Meet our team

Wilfred is Villgro Africa’s Co-Founder and CEO. He holds an MBA from the University of Milan and a BSc. in Computer Science. He is well plugged into the African entrepreneurial ecosystem as an Incubator Lead, an Angel Investor and a Transaction Advisor. He brings in a diverse set of experiences having lived and worked in the Middle East, India and East Africa. Following a short stint at the African Venture Capital Association, he was immersed in the startups and incubation world while pitching his idea to a Jordanian-based incubator, OASIS500 in 2012. He went on to do a one-year Villgro fellowship in India (2013/14) after which he took up the challenge of scaling Villgro to Africa. To date he has reviewed over 2,000 entrepreneur pitches and been involved in supporting and mentoring over 100 enterprises.

As Villgro Africa’s Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Rob brings a unique combination of seasoned experience in business, social entrepreneurship, education and technology. He is a visionary leader who has lived in Kenya for almost 20 years and is familiar with the unique challenges that entrepreneurs face when it comes to sustainability and scaling within the African context.

Dr. Robert Karanja is a biomedical scientist and development entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in STEM and development sectors. He holds a PhD in Parasitology and Entomology from JKUAT. As a scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Robert was actively involved in the establishment of the intellectual property (IP) and technology transfer office (TTO) where he discovered his passion for innovation. He contributed to intrapreneurial ventures developing diagnostics, nutraceuticals & phytomedicines products at KEMRI. Building on this experience, he launched and led a bio-entrepreneurship bootcamp at Strathmore University Business School for research commercialization in health and agriculture sectors. This paved the way for his entrepreneurial career as Co-founder at Villgro Africa. Robert is passionate about transforming Africa through innovation and building local value chains. In addition, he is an active angel investor and serves on the board of several firms and organizations in Kenya and the region.

Wambui Nyabero is an inventor and innovator who is passionate about the healthcare industry, especially technology that keeps us healthy, helps us live better and get better faster. 

She has 20+ years of experience directing change and growth within both small and large enterprises in the U.S. She has a B.S in Mechanical Engineering & M.S in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Stanford University and excels at finding creative solutions to human, technical, and logistical problems. 

Wambui’s focus at Villgro is building the eco-system for medical device development, growing the medical device pipeline and supporting Invention Based Enterprises in their journey from concept, through regulatory approval to commercialisation.

Moses holds an MSc. in Global Health from the University of Manchester and a Bachelor of Business Administration specialising in entrepreneurship from the Kenya Methodist University.

He has diverse experience in managing health research and intervention programs covering areas such as substance abuse, mental health, HIV/AIDS, health promotion and behaviour change programs. He has held senior roles in several non-profits including the Private Sector Development Trust, the Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya and SCAD.

Snider Mugese is a multi-lingual finance and investment professional with over 5 years’ experience in business growth strategy and financial and investment analysis. She is a Certified Investments and Finance Analyst CIFA(K) and a Chartered Public Accountant CPA (K), holding a Bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Financial Engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

At Villgro Africa, she supports sourcing, screening and selection of deal flow for investment and technical support in addition to managing several portfolio companies. As the Finance Lead, she oversees all areas of responsibilities within the department, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, successful implementation of budgets and the management of sub-awards.

Snider is passionate about improving the lives of the people living at the bottom of the pyramid through innovative and affordable solutions.

Immanuel Momanyi has experience in business consulting, financial modeling, investment analysis and market research. As Villgro Africa's Advisory Lead, he oversees projects that range from market research to help clients understand the African market, the human impact potential for their innovations and the development of commercialization plans that convey go-to-market and business growth strategies, among others.

He has multi-sectoral experience working with businesses first-hand throughout Sub-Saharan Africa to develop new business strategies, raise capital, and pioneer innovative products and services.

He holds a bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Actuarial Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and is in the process of acquiring his actuarial fellowship from the Society of Actuaries.

Joelle Mumley is an experienced writer and entrepreneur. She has worked in several sectors including health, technology, business development, finance and recreation, supporting businesses with writing and editing services. She holds B.A. in Literature and a M.A in Social Entrepreneurship (Hons).

At Villgro Africa, Joelle leads the communications team, working to amplify the stories of innovators in our incubation program, advance the innovation agenda on the continent, and share the exciting work that Villgro Africa is involved in. 

Joelle is passionate about improving healthcare as a way to improve people’s lives. She believes that storytelling is a powerful way to create change.

Deogratias has received his Ph.D. from the University of Kent on the Applications of Artificial Intelligence. He previously did his master's in AI at Tianjin University, in China.

