The Presidential Precinct is proud to introduce the 2025 cohort of the Corporate Leaders Program: visionary business leaders committed to strengthening their business acumen, fostering innovation, and expanding their global impact.
During their time in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Fellows will engage with entrepreneurs and innovators, exchange perspectives with fellow leaders, and explore new approaches to business leadership. Their experience will culminate in attending the Corporate Council on Africa’s flagship U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Luanda, Angola, where they will connect with leaders and explore opportunities for international business growth.
Representing diverse regions and industries, the 2025 Fellows bring a wealth of perspectives and experiences, united by a shared commitment to leadership, collaboration, and economic opportunity.
Adhan Sheikh Abdullahi
Adhan Sheikh Abdullahi is a highly innovative, engaging, and results-driven business leader and administrator with over 10 years of top leadership experience on various boards. He has successfully established and maintained strong relationships with the 47 counties and the Council of Governors in Kenya, enabling effective collaboration and alignment of agricultural policies and programs with national goals. He has led initiatives to boost agricultural productivity, focusing on fertilizer use, cane quality improvement, and innovative resource management practices.
Adhan works closely with farmers in the Kenya Sugar Board to develop and implement inclusive policies that promote sustainable farming practices and equitable growth. Adhan is also the founder and CEO of the first automotive testing and standards laboratory in East Africa, Global Standard and Testing Centre, which tests tires and spare parts to enhance road safety in the country.
AlaSan Ceesay
AlaSan Ceesay is a Gambian-British entrepreneur, food security advocate, and Founder & CEO of Rahma Gambia Ltd, a leading agri-food import-export and manufacturing company. A Cambridge-educated social entrepreneur and British Army veteran, AlaSan is also the founder of AlaSan AgriVentures, Ltd. and AlaSan Holdings Ltd. (UK), with projects spanning food production, trading, and industrial-scale agribusiness across West Africa. His ventures focus on empowering local industries and driving inclusive economic transformation.
Benard Odote
Benard Odote is a visionary leader and serial entrepreneur building Africa-centered solutions at the intersection of supply chain, finance, ESG, and digital infrastructure.
Benard’s influence spans global sourcing, trade finance, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and asset disposal—impacting sectors from FMCG and manufacturing to energy, infrastructure, government, and humanitarian aid. His innovations have unlocked over $1.5 billion in trade and working capital through models like Supply Chain Finance and Pay-As-You-Sell, while his multi-country infrastructure—featuring logistics hubs at Kenya’s ports, borders, and urban centers—powers seamless growth.
Chilufya Mutale-Mwila
Chilufya Mutale-Mwila is the Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of eShandi, a credit-first Pan-African Challenger Bank driving financial inclusion across Africa. Under her leadership, eShandi has expanded into Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Kenya, providing accessible microloans, investments, and digital banking solutions for underserved communities.
A multi-award-winning entrepreneur, Chilufya has been recognized as one of Africa’s 100 Most Influential Leaders and among the Top 5 Women in Fintech. She is celebrated for her contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and has been featured by the Tony Elumelu Foundation as one of the top 50 key entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s economic landscape.
Tlamelo Cindy Melemo
Tlamelo Cindy Melemo is a technology entrepreneur passionate about digital transformation, gender equity in tech, and youth empowerment. She is the CEO of SoftBerry Solutions, a technology company specializing in software development, digital marketing, and data science. SoftBerry has developed Sebaga Africa, an e-commerce platform for Africa. She also founded WoTech Botswana to bridge the gender gap in the technology industry.
Cindy holds a BSc (Hons) in Applied Business Computing from the University of Sunderland and an MBA from Valar Institute – The Leadership Institute. She has worked with UNICEF Rwanda as a Technology for Development Officer and contributed to Sierra Leone’s Digital Economy Policy. A Mandela Washington Fellow and YALI alumna, she serves in various leadership roles, including as Botswana’s Country Coordinator for the Union of Emerging Societies in Africa.
Ehime Eigbe
Ehime Eigbe is the Founder and CEO of Sweetkiwi, a leading frozen dessert brand committed to creating innovative, nutrient-rich products made from high-quality, natural ingredients. Under her leadership, Sweetkiwi has grown from a home experiment to a multi-million-dollar brand, securing distribution with Whole Foods Market, Walmart, Kroger, and other major retailers across the United States.
Ehime is a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women and Black Ambition grant awardee and has been recognized by the Tory Burch Foundation, Nestlé, and Visa She’s Next for her entrepreneurial excellence. She holds a degree from the University of Wolverhampton and certifications from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.
