Team

  1. Learn more about
    Tobias Ruckstuhl

    Tobias Ruckstuhl

    Managing Partner
    Tobias Ruckstuhl is the Managing Partner of Persistent. Tobias brings extensive experience in investing and building companies in frontier markets, with over 10 years background of living and working in Sub-Saharan Africa, having spent large parts of his early youth in rural Africa and later worked in finance and logistics, and as an entrepreneur in Central Africa. He continued his career in Europe in management consulting at Accenture in Switzerland, a global consulting company, specializing in digital and technology consulting, and subsequently joined Persistent in early 2018. Tobias holds a Masters in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen as well as a bachelor's in business & economics. He is also a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) charter holder.

  2. Learn more about
    Wairimu Karanja

    Wairimu Karanja

    Partner
    Ms. Wairimu Karanja is the Chief Legal Officer and Partner at Persistent and based in Nairobi. She is an international lawyer qualified in Kenya, with 12 years of legal experience. Wairimu has advised private sector and development organisations on various projects in Africa relating to renewable energy and climate change policy; power project development and financing; private equity; mergers & acquisitions; international arbitration; immigration and employment; intellectual property; and technology. She is recognized in Who’s Who Legal (WWL) 2021 rankings as a Future Leader in Arbitration. Wairimu is the founder of W&Co, a legal advisory firm based in Nairobi, and has previously worked with leading Kenyan and international law firms and institutions, including Anjarwalla & Khanna (Kenya), JMiles & Co. (Africa) Stephenson Harwood (UK), the Extractives Hub (UK) and the Energy Charter Secretariat (Belgium). She has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree in Energy Law and Policy (Distinction) from the University of Dundee’s Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP).

  3. Learn more about
    Chris Aidun

    Chris Aidun

    Partner

    Co-founder

    Director of the Board
    Chris Aidun is a co-founder and Partner at Persistent. Chris has over 30 years of experience in venture capital, private equity and finance law. Prior to founding Persistent Energy, he was Managing Director of E+Co, a non-profit clean energy impact investor where he led a financial restructuring that returned significantly more than expected to E+Co creditors. Prior to E+Co, Chris was a senior private equity partner at the international law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Chris manages corporate structure, legal and tax matters for Persistent and its partner companies. Chris is a US trained lawyer with a JD from New York University School of Law and a BS in Economics from the University at Albany.

  4. Learn more about
    Toukam Ngoufanke

    Toukam Ngoufanke

    Venture Builder
    Toukam is a Principal and Venture Builder at Persistent. He helps drive investing and venture building efforts across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Previously, Toukam held various roles at Mastercard in both New York and SSA: from M&A and global corporate strategy work in New York; to running Mastercard's consulting business in SSA; driving business and product strategy in East Africa including launching and running a corporate startups serving low-income users since absorbed into Mastercard's social enterprise unit; and driving business development and sales for Mastercard's social enterprise unit. Prior to Mastercard ,Toukam worked at KPMG in Chicago. Toukam holds MBA and MA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and Lauder Institute, respectively; an MSc Engineering degree from the Northwestern University; and combined-plan bachelor degrees from Columbia University and DePauw University.

  5. Learn more about
    Eva Maria Stolz

    Eva Maria Stolz

    Venture Builder
    Eva Maria Stolz is a Venture Builder at Persistent, serving as an interim CFO for some of our portfolio companies and also as the Treasurer of GOGLA since 2020. Before joining Persistent, she worked as a Consultant at Bain & Company, conducting due diligence for PE funds and advising clients on a range of topics, including strategy, performance improvement and organizational development. She gained first working experience in Africa during her time at a microcredit organization in Uganda, where she supported the launch of a micro venture capital arm. Eva holds a Masters in International Management from Bocconi University in Milan and FGV in São Paulo.

  6. Learn more about
    James Fabola

    James Fabola

    Venture Builder
    James is a Venture Builder at Persistent. He is a co-lead on the CEI Africa Foundation mandate where he helps drive co-investing with crowdfunding platforms in the off-grid energy sector. He is also focused on identifying and evaluating investment opportunities across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). He holds MBA and Msc degrees from Insead and Cranfield School of Management respectively; a B.Tech degree in Information Technology from the Bells University of Technology, Ogun State, Nigeria. He brings 8 years of private equity and development finance institution (DFI) experience, investing across manufacturing, clean energy, power, and consumer goods sectors in West Africa. Previously, James was an Investment Manager at Norfund (Norway’s Development Finance Institution) where he was responsible for deal sourcing, execution, and portfolio management in West Africa. Prior to Norfund, James worked at Synergy Capital Managers, an anglophone West Africa SME-focused private equity fund based in Lagos.

