BOOTCAMP SPEAKERS
Motlatsi Tolo
Managing Director,
Raseto Agricultural Enterprise Cc
Ms Motlatsi Tolo graduated with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Geoscience, from Midwestern State University in Texas, USA.
Upon graduation, she returned home to South Africa and joined the family-owned business called Raseto Agricultural Enterprise cc where she is currently the Managing Director. Raseto has been established as an agribusiness currently involved in broiler production, livestock and horticulture. The main production unit is the broiler production unit.
Ms Tolo is a frequent invited speaker to international fora. In 2019, she attended the World Export Development Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2020, she was a panelist with the Trade Law Centre to discuss on the topic of “Thinking Afresh about Industrialization and Industrial Policy for Africa.” In 2021, she hosted an Agricultural Talkshow called AgriTalks.
She is a member of the Africa Poultry Producers (APP), and South African Poultry Association (SAPA). She is also a member and alumni of the Black Women In Science (BWIS) in South Africa.
Later, she pursued higher studies in Supply Chain Management at the University of Stellenbosch Business School in 2021. Subsequently, she has been selected to be part of the Corteva Women Agripreneurs Programme, as well as the Africa-Asia Business Forum at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), an affiliate of the University of Pretoria.
Ms Tolo is an emissary for the Africa Europe and Asia Business Council (AEABC). The AEABC is an international chamber of commerce and industry which seeks to promote trade and investment around the world. It was founded in 2019 to support the emergence of the African continent and to promote the business opportunities arising thereof. AEABC is headquartered in the island of Mauritius.
As a serial entrepreneur, she brings her domain knowledge and networking skills to strategically align partners and projects for socio-economic progress.
Alpha Sennon
Founder & Executive Director, WHYFARM
Alpha Sennon grew up in Siparia, south of Trinidad on a crop and livestock farm but disliked it. During this period, his experiences never connected him to understanding the need for or the “why” of farming. As he got older, when choosing career paths, he attempted to run furthest away from Agriculture but was eventually led right back to where he began; in the soil. His pain became his passion, his passion became his purpose which is to inspire children to feed the world by the year 2050.
Alpha founded WHYFARM (We Help You-th Farm) a globally recognised and award-winning nonprofit organisation that pioneers Agricultural Educational Entertainment (Agri-edutaintment), with a mission to promote the importance of sustainable agriculture among youth and children, build their capacity in Agricultural Entrepreneurship, and empower them to contribute to achieving global food and nutrition security. Alpha is globally known as a farmerpreneur, motivational speaker and agri-youth advocate who is also a graduate of the University of the West Indies.
Alpha developed AGRIMAN and Photosynthesista, the world’s 1st Food and Nutrition Security Superheroes, that not only teach youth the “how” to farm, but it helps every individual develop their own understanding, motivation and commitment to the “why” of farming.
Alpha is also an alumnus of the 2016 Young Leaders of Americas Initiative lead by his Excellency Mr Barack Obama. Alpha was awarded the 2018-Andrew-e-Rice-Award for his work in Leadership and Innovation as a Young Professional in International Development by the Society for International Development, Washington Chapter. Most recently, Alpha was presented with the winning title of ‘Social Entrepreneur’ of the year by CEMEX-TEC Mexico and Ashoka Organisation. He was also named the 40 under 40 influencer of the year by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. Alpha plans to put the AGmazing AGventures of AGRIman on big screen to sensitize boys and girls across the world in the very near future.
Godwill T.K. Mensah
Executive Director for COME (Center for Outreach Mentorship & Empowerment)
Godswill T.K. Mensah is a value-based leadership and mentorship advocate and trainer. He is an entrepreneur and a public speaker with over two decades experience. Mr Mensah speaks extensively across the continent of Africa to tertiary students, young professionals, and captains of industries. Trained in communication and leadership, Godswill presents his content during training seminars and conferences in a passionate, simple, and yet winsome way that engages both the heart and the mind.
He is the Executive Director for COME (Center for Outreach Mentorship & Empowerment); a human capital and value-based leadership development organization empowering individuals and organizations to impact and influence their world. COME raises and mentors leaders of global appeal in any land and in any field.
Currently, Godswill and his COME team are mentoring about a thousand students across various tertiary campuses on the continent of Africa and Europe from institutions such as University of Capetown (South Africa), University of Malawi, University of Witwatersrand (South Africa), University of Berlin (Germany), University of Ghana and Ashesi University among others.
Regarding training, Mr. Mensah has led in training the human capital of some key organizations and institutions both home and abroad. These include but not limited to the Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) and their NexGen Program, John Agyekum-Kuffour (JAK) Foundation, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) as a guest speaker of the cohort 16 of YALI’s New Emerging Leaders Program, reorienting the teaming youth and entrepreneurs of Sierra Leone through a flagship program with the government of Sierra leone through the Attitudinal Behavioral change (ABC) secretariat and the Young Professionals Forum of Liberia, Sierraleone, Nigeria, Gambia, Zambia and Botswana.
Godswill authored the books: How The Mighty Have Fallen and Roaring Through The Dark.
Mr Mensah is married to Henrose Samuella Mensah and they are blessed with a bubbly daughter, Susan Naa Ameley Mensah. He believes “long life is not merely old age, but years long just enough to fulfill one’s purpose of existence”
Dr. Mulugheta T. Solomon
Data Academy Consultant,
The Information Lab Italy
Dr. Mulugheta T. SOLOMON is doing his internship at The Information Lab Italia (Milan) since February 2022 as a Data Academy Consultant.
Dr. Mulugheta T. SOLOMON has a Ph.D. in Management of Innovation in the Agricultural and Food Systems (Postharvest Technology) with two master’s degrees (MSc) in Data Science and Mediterranean Organic Agriculture and a BSc in Plant Sciences/ Horticulture.
Dr. Mulugheta T. SOLOMON has worked as a research and teaching graduate assistant in an agricultural college, data/information management assistant, counselor/Interpreter, and cultural mediator in international humanitarian organizations in multiple countries: Eritrea, Italy, Spain, and Romania.
Dr Mulugheta T. SOLOMON is an active Omdena collaborator as Product Lead/Owner, Lead Machine Learning Engineer in several Omdena Core Challenges since 2020, and course Instructor at OmdenaSchool for “Data Science for Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems” since 2021, and a member of the Omdena-Uganda Chapter and lead committee member. Moreover, Dr. Solomon is an IT team member at Global Diaspora Confederation (GDC). and Research Expert Panel at IntelliDigest.
Dr. Solomon is particularly interested in applying artificial intelligence and data science to real-world problems to solve ecological, economic, and human displacement crises and sustainability for a better global society.
Jody White
Founder & CEO, Slimdown 360
An award-winning Caribbean Entrepreneur in the field of health, sustainable food processing and exports, Jody currently also consults for a variety of companies in various fields of business development. He is also the Founder & CEO of Slimdown 360 a multi division company focused on food production with an emphasis on extra regional exports. The largest root crop agro processing manufacturer and exporter in Trinidad and Tobago.
Rachael Ann Cooper-Lee
President/Chairwoman, Moruga Hill Rice Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society Ltd
Rachael Ann is the founding member, President and Chairperson of the Moruga Hill Rice Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society Limited since 2018.
She holds an MBA (Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation), ANGLIA RUSKIN and (Hon.) BSC Agribusiness Minors Entrepreneurship and Communication/Extension U.W.I St Augustine