YASR30 2025 Conference Agenda

Building Beyond Barriers

Yale Africa Startup Review

 Saturday March 29, 2025

Yale University Campus, 268 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06511

AGENDA

8:15 - 8:45 am ET

Arrival, Registration & Breakfast

9:00 - 9:30 am ET

Welcome Address. Hosted by Dean Okudawa, MBA 2025, Nigeria & The Africa Business Club

An introduction to the Yale Africa Startup Review & Primer on the Africa Startup Ecosystem Lab.

9:30 - 10:00 am ET

Opening Keynote Speaker. Hosted by Marlo Eltaib, MBA 2026, Sudan/US

Under the general conference theme of "Building Beyond Barriers," the Keynote address will focus on how continental institutions and governments are addressing limitations in infrastructure, energy, logistics and transportation to support startups to scale up, and how startups can innovate around these limitations in their countries. The keynote will discuss how private sector actors can effectively collaborate with governments and financial institutions to create an enabling environment and market for innovators.

●      Prof. Gerald B. Tanyi, Chief Counsel at the International Finance Corporation & Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale University

10:30  - 11:15 am ET

Reveal of the YASR30 2025 List. Hosted by All 2025 Editors, Yale Africa Startup Review

YASR30 2025 startups represent the dynamism of African innovation. They include hidden gems at the earliest stages of growth, from bootstrapped to seed stage, and tell stories that span the investment spectrum and are carefully selected from a pool comprising all 54 African geographical breadth.

11:15 - 11:30 am ET

Break

11:30 - 12:30 pm ET

Panel 1 (Startups): From Scarcity to Scale. Hosted by: Kemi Kakonge-Ruyondo, MEM 2025, Uganda & Mama Biamah Ampofo-Tenkorang, MAM 2025, Ghana

A discussion with early-stage founders on how African startups are innovating around and despite infrastructure limitations

Panelists

●      David Chen, CEO & Founder Kapsule, Healthtech, Rwanda

●      Olusola Amusan, Co-Founder/CEO Vesti, Legaltech, Nigeria

●      Raheema Ojewumi, Co-Founder/CTO, Blueskills, Nigeria

12:30 - 1:30 pm ET

Lunch & Networking, Hosted by the Africa Business & Society Club & Yale Africa Clubs

1:30 - 2:30 pm ET

Panel 2 (Venture Capital) - Raising Capital in 2025. Hosted by: Didace Irafasha & Lyna El Ayoubi

A candid conversation with leading African investors about funding trends, founder mistakes, and what makes a startup investable in today’s market & financing dynamics.

Panelists

●      Sherif Nesim, Founder & Managing Partner, Jedar Capital

●      Magdi M. Amin, Managing Partner, African Renaissance Ventures

●      Jason Marshall, COO, YellowCard Financial, Series C Fintech, Nigeria

⁠2:30 - 3:30 pm ET

Panel 3 - Views from the North & Africa Startup Trivia: Yale Alumni in Tech & Venture. Hosted by: Wendy Opoku & Sadiq Shamji

This conversation will bring together Yale alumni to share insights on emerging opportunities. By leveraging their expertise across industries on topics ranging from AI to Crypto & Biotech, the discussion will provide founders and aspiring entrepreneurs with forward-looking strategies, market gaps to address, and the critical innovations that will shape the next wave of successful startups.

●      Kodjo Adovor, Founder & CEO, Unscramble Africa LLC

●      Ifeanyi Okafor, Product Manager, Generative AI

●      Ikenna Nzewi, Founder, Releaf Earth

3:30 PM - 4:00 pm ET

Closing Fireside Chat - Partners in Growth: Startup & VC Synergy

An intimate conversation between a startup founder and their venture capital partner as they dive into the dynamics of building a strong, collaborative relationship. From navigating challenges to aligning on vision and values, this session will explore how startups and VCs can work hand-in-hand to drive sustainable growth and long-term success.

●      Magdi M. Amin, Managing Partner, African Renaissance Ventures

●      David Chen, CEO & Founder Kapsule, Healthtech, Rwanda

4:00 PM - 4:15 pm ET

Closing Remarks by 2025 Editors, Yale Africa Startup Review

6:30 PM - 8:30 pm ET

Private Cocktail Reception & Networking: Startups, VC & Yale alumni