  7. Learn more about
    Thomas Gallas

    Thomas Gallas

    Venture Builder
    Thomas is a Principal at Persistent. He helps implement the mandate of the CEI Africa Foundation through co-investing with crowdfunding platforms in off-grid energy. He holds a M.Sc. in Environment and Resource management from VU-University Amsterdam and a B.A. from Amsterdam University College. Previously Thomas worked in the private equity energy team at FMO, managing PE-fund and direct investments in the renewable energy sector across emerging markets, with a particular focus on off-grid energy. Prior to FMO, Thomas worked at Pymwymic, an impact VC, where he invested in several early-stage sustainable startups in Europe and Africa.

  8. Learn more about
    Peter Huisman

    Peter Huisman

    Tech Venture Builder
    As Venture Builder with a focus on technology Peter works with portfolio and partner companies on technology related issues such as business IT and product hardware. During due diligence of potential investment opportunities Peter assesses the technology landscape and ensures investment decisions are well understood from a technology perspective. Peter stays on top of the latest technology trends and sees how these are or might become relevant for Persistent. Peter has worked and lived in SSA for the last 14 years. After several tech related volunteering positions Peter co-founded SolarNow, one of the first generation solar PAYGO companies in 2011 where he worked until 2020 as a CTO predominantly in business administration, IT, product development and sourcing. In 2020 he started a new agritech business in aquaponics which he combines with his role at Persistent. Peter, who has a MSc in Electrical Engineering from University of Twente, has broad experience setting up and running a business in East Africa with a strong focus on Technology.

  9. Learn more about
    Magdalena Herman

    Magdalena Herman

    Data Consultant & IT Solutions Engineer
    Magdalena has broad experience across a variety of applications and IT set-ups, including inventory management, call centre software, CRM and more. She has worked on IT systems implementation, mobile apps configuration as well as data related projects with a variety of organizations across 3 continents with the main focus on Africa. She holds a MSc in Information Systems from the University of Lausanne. After graduating, she has worked as a technology consultant on IT implementation projects in international banks. Before Persistent, she has worked 4 years for Enable.digital, a consultancy offering flexible, future-proof, digital technology and data management solutions to clients in emerging markets providing essential goods and services for their customers in sectors such as Agriculture, Energy, Mobility and Waste. She has been part of Enable's journey developing a custom loan account management tool (LAMT) for the PAYGO solar distribution companies. At Persistent, she has been focusing on data management, developing solutions as well as assessing the quality and usability of data in organizations, performing evaluations of technology set-ups of investees and supporting them in increasing the automation and scalability of their application networks.

  10. Learn more about
    Wyclife Aketch

    Wyclife Aketch

    Venture Builder
    Wyclife Aketch is a Venture Builder at Persistent, focused on identifying and evaluating investments, as well as offering venture building support to companies across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Prior to joining Persistent, Wyclife was an Investment Analyst with Energy Access Ventures (EAV) - a renewable energy fund investing in decentralized energy assets across SSA. For over three years, Wyclife focused on deal sourcing, due diligence, and financial analysis, portfolio management and external partner engagement. Before EAV, he worked with General Electric’s Global Operations finance team and supported various businesses across the continent. Wyclife holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Finance from Strathmore University.

  11. Learn more about
    Manuela Böck

    Manuela Böck

    Venture Builder
    Manuela is a Venture Builder at Persistent. Prior to joining the firm, she completed internships with Deutsche Bank Structured Commodity Trade Finance team and worked as a summer analyst for HSBC`s investment banking division. She gained first working experience on the African market during her time with DGP Advisory in Nairobi, Kenya. Manuela holds a master’s degree in International Finance from Nova SBE and a bachelor’s degree in Management and Business with a Finance Minor from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

  12. Learn more about
    Faith Wilson

    Faith Wilson

    Venture Builder
    Faith is a Venture Builder at Persistent, working as an Investment Associate and Venture Advisor focused on identifying and evaluating investments, as well as offering venture building support to companies across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). She holds a first-class honors degree in Economics and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Nairobi. She is also a Certified Public Accountant. Faith has over 5 year’s progressive experience in consulting and advisory services. Prior to joining Persistent, she was an Investment Analyst with Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) – where she was involved in providing investment readiness and facilitation services to SMEs in Renewable Energy and Agribusiness. Prior to AECF, Faith worked at KPMG East Africa as a Senior Accounting Advisor in the Consulting unit, focusing on SME advisory, financial analysis, and due diligence.

  13. Learn more about
    Léa Bouguern

    Léa Bouguern

    Venture Builder
    Léa is a Venture Builder at Persistent. Before joining the firm, she completed internships in investment banking at BNP Paribas as a merger & acquisition analyst in the Energy, Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Transport (ENRIT) team, and at Natixis as a credit analyst as well as in the syndication division of the bank. Léa holds a master's degree from the Magistère Finance de La Sorbonne (corporate finance and market finance over three years education) and a master's degree in financial engineering from La Sorbonne University.

  14. Learn more about
    Serge Musingilwa

    Serge Musingilwa

    Venture Builder
    Serge is a Venture Builder at Persistent, working as an analyst on diverse partner projects as well as on pipeline efforts. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, is an affiliate of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Commerce in Finance at the Strathmore Business School. Serge has worked on research projects into new investment areas with high potential in Africa. Before joining Persistent, he worked as an intern for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) in the D.R. Congo and co-founded the Congo Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, a platform aiming to provide business management skills to young Congolese entrepreneurs. Serge is fluent in French, English, and Kiswahili.

  15. Learn more about
    Linda Yunia

    Linda Yunia

    Venture Builder
    Linda is a Venture Builder at Persistent working as an analyst on different partner projects and supporting deal origination and screening efforts. She holds a Bachelor of Business Science in Financial Engineering and a first-class dissertation in Investment Decision making in Sub-Saharan Africa, from Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya. Prior to this role, she completed an internship at Persistent. Linda has previously worked in various roles in the African investment space: from portfolio management and due diligence work at Asia Africa Investment and Consulting Partners Africa, a company that has injected capital into several ventures in the African Healthcare sector; to investment advisory at SCP, a sub-advisor to the Deutsche Bank in SSA and transaction advisory at I&M Burbidge Capital, the Corporate Finance Division of I&M Bank.

  16. Learn more about
    Carol Masila-Maiko

    Carol Masila-Maiko

    Legal Associate
    Carol Masila-Maiko is a Legal Associate at Persistent and based in Nairobi. She is an international lawyer qualified in Kenya, with seven years of legal experience. Carol has extensively advised established companies, impactful start-up ventures and social enterprises on various projects in Africa relating to electric mobility (e-mobility); education technology (edutech), financial technology (fintech); private equity; mergers & acquisitions; real estate, finance and intellectual property. She is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN), and the Energy Law Institute (ELI - QMUL). Carol is a co-founder of Caris Mara & Co. a consultancy firm based in Nairobi, and has previously worked with leading Kenyan and international law firms and institutions, including Dentons UK & Middle East (UK), Anjarwalla & Khanna (Kenya) and JMiles & Co. (Africa). She has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree in Energy and Natural Resources Law from Queen Mary University of London (UK).

  17. Learn more about
    Yvette Akoth

    Yvette Akoth

    Legal Associate
    Yvette Akoth is a Legal Associate at Persistent and based in Nairobi. She is an international lawyer qualified in Kenya, with eight years of legal experience. Yvette has extensively advised established companies, impactful start-up ventures, social enterprises and governmental organizations and institutions on various projects in Africa relating to Financial Technology & Services, Employment Law, Capital Markets, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Intellectual Property & Trademarks, Legal Technology, Electric Mobility (E-Mobility), Project Finance, Energy, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), Infrastructure & Projects and Environmental & Social Governance (ESG). She is a member of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the East Africa Law Society (EALS). Yvette is a mentor with the Fleischer Foundation, a non-profit that seeks to empower underprivileged children in the slums of Nairobi through mentorship and education, and has previously worked with leading Kenyan and international law firms and institutions including Great Lakes Africa Energy, MMC Asafo and Oraro & Company Advocates. She has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Nairobi and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law.

  18. Learn more about
    Winfred Nakkazi Kiberu

    Winfred Nakkazi Kiberu

    Legal Analyst
    Winnie is a Legal Analyst at Persistent, offering legal knowledge and support to the company and its partners, to ensure compliance with laws and professional industry practice standards. Winnie graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from Strathmore University and will join the Advocates Training Programme at the Kenya School of Law in March 2022. Winnie is a member of Africa in the Moot, the Moot Alumni Association, and is a student member of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Kenya and the Young and International Group of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution. Before joining Persistent, Winnie was a Legal Intern at Wairimu & Co. Law + Policy, where she provided legal support and gained experience in various legal fields including commercial law, employment, energy law, investment, taxation, and IP law. Winnie has served as an intern at the Centre for Intellectual Property and IT Law (CIPIT), the Malindi Law Courts in Kenya, and as an Associate Editor of the Strathmore Law Review. Winnie is an experienced editor, with a great aptitude for legal research and writing.

  19. Learn more about
    Njugu-ini Ruci-ini

    Njugu-ini Ruci-ini

    Accounts & Administration Officer
    Njugu-ini is an Accounts & Administration Officer at Persistent, focused on financial reporting and tax compliance for Persistent and its portfolio companies. Njugu-ini has over 7 years of progressive experience in accounting, payroll and tax advisory. Prior to Persistent, she was a Payables Accountant at HSC Systems Ltd, a leading ICT solutions provider firm in Africa. Moreover, she worked as an Accountant at Estrang Associates, a financial consulting firm providing services to SMEs from different sectors including real estate, travel, NGOs and service. She has also worked as a Receivables Accountant at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, playing a key role in debt management and reporting. Njugu-ini is a CPA finalist holding a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Finance. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Finance at the University of Nairobi.

  20. Learn more about
    John Ndosi

    John Ndosi

    Finance Consultant
    John is Finance Consultant at Persistent, focused on financial reporting and management for Persistent and its portfolio companies. John has over 15 years of progressive experience in financial management, budgeting,Financial forecasting,Strategy and investor relations management in startups and established companies. Prior to Persistent, he was the Finance Manager at Worldcover Inc, a global climate Insurance firm Moreover, he worked as a Finance head at Samasource Kenya, leading the finance function of the AI company. John is a Certified Public accountant of Kenya holding a Master of Science Degree in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Nairobi.

  21. Learn more about
    Leonah Moraa

    Leonah Moraa

    Analyst
    Leonah is an analyst at Persistent, supporting research into new investment areas, fund investments strategy and our team's fundraising efforts. Before joining the firm, she was a senior analyst at Asoko Insight where she oversaw debt dealrooms, facilitating capital injection into African companies through deal sourcing and investment appraisal services. Prior to Asoko, Leonah worked as a management trainee at the African Guarantee Fund's (AGF) Risk Management division, where she specialized in credit risk assessments and SME financial analysis. She holds a first-class degree in Economics and Finance from Kenyatta University and is also a Certified Investment and Financial Analyst (CIFA).

  22. Learn more about
    Juan Pedro Coello de Portugal

    Juan Pedro Coello de Portugal

    Fundraising

    Marketing & ESG Manager
    Juan Pedro Coello de Portugal is responsible for fundraising, marketing and ESG at Persistent. Prior to joining the firm, he worked for four years at responsAbility investments (Zurich), where he greatly contributed to the business development and marketing activities of the company. He previously held different positions at BNP Paribas Asset Management in Paris and London, where he successfully launched and developed the Investment Academy, the global training programme for key clients. Juan Pedro holds an Executive Masters in Marketing and Sales from ESADE (Barcelona) and SDA Bocconi (Milan), as well as Economics and Law degrees from Universidad Carlos III (Madrid).

  23. Learn more about
    Joy Rukundo

    Joy Rukundo

    Marketing & Communication
    Joy is a Marketing and Communication Manager at Persistent. She is responsible for our internal and external communication as well as brand and design perspectives. Joy holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Macromedia University of Applied Science in Munich, where she studied Media Management with a special focus on Brand Communication and Advertising. In 2011 she founded a non-governmental organization, focusing on child education and entrepreneurial projects. Before joining Persistent she worked for a German advertising agency, as well as a freelancer on several design and web content projects in Kenya and Germany. Joy, who lives at the Kenyan coast, is fluent in German and English.

  24. Learn more about
    Dirk Muench

    Dirk Muench

    Co-founder

    Strategy Advisor

    Director of the Board
    Dirk Muench is a Co-founder of Persistent and a Strategy Advisor. For 8 years he has led many of the firm's key initiatives. Dirk is also the Director of Climate Investments and Ventures at South Pole, serves on the board of Uebermorgen Ventures - one of Europe's leading climate VC firms - and he sits on the Investment Committee of Clima Now Foundation. Prior to Persistent, Dirk worked for pioneer impact investment firm E+CO and for 8 years in global capital markets with JPMorgan and DRKW in London and New York. He holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) and studied climate science at Columbia University in New York.

Board of Directors

  1. Learn more about
    Philipp Cottier

    Philipp Cottier

    Chairman of Board of Directors
    Dr. Philipp Cottier (Chairman) is an active investor and entrepreneur in fintech, blockchain, hedge funds, and impact investments. He is chairman of Bellegarde Capital and L1 Digital in Zurich and sits on the board of CryptoFinance and other firms active in the financial sector, including until recently Bank Vontobel. Philipp also engages in impact investments as chairman of Persistent Energy LLC and former head private equity of USD 3 billion development impact firm responsAbility Investments and is a committed philanthropist and avid supporter of social causes such as girl empowerment through the Cottier Donzé Foundation. From 1998 to 2008, he built up and successfully exited Harcourt, a USD 6 billion asset manager focusing on alternative investments, with partners. He started his career at UBS in Basel, New York and Hong Kong, and Boston Consulting in Sydney, and holds a Ph.D. in finance.

  2. Learn more about
    Meera Shah

    Meera Shah

    Director of the Board
    Meera Shah (designee) is a Business Director at the Shell Foundation (SF), heading the household energy and off grid utility portfolios and is a member of the SF Investment Committee. Meera has nine years experience in seeding, scaling and providing strategic advisory and hands on operational support to a range of pioneering social enterprises in Africa and India that are addressing access to energy and sustainable mobility. Before joining SF in 2012, Meera had worked globally in a broad range of business roles within the Shell Group. Meera holds a degree in Economics, Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick.

  3. Learn more about
    Amos Gachuiri

    Amos Gachuiri

    Director of the Board
    Amos is an investment professional with two decades of experience gained in development & impact investing, SME finance, M&A advisory and audit. Amos started his career as an auditor with PwC before moving to KPMG. After KPMG, Amos worked with GroFin and Grassroots Business Fund in east Africa building and managing portfolios and worked across a wide variety of sectors gaining immeasurable experience. Amos serves as an Investment Manager at FSD Africa Investments; driving strategic relations with portfolio clients working to ensure that finance works to serve the future of Africa, drives impact and further deepens financial services. He has interests in pursuing innovative models that deliver effective financial services to those in most need. He has board level experience and holds an MBA from ESMT Berlin, a Bachelor of Commerce from University from Nairobi and is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).

  4. Learn more about
    Masashi Mizoguchi

    Masashi Mizoguchi

    Director of the Board
    Masashi “Mike” Mizoguchi is the managing director, head of the business division Tokyo branch office of Kyuden International Co.(KIC) which is the subsidiary of Kyuden Electric Power Co., the fourth largest power utility in Japan taking care of international business. He is in charge of expanding KIC’s business in EMEA, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Mike joined KIC in 2020. Since then his team has achieved two major projects in the Middle East, M&A of GTCC project in Bahrain and Green Development of HVDC Subsea cable project in UAE. His team is now focusing on the Africa and Europe market. He earned his BS Nuclear Engineering from Kobe University of Mercantile Marine and has had a strong EPC background and project management in Asia, Europe and USA for more than 25 years. As the management of infrastructure investment business he has managed many projects for power and energy investment both green and brown assets for more than 10 years.

  5. Learn more about
    Kazuomi Kaneto (K2)

    Kazuomi Kaneto (K2)

    Director of the Board
    Kazuomi Kaneto (K2) is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned global investor, with over 25 years in development and management positions in renewable energy companies around the world. In 2017, he founded Dream Project Incubators Pte. Ltd. (DPI), a green-field renewable energy developer in the Asia Pacific region and with its VC arms investing in decentralized renewable energy solutions. Owning several renewable energy startups and projects in Africa and is on a mission to drive innovation across the continent by empowering the best builders to change industries. He founded Pacifico Energy K.K., the biggest solar development company in Japan, which has successfully raised over USD 4.5 billion for over 1,300MW solar projects in Japan, also Sparks Energy group, which owns 90MW solar projects in Malaysia. He earned his MS from Stanford University and his BE from Keio University.

  6. Learn more about
    Chris Aidun

    Chris Aidun

    Partner

    Co-founder

    Director of the Board
    Chris Aidun is a co-founder and Partner at Persistent. Chris has over 30 years of experience in venture capital, private equity and finance law. Prior to founding Persistent Energy, he was Managing Director of E+Co, a non-profit clean energy impact investor where he led a financial restructuring that returned significantly more than expected to E+Co creditors. Prior to E+Co, Chris was a senior private equity partner at the international law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Chris manages corporate structure, legal and tax matters for Persistent and its partner companies. Chris is a US trained lawyer with a JD from New York University School of Law and a BS in Economics from the University at Albany.

  7. Learn more about
    Dirk Muench

    Dirk Muench

    Co-founder

    Strategy Advisor

    Director of the Board
    Dirk Muench is a Co-founder of Persistent and a Strategy Advisor. For 8 years he has led many of the firm's key initiatives. Dirk is also the Director of Climate Investments and Ventures at South Pole, serves on the board of Uebermorgen Ventures - one of Europe's leading climate VC firms - and he sits on the Investment Committee of Clima Now Foundation. Prior to Persistent, Dirk worked for pioneer impact investment firm E+CO and for 8 years in global capital markets with JPMorgan and DRKW in London and New York. He holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) and studied climate science at Columbia University in New York.

We are delighted to have Hiroki Matsuo and Ron Cordes as Observers on our Board.

Advisory Board

  1. Learn more about
    Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani

    Rolake Akinkugbe-Filani

    Advisory Board Member

  2. Learn more about
    Sebolelo Majozi Gebhardt

    Sebolelo Majozi Gebhardt

    Advisory Board Member
    Sebolelo Majozi Gebhardt is a South African investment lawyer currently working as General Counsel at Jacobs Holding AG, a family-backed investment firm based in Zurich. Her role primarily entails executing M&A deals globally. Prior to this, Sebolelo worked at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP in Paris, as a banking and finance associate working on syndicated cross-border financings in emerging markets for the leading European banks. Before that, Sebolelo worked in the cross-border corporate (M&A) team and the finance team of Norton Rose Fulbright in London and Johannesburg. Her clients were primarily African private equity funds. Sebolelo is a trustee of Daedalus theatre company - in London - a charity that focuses on theatre projects which explore innovative and meaningful ways to bring together art professionals and community members. She is also an advisory board member at the Mamo Group, a family-owned real estate investment group based in Johannesburg.

  3. Learn more about
    Rolake Rosiji

    Rolake Rosiji

    Advisory Board Member
    Rolake Rosiji is currently Acting MD for Careers in Africa. She has over 13 years of professional experience in jobtech (Jobberman) renewable energy (M-Kopa), consumer goods (Arla Foods), consulting services and entrepreneurship. She has an MSC from London School of Economics and BA Hons from Durham.

  4. Learn more about
    Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani

    Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani

    Advisory Board & Investment Committee Member
    Mia von Koschitzky-Kimani is part of the Advisory Board and Investment Committee at Persistent after having been a Partner at Persistent previously. Mia is also a Partner and COO at Future Africa, an early stage VC fund focused on tech investments across Africa. Previously, Mia was with the Boston Consulting Group building up their Johannesburg office as well as their Sub-Saharan Consumer and Retail Practice where she led projects across the African continent. Mia subsequently founded her own company, DukaConnect, building an AI based point of sale product for micro-retailers across Africa. In 2018, she sold the company to MasterCard where she worked for a year integrating the team and product into the MasterCard organization and leading their overall micro-retail innovation efforts. Mia holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor degree from the University of St. Gallen.