Funke Ogunde
Funke Ogunde is a creative director and fashion entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience building luxury womenswear brands rooted in culture and innovation. Founder of Funke Adepoju and Phunk Afrique, her collections are stocked internationally, online, and in boutiques across Africa and North America. Funke is skilled in brand development and creative direction, and has a passion for mentoring emerging talent.
Funke has raised funds through her fashion brand to support small business owners and provide financial assistance and visibility. She also coordinates pop-up events and training programs for local artisans and youth to foster entrepreneurship and creative skills development, and partners with foundations to support women-led artisan communities through sustained sourcing and craftsmanship collaborations.
Hery Zo Andriamiarana
Hery Zo Andriamiarana is CEO and President of Kazak Ltd., Madagascar's first private initiative focused on fostering commercial exchange between Madagascar and the United States, involving more than 400 small businesses in Madagascar.
Hery Zo embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in 2010, starting with a small business focused on collecting waste and transforming it into upcycled goods. His innovative approach and leadership earned him multiple recognitions for his success; he furthered this commitment as a 2017 Mandela Washington Fellow. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, it severely impacted his business. Instead of viewing this as a setback, Hery Zo recognized the new opportunities the pandemic had created. In 2020, he founded Kazak Ltd, a platform designed to give businesses of all sizes the chance to showcase their products and services.
Ifedolapo Runsewe
Ifedolapo Runsewe is the founder and managing director of Freee Recycle Limited, a pioneering waste management and recycling company in Nigeria. Her innovative approach integrates technology and community engagement to promote responsible waste disposal and recycling practices, addressing the problem of waste tires in urban areas by converting them into reusable rubber molded products.
Ifedolapo has over 15 years’ experience working with multicultural teams and diverse business communities within the banking and telecommunications sectors, including positions with Access Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, and Airtel Nigeria. She earned a BSc. Economics from Madonna University and an MSc. Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos.
Joël Sikam
Joël Sikam is the founder and CEO of FISCO Industries, an industrial company that produces and transforms hygiene, health, and cleaning products, including a wide range of sanitary and parapharmaceutical products manufactured and distributed under the SIMAD and SIMPHARMA labels. Joël co-founded and serves as Vice-President of the Patronat des Jeunes Entrepreneurs du Cameroun. He served as President of Cameroon's leading employers' organization, the Centre de development de la PME at Gicam, from 2020 to 2023.
Joël invests in the training of Cameroon’s young ethical leaders, co-founding The Okwelians to promote a culture of social innovation. Joël earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of North Texas and a graduate degree in Management from Stanford University.
Joycee Awosika
Joycee Awosika is founder and CEO of ORIKI Group, a leading wellness and personal care brand that integrates farm-to-skin products manufactured in Nigeria with 13 wellness spa centers located in six cities in three countries, a tech-on-demand app for mobile spa services, and a training institute. Through ORIKI, she has empowered hundreds of women and youth, delivering world-class wellness experiences while championing job creation and vocational development.
As founder of SOAR, a structure and systems consultancy that helps entrepreneurs and organizations achieve operational excellence and scale sustainably, Joycee has advised and supported over 200 businesses through structural audits, leadership training, and strategy development. Joycee has a background in energy economics and worked for a U.S. Fortune 100 company before moving to Nigeria to launch her entrepreneurial journey.
Kikelomo Fola-Ogunniya
Kikelomo Fola-Ogunniya is a co-founder of Cargoplug, dedicated to simplifying cross-border logistics using cutting-edge shipping APIs and user-friendly dashboards, enabling seamless and trackable deliveries at competitive rates. Kikelomo’s extensive experience in law, logistics, and marketing spans over 15 years. She is recognized not only for her outstanding education but also for her unwavering commitment to advancing sustainable development, particularly in the areas of decent work and gender equality in Africa.
Kikelomo holds a First Class Law Degree from London Metropolitan University, a Master's in International Business Law from University College London, and a BL Degree from the Nigerian Law School. Her diverse career has honed her into a well-rounded leader, combining legal expertise with entrepreneurial spirit.
Participants in the Corporate Leaders Program will sharpen their business acumen and engage entrepreneurs and innovators in Charlottesville, Virginia - home to one of the top three public universities in the United States. Their experience will culminate in attending the Corporate Council on Africa’s flagship conference – the U.S-Africa Business Summit.
The 2025 Corporate Leaders Program is made possible by a generous gift from John Olajide, Presidential Precinct Board Member, and founder and CEO of Axxess, a leading home healthcare technology company in North America.
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