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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

Photo of William (Bill) McConkey

, PhD

Academic Director, New Venture Program, and Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship

African Impact Challenge, The BRIDGE, University of Toronto Scarborough

Photo of Celestine Nema

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

African Impact Challenge, The BRIDGE, University of Toronto Scarborough

Photo of Tom Parker

, BA, B.Ed.

Grants and Office Manager

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Ernest Asamoah

, PhD

Program Officer (West Africa), Ghana

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Program Officer (East Africa), Kenya

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Marie Therese Ndiaye

, PhD

Regional Lead (Health Networks), International Research Officer

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Paul Santerre

, PhD

Professor & Baxter Chair in Health Technology & Commercialization (UHN) Director of the Health Innovation Hub

University of Toronto

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
Profile

William (Bill) McConkey, PhD

Academic Director, New Venture Program, and Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship

African Impact Challenge

UTSC grad Professor Bill McConkey spent two decades in the early-stage venture world before returning to the University of Toronto, Scarborough to join the Department of Management, teaching courses in Operations, Product Management and Entrepreneurship.

Bill has supported countless students as they launched new ventures, whether in the classroom, through co-curricular initiatives or co-op terms. Bill is involved in several student organizations, including MCC The Management Consulting Club, LIVE Competition and the department’s new Sales club. Bill is Academic Director of the campus’s New Venture Program, and sits on the Board of Advisors and Board of Directors of a number of Canadian companies.

He and his wife Monica and their five children – and new puppy – live in Stouffville, Ontario.

Email Address
bill.mcconkey@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Program
African Impact Challenge
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

Tom Parker, BA, B.Ed.

Grants and Office Manager

Office of the Vice-President International

Tom Parker is the Grants and Office Manager with the Office of the Vice President, International, at the University of Toronto where he leads the administration of grant funding programs and administrative processes for the office.

Tom has led projects and managed staff teams for seven years. Prior to OVPI, Tom supported Indigenous communities in northern Canada with locally delivered housing and economic development initiatives. Tom completed his MPA from Western University, specializing in Canadian municipal politics, and holds a B.Ed. and B.A. Outside of work, Tom enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with his son.

Email Address
international@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Ernest Asamoah, PhD

Program Officer (West Africa), Ghana

Office of the Vice-President International

Ernest is the Program Officer for West Africa, Office of the Vice President International, University of Toronto.

Ernest coordinates University of Toronto’s projects and programs in the West Africa subregion. Ernest previously worked with KPMG as Manager where he managed the Firm’s business development Unit in Ghana and contributed significantly to increasing the service lines and revenue of the Firm. Prior to that, Ernest was Program Officer with World Vision International, Ghana where he was responsible for  the planning and implementation of youth trainee sponsorship, child protection and donor relations. He led and improved donor retention and deepened donor relations. Ernest joined the U of T from Regent University College of Science and Technology, a private University College affiliated to KNUST as the Dean, School of Business, Leadership and Legal Studies. He developed industry relevant and demand – driven postgraduate programmes and short courses to beef up the academic programmes of the College, strengthened industry -academic relations. Ernest chairs the Ghana Research – Industry Collaborative Steering Committee.

Email Address
ernest.asamoah@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Ghana
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Lillian Bogonko

Program Officer (East Africa), Kenya

Office of the Vice-President International

Email Address
lillian.bogonko@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Marie Therese Ndiaye, PhD

Regional Lead (Health Networks), International Research Officer

Office of the Vice-President International

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
HECO Pillar Advisory Committee
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
HENT Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Paul Santerre, PhD

Professor & Baxter Chair in Health Technology & Commercialization (UHN) Director of the Health Innovation Hub

University of Toronto

Professor J. Paul Santerre has published >220 peer reviewed publications and is a listed inventor on >70 patents in the area of medical polymers.

He is co-founder and current director of the Health Innovation Hub at the University of Toronto (a student focused entrepreneur training co-curricular program that has trained > 650 client health science companies which have generated > $430M CAD). He was the 2022 – 2023 Chair of the Health Entrepreneurship Pillar for the Africa Health Collaborative supported by the Mastercard Foundation. He is a co-founder of Interface Biologics, along with having spun-out five other start-up companies from his lab, and has won multiple national awards for his achievements in enabling entrepreneurship, including Canada’s Governor General award for Innovation, and the Professional Engineers of Ontario Entrepreneurship Award in 2017.  He has received multiple awards for his community activity including the 2016 Community award from the Canadian Biomaterials, the 2018 President’s Impact Award from the University of Toronto. 

Email Address
paul.santerre@dentistry.utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee