PhD) is an international scholar and Lecturer at the School of Public Health of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. Princess has a wealth of experience in community mobilization, project coordination and project implementation. 

As a researcher, Princess has worked extensively in the areas of mHealth, malaria, epidemiology, maternal and child health, public health, nutrition, health promotion and gender. Princess has expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research.

Princess has coordinated several exchange programs and is highly interested in collaborative research. She serves as the Liaison Officer for the Health Collaborative, KNUST.

Email Address
princessracheampong@gmail.com
Country
Ghana
Governance
HENT Pillar Advisory Committee
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

Diane Uyoga, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Businsess, Department of Marketing and Logistics

Moi University

Diane Uyoga is an Assistant Professor at Moi University, Department of Marketing and Logistics.

She has previously served as the head of department of Aviation Management and Operations. She has extensive training and teaching experience in both quantitative and qualitative research designs and has published on quantitative research approaches in Kenya. She has served in the university at the capacity of knowledge integration and transfer in the fields of research, marketing, management and aviation. She has actively participated in curriculum development for undergraduate and master’s levels of education in Kenya. She has been a team member for committees that write and appraise proposals for grants for the university. Currently she represents the department in issues that affect Gender, Equity and Research Development at Moi University. Diane, born in Kenya, has contributed to the community through mentorship of girls in the local community. She also participates in preservation of culture of local communities within the North Rift Region.

Email Address
dianecuyoga@gmail.com
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Kenya
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile

Solange Rosa, PhD

Director, Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

University of Cape Town

Solange is the Director of Bertha Centre, where she has been involved since 2016.

She also serves as Associate Faculty and Adviser with the Allan Gray Centre for Values-based Leadership, and teaches on Executive Education and MBA programs at the UCT Graduate School of Business and the UCT School of Economics.

Holding a Doctorate in Constitutional Law from the University of Stellenbosch and a Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Cape Town, Solange’s areas of expertise and research interest include Public Policy, Policy Research and Analysis, Strategy Development, Public Law, Public Sector Innovation and Leadership, Socio-economic Development, Youth Development, Poverty Reduction, Social Justice, Human Rights, Social Innovation and Social Impact.

Prior to her current role, Solange was working as an Independent Public Policy and Strategy Consultant for four years, with clients ranging from international organizations and national and provincial government departments to academic institutions, non-government organizations and philanthropic foundations. This included the likes of the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Department of Economic Development and International Labor Organization, and the CiTi and Western Cape Department of Economic Development.

Prior to that, Solange also worked for the Western Cape government for 10 years as the head of the Policy and Strategy Unit in the Department of the Premier. This well-published individual has appeared in a number of academic books, journals and working papers, as well as government publications. She has served as chairperson and director for a number of non-profit organizations and is on the Westerford High School Governing Body.

Email Address
solange.rosa@uct.ac.za
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
South Africa
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile

Klaus Von Pressentin, PhD

Associate Professor and Head of Division of Family Medicine Deputy Head, Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE) Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Cape Town

Associate Professor Klaus Von Pressentin is an academic, primary care researcher, and clinician-educator based in Cape Town, South Africa. He is the head of the Division of Family Medicine and the deputy head of the Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE) in the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Cape Town.

His research focuses on primary care service strengthening (including chronic conditions and palliative care in primary care), human resources for health, as well as health professions education. He teaches primary care research methods, leadership development, clinical governance, evidence-based practice, and consultation skills. His current volunteer activities include serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the South African Family Practice Journal, serving on the Council of the College of Family Physicians of South Africa and serving on the Education and Training Committee of the South African Academy of Family Physicians. 

Email Address
klaus.vonpressentin@uct.ac.za
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
South Africa
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee