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