Moky Makura, Executive Director at Africa No Filter, was born in Nigeria, educated in England and has lived in London, Johannesburg and Lagos. She has been a TV presenter, producer, author, publisher, and a successful entrepreneur in her own right. She started her media career as the African anchor and field reporter for Carte Blanche. She conceptualized, co-produced and presented a lifestyle TV series for the pan African pay TV channel MNet called Living It and played a lead role in the groundbreaking Pan-African drama series Jacob’s Cross. Her book Africa’s Greatest Entrepreneurs, with a foreword written by Richard Branson, featured on the top 10 best-selling business books in South Africa when it launched.

Tosin Adefeko is a corporate executive and entrepreneur with over 25 years multi-sectoral experience in Nigeria. She has led and delivered outstanding business results in financial services, print/broadcast media and marketing communications industries. She is the Founder and CEO of AT3 Resources Limited, an award-winning specialised consultancy focused on enhancing the productivity of key clientele which includes global corporates like META (Facebook), local conglomerates like NIBSS and influential private clients using strategic communications. She has a Master of Arts from Middlesex University.

Richard Kiplagat is a senior stakeholder-relations adviser supporting businesses, philanthropies, and government leaders across Africa, with a focus on sustainable development, infrastructure, and energy. He currently advises a portfolio of companies that have collectively invested over USD 5 billion on the continent. Earlier in his career, he played a pivotal role as co-facilitator of the strategy workshops that informed the creation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, helping shape one of Africa’s most important long-term development frameworks. Before joining Africa Practice in 2012, he worked at Microsoft Africa as Head of Global Strategic Alliances and later as East Africa Regional Manager for SAP. He currently holds several board-level positions across Kenyan parastatals, financial institutions, and non-profit organisations.

Omar Ben Yedder is the Group Publisher and Managing Director of leading publishing, events and communications group IC Publications. The organisation has over 50 years’ experience in publishing magazines, country supplements, industry reports and market intelligence in Africa. It now offers a full suite of communications services and organises several key events across the continent. IC Publications is committed to serving the interests of Africa, be it in shaping the African agenda and helping write the African narrative or creating the networks and links to drive social and economic empowerment throughout the continent.

Kwame Senou is a strategic communications leader and founder of The Holding Opinion (THOP), a pan-African advisory firm focused on public affairs, reputation management, and narrative strategy. With extensive experience navigating the political, cultural, and business dynamics that shape public opinion across the continent, he advises global and African organisations on how to build trust, engage stakeholders, and communicate with impact.

Thebe Ikalafeng is a global African branding authority and the leading advocate for a brand-led African renaissance. The trailblazing marketer who has been recognized as one of the Most Influential and Reputable Africans. He is the founder of Brand Leadership Group, Brand Africa, and pioneer of the ‘Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands’ initiative. He’s the author of The Traveller: Crossing Borders and Connecting Africa and Rooted and Rising: Reclaiming our Culture and Redefining our Global Influence. He has honorary doctorates from the University of South Africa and the University of Johannesburg. He has been to every country in Africa and every continent in the world from Cape to Cairo, and the North Pole in Greenland to the South Pole in Antarctica.

Adebola Williams is a Nigerian media entrepreneur, journalist, political consultant, and motivational speaker. He co-founded and ran Red Africa, Africa's largest portfolio of youth media brands which include Red Media Africa, Statecraft Inc., The Future Awards Africa, and YNaija. His career in media and television began at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) with advocacy for youth, and, eventually, good governance. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo describes him as "the man with the golden touch".

Faith Adhiambo is a strategic communications professional passionate about reshaping how Africa sees itself and is seen by the world. Working within the African Union ecosystem, she leads narrative-driven initiatives that turn continental priorities into stories people can connect with, own, and act on. Her work sits at the intersection of policy, identity, and storytelling with a strong focus on elevating authentic African voices, strengthening institutional relevance, and positioning Brand Africa as a force for economic growth, cultural influence, and global impact.

Thoko Modise is the General Manager: Communications at Brand South Africa. She leads national efforts to strengthen South Africa’s brand reputation, drive stakeholder engagement, and promote the country’s competitiveness on the global stage. Thoko has played a key role in initiatives such as the Global South Africans platform and regularly represents Brand South Africa in research, media, and public forums. With a background in strategic relationship management and a degree from the University of Fort Hare, she has deep expertise in nation branding and public communication.

Fareed Khimani is a media executive and strategist with a strong track record in storytelling, content strategy, and building platforms that reach and influence mass audiences. His experience as a film director/producer and creative director has enabled him to leverage 25+ years of experience to create engaging and globally recognised content. He brings a systems-level understanding of how narratives travel - across media, technology, and culture — and how to translate big ideas into compelling, scalable stories. He’s the Communications advisor in the office of The Cabinet Secretary in Kenya.

With over twenty years of leadership and strategic expertise, Addis Alemayehou’s role as Chairperson at Kazana Group and Co-founder and CRO at Dodai has been underscored by a deep commitment to fostering business development within African markets. The team at Kazana Fund, where he serves as a General Partner, has consistently leveraged market research and strategic insights to establish robust partnerships, driving growth and innovation. At the heart of his professional mission is advancing African affairs. He is motivated by the opportunity to bring diverse perspectives and transformative strategies to the table.

