

October 19-21, 2022 | New York City
Overview
The Trade, FDI, and Innovation for Sustainable Development in Africa (TFi4SD Africa) Summit is a senior-level, invitation-only forum. As Africa rides the wave of the digital revolution to transition from the margins to the mainstream of global commerce, the Summit is curated to foster commercial and policy solutions in a collaborative environment.
Held every year since 2017, TFi4SD Africa convenes stakeholders from government, industry, academia, and the global development sector to explore and harness best practices from around the world – to help cultivate a deeper understanding of Africa’s position in the changing global economic order.
The 2022 Summit will be hosted by the Economic Club of Africa in New York from October 19-21 in New York City. With both domestic and external financing drying up in the aftermath of COVID-19, there is a need for fresh ideas and new strategies for financing sustainable development in Africa in the post-pandemic era – just like other regions of the world. This informs the broad theme of the 2022 Summit.
An invitation-only forum – with exciting networking opportunities – TFi4SD Africa brings global leaders to the doorstep of participants!
Speakers

Her Excellency Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
Former President of Mauritius

Kathryn Wylde
President & CEO, Partnership for New York City

Dr. Fred Olayele
Director, Sprott Centre for African Research and Business, Carleton University, Canada & Board Chair, Economic Club of Africa in New York

Dr. Robin L. Garrell
President, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York

Dr. Witney Schneidman
Senior International Advisor for Africa Covington & Burling LLP, Washington, DC, United States

Ambassador Charles Ray
Chair, Africa Program, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia

Pradip Madan
Managing Partner, Great North Ventures Silicon Valley, California, United States

Dr. Lourdes Casanova
Academic Director, Emerging Markets Institute Cornell University, New York, United States

Tunde Fafunwa
Managing Director, Kitskoo & Member, African Union, Digital Transformation Strategy

Dr. Marit Kitaw
Interim Director, African Minerals Development Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Modibo I. Toure
Special Envoy on Shareholder Relations to the President of the African Development Bank; Former Malian Minister of Telecommunications; & Board Director, Economic Club of Africa in New York.

Joshua Soloway
Chief Legal Officer & Head of Capital Markets, CarbonEthic & Board Secretary, Economic Club of Africa in New York

Dr. Mima S. Nedelcovych
Chairman, AfricaGlobal Schaffer, Washington, DC, United States

Karen Bhatia
Faculty, Stanford University

Dr. Bartholomew Armah
Acting Director, Macroeconomics and Governance, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ambassador Johanna Svanikier
Founder & President, Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa Foundation, Accra, Ghana

Eric A. Clement
SVP, Fund Manager, Social Impact & Sustainability Investments, RXR, New York

Jaclyn Kelly
Director, NYC Labor Market Information Service (LMIS), Center for Urban Research, The CUNY Graduate Center, New York

Dr. Akolisa Ufodike
Assistant Professor, York University, Canada

Amaha Kassa
Executive Director, African Communities Together, New York

Dr. You Zheng
Senior Research Associate, NYC Labor Market Information Service (LMIS), Center for Urban Research, The CUNY Graduate Center, New York

Daniel Clark
Director of Business Development, New York City Economic Development Corporation

Fergus Maclaren
Director of Knowledge Mobilization, Economic Innovation Institute for Africa, Canada
Agenda
DAY 1: OCTOBER 19, 2022
Networking Cocktail (5:00 to 8:00 PM)
DAY 2: OCTOBER 20, 2022
8:30 – 9:00 AM:
Welcome Coffee and Registration
9:00 – 9:05 AM
Introductions
9:05 – 9:10 AM
Welcome Message

Dr. Robin L. Garrell
President, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York
9:10 – 9:20 AM
Opening Remarks

Dr. Fred Olayele
Director, Sprott Centre for African Research and Business, Carleton University, Canada & Board Chair, Economic Club of Africa in New York
9:20 – 10:20 AM
Session I: Preparing Africa’s Next Unicorns: Disruptive Technologies and the Venture Capital Ecosystem
Moderator

Pradip Madan
Managing Partner, Great North Ventures Silicon Valley, California
Speakers

Dr. Bartholomew Armah
Acting Director, Macroeconomics and Governance, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dr. Akolisa Ufodike
Assistant Professor, York University, Canada

Karen Bhatia
Faculty, Stanford University

Tunde Fafunwa
Managing Director, Kitskoo & Member, African Union, Digital Transformation Strategy
10:20 – 10:50 AM
Special Presentation: Immigration, Wage Gap, and the African Diaspora
Speakers

Amaha Kassa
Founder & Executive Director, African Communities Together, New York

Jaclyn Kelly
Director, NYC Labor Market Information Service (LMIS), Center for Urban Research, The CUNY Graduate Center

Dr. You Zheng
Senior Research Associate, NYC Labor Market Information Service (LMIS), Center for Urban Research, The CUNY Graduate Center
10:50 – 11:10 AM
Keynote
Speaker

Her Excellency Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
Former President of Mauritius
11:10 – 11:25 AM
Networking Break
11:25AM – 12:25 PM
Session II: Public-Private Partnerships and Innovative Resource Mobilization: Prospects and Challenges in the African Context
Moderator

Modibo Toure
Special Envoy on Shareholder Relations to the President of the African Development Bank, Côte d'Ivoire & Board Director, Economic Club of Africa in New York
Speakers

Dr. Mima Nedelcovych
Founder/Chairman, AfricaGlobal Schaffer, Washington, DC

Kathryn Wylde
President/CEO, Partnership for New York City, New York

Dr. Marit Kitaw
Interim Director of the Africa Union’s African Minerals Development Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ambassador Charles Ray
Chair, Africa Program, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia
12:25 – 1:15 PM
Lunch
1:15 – 2:15 PM
Session III: Sustainable Development in Post-Pandemic Africa: Effective Strategies for Resource Mobilization (Book Link)
Moderator

Dr. Fred Olayele
Director, Sprott Centre for African Research and Business, Carleton University, Canada & Board Chair, Economic Club of Africa in New York
Speakers (Authors)

Dr. Akolisa Ufodike
Assistant Professor, York University, Canada

Dr. Marit Kitaw
Interim Director of the Africa Union’s African Minerals Development Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Fergus Maclaren
Director of Knowledge Mobilization, Economic Innovation Institute for Africa, Canada

Dr. Bartholomew Armah
Acting Director, Macroeconomics and Governance, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2:15 – 2:50 PM
Special Presentation: Reimagining Tourism, Heritage, and Culture in Africa
Speaker

Ambassador Johanna Svanikier
President & CEO, Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa, Ghana
2:50 – 3:05 PM
Networking Break
3:05 – 4:05 PM
Session IV: Diaspora Remittances and Pension Funds for Development in Africa
Moderator

Joshua Soloway
Chief Legal Officer & Head of Capital Markets, CarbonEthic & Board Secretary, Economic Club of Africa in New York
Speakers

Dr. Witney Schneidman
Senior International Advisor for Africa, Covington & Burling LLP, Washington, DC

Eric Clement
Senior Vice President and Fund Manager, Social Impact & Sustainability Investments, RXR, New York

Dr. Lourdes S. Casanova
Academic Director, Emerging Markets Institute, Cornell University, New York
4:05 – 4:25 PM
Special Presentation: New York City: The Global Business Capital
Speaker

Daniel Clark
Director of Business Development, New York City Economic Development Corporation
4:25 – 4:30 PM
Closing Remarks

Modibo Toure
Special Envoy on Shareholder Relations to the President of the African Development Bank, Côte d'Ivoire & Board Director, Economic Club of Africa in New York
4:30PM
Closing Ceremony & Networking
DAY 3: OCTOBER 21, 2022
- Meetings
- Sustainable Development in Post-Pandemic Africa and Effective Strategies for Resource Mobilization
- Innovative Financing Mechanisms
- Venture Capital and Innovation Ecosystems
- Funds and Public-Private Partnerships
- Tours & Sightseeing
Venue
Skylight Conference Room
Graduate Center, City University of New York 365 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10016-4039, United States
Sponsors & Partners