Gina Din-Kariuki has shaped Africa's communications landscape for 30 years. She advises governments and the private sector across the continent on how to build trust, navigate complexity, and lead with clarity. As Founder and Executive Chair of the Gina Din Group, the most awarded communications agency in the region, she has worked with institutions at the highest levels to ensure their stories are told with purpose and precision. She serves as Chair of the Brand Leadership Group and sits on several boards. Through the Gina Din Foundation, she connects young people and women with global networks, mentorship, and opportunity.

Trevor Ncube is an entrepreneur, publisher, and media leader known for his influential role in African journalism and public debate. With a career spanning more than three decades, he has become one of the continent’s most respected voices on governance, democracy, and media freedom. He is the founder and chairperson of Alpha Media Holdings (AMH), publishers of NewsDay, The Standard, and The Zimbabwe Independent. He is also the former owner and deputy executive chairperson of South Africa’s Mail & Guardian, where he helped grow the newspaper into one of Africa’s most authoritative platforms for investigative journalism. He is the host of In Conversation with Trevor, a widely followed interview series that spotlights leaders, creatives, and changemakers shaping Africa’s future.

Sophie Masipa is a senior creative and brand strategist with deep experience building purpose-driven campaigns that sit at the intersection of culture, business, and social impact. Her work spans global brands, institutions, and movements, with a strong focus on narrative clarity, audience insight, and creative leadership rooted in the African context. She is CEO at MwunganoESG, Founder and CEO at Kgommuu International, and Founder of Fikira Consulting: Communications, Marketing and Branding.

Samuel Onyemelukwe is a Global Strategic Partnerships, Sales and Business Development Executive with over 20 years of experience driving market entry, platform growth, and revenue acceleration across media, technology, streaming, and entertainment. His career has spanned North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, building high-value partnerships with major studios, global brands, telcos, and tech platforms, including Amazon, Pepsi, YouTube, Samsung, Universal, Viacom, MTN, Airtel and Canal. He is currently Group Business Development Director at Trace, one of the world’s most influential Afro-urban media brands.

Malik Shaffy Lizende is a Kigali-based creative entrepreneur whose work spans branding, behavioural communication, technology, and social impact. He is the founder of 63 Inc., a creative agency known for crafting culturally grounded, globally resonant campaigns for clients including betPawa, Bank of Kigali, the Lego Foundation, and the World Health Organization. His career combines brand development, operations, and product innovation, with a strong focus on empathy-driven storytelling. Alongside his agency work, Malik is a visiting professor at a French tourism school in Rwanda, where he teaches personal branding and trend analysis.

Tola St. Matthew-Daniel is a storytelling strategist and trusted advisor to purpose-driven leaders navigating growth, complexity, and change. She works at the intersection of narrative, leadership, and strategic partnership — helping bold ideas move with clarity, credibility, and conviction. In 2023, she founded Kairos & Tola to transform insight into influence, and to connect Global North resources with Global South opportunity. Since then, she has helped guide over $200 million toward visionary initiatives — supporting leaders and organizations to grow their visibility, deepen their credibility, and forge partnerships that unlock scale, sustainability, and lasting impact.

Terhas Berhe is the Founder and Managing Director at BrandComms. She has over 15 years’ experience in brand development and management, working across Africa and in Canada and the UK. Terhas spearheaded the African Investment and Finance Conference in 2008 at the London Stock Exchange. She counts Ecobank, Nedbank, Kingdom Africa Management, Bank of Industry, GSK, Continental Reinsurance, Wari, eleni LLC, One Re, Cenpower Generation, CH Group, Azito Energie, Batonga, Invest in Africa, NHS London, Diabetes UK, the Health and Safety Executive amongst her recent clients.

Steve Babaeko is a Nigerian advertising and music executive, public advocate, founder of X3M Ideas, a Lagos-based digital advertising agency that was listed in 2017 as one of Nigeria’s fastest growing communication agencies. X3M Ideas is one of Africa’s fastest growing and most awarded independent creative agencies, with a growing footprint in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lusaka, Dubai, Congo Brazzaville, and London. Steve is also the founder and CEO of X3M Music, a record label that has as its marquee act, among others, Nigerian singer-songwriter Simi. He was on the 2018 jury of the New York Advertising Festival.

Tim Ekandjo serves as the Branding, Marketing, Communications and Sustainability Officer at Mobile Telecommunications Namibia. Before that, he served in the roles of Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer. Prior to joining MTC, he worked for Shell Africa serving more than 7 countries heading up various world-class HR projects. Over the years Tim has been recognized with various awards including the African Achievers Awards in the Humanitarian Category by the Institute of African Achievers Award in 2023, Outstanding African Leader in Social Change by Brand Africa in 2022, 100 Global HR Heroes Award by the World HRD Conference in 2019, HR Africa HR Leadership Award by the World Human Resource Development Congress in 2014 and the HR Leader and Achievers Award by the Indian African HR Partnership Summit in 2012.