Deogratias has been researching and practising machine learning, deep learning, image and voice signal processing which are the core elements of artificial intelligence since 2012. During his time in China, he also worked for GTA, a data analytics company based in Shenzhen, China. The company recruited him while he was still doing his master’s degree. While in China, Deogratias teamed up to form a team that became second runners in the international innovation competition for automation and UAV in 2014. In 2019, he was among the 15 AI researchers who received the IEEE Outstanding Young Investigator Research Visit award to Sapienza University, Italy.

His research interests are in the application of deep learning, machine learning, data analysis, and including explainable AI systems, virtual and augmented reality. He has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals including Nature and IEEE. Some of his published work has featured in global media houses including Forbes and the BBC.

Deogratias has conducted AI based consultation works for the UNDP and UNICEF. Deogratias has received a grant from Google to implement one of his AI projects, recently awarded a second round of funding from Google for the same project.

Loice Shirwa has worked in the telecommunication and lean startups industries for two years. At Villgro Africa, she conducts financial operations through creating, examining and interpreting financial reports, taxation and budget analysis.

She also supports consultancy projects and portfolio analysis through market research, conducting diligence and selection of innovative startups for incubation across Africa.

Loice seeks to see healthcare businesses reflect life in the 21st century through adoption of viable models. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from Kenyatta University.

Edwin Osora holds a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). He has prior experience working in the health insurance sector for over 3 years. 

At Villgro Africa, he provides analytical and technical support for conducting market research, scouting, screening and selection of innovative startups across Sub-Saharan Africa for incubation. He manages companies that have been onboarded to the portfolio and provides strategic support for their growth.

He provides support in consulting projects, which includes market research for clients, helping them to better understand the African market and the human impact potential for innovations in the African region, market entry strategies, commercialization plans, etc.

Edwin leverages on his artistic hobbies such as graphic designing and photography to tell Villgro Africa’s impact stories.

Amadi Growman has over 2 years of experience working with startups. At Villgro Africa, he provides analytical and technical skills for conducting diligence and selection of innovative startups for incubation across Africa. He also oversees business growth, investor readiness and go-to-market strategy support for early-stage companies.

His additional roles include supporting consulting projects, providing advice on go-to-market strategies, commercialisation plans and helping clients understand the African market.

His ultimate goal is to use his data science skills to help innovative startups solve Africa's toughest problems and positively impact the people living in low-resource settings on the continent.

He has experience in data analysis, qualitative and quantitative research and development of the ecosystem. He holds a B.Sc. Actuarial Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

Winnie Wangari is a B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer graduate from the University of Nairobi. A registered graduate member of the Engineering Board of Kenya (EBK) and the Institute of Engineers of Kenya (EIK). Prior to Villgro Africa, Winnie gained her experience in engineering skills from Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and Gearbox Kenya.

She provides technical support to invention based enterprises to help them through their product development stages, clinical validation phase and go-to-market strategies.

Christian Khisa is a creative storyteller and content developer. He gained his skills and knowledge through working in digital communication and also from Pan African Christian University while doing a Bachelors of Arts in Communications, majoring in public relations and minoring in journalism.

Prior to Villgro Africa, he sharpened his skills by creating content for clients such as Mua Insurance and Heroes for Change.

At Villgro Africa, he collaborates with the team to communicate and tell impact stories. Chrisian leads video production and provides creative support to the communications team through content development such as photography and graphic design.

As Villgro Africa’s Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Rob brings a unique combination of seasoned experience in business, social entrepreneurship, education and technology. He is a visionary leader who has lived in Kenya for almost 20 years and is familiar with the unique challenges that entrepreneurs face when it comes to sustainability and scaling within the African context.

Wilfred is Villgro Africa’s Co-Founder and CEO. He holds an MBA from the University of Milan and a BSc. in Computer Science. He is well plugged into the African entrepreneurial ecosystem as an Incubator Lead, an Angel Investor and a Transaction Advisor. He brings in a diverse set of experiences having lived and worked in the Middle East, India and East Africa. Following a short stint at the African Venture Capital Association, he was immersed in the startups and incubation world while pitching his idea to a Jordanian-based incubator, OASIS500 in 2012. He went on to do a one-year Villgro fellowship in India (2013/14) after which he took up the challenge of scaling Villgro to Africa. To date he has reviewed over 2,000 entrepreneur pitches and been involved in supporting and mentoring over 100 enterprises.

Daniel Ohonde is a dynamic, strategic and visionary leader with more than 25 years of exceptional leadership experience in CEO / COO and investment stewardship roles managing high performance teams. He has a combination of international development experience and broad commercial experience gained from diverse markets.

His experience in the provision of patient capital to small and growing businesses (SGBs) is extensive across Africa and, as a member of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) Global Executive Committee, he also brings on board a deep understanding of the SGB landscape in other developing and emerging markets globally.

He is former CEO at the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF). His passion is in supporting and catalysing early stage (and scaling) innovative enterprises and business models that can sustainably deliver social change.

He has a rich mix of human resources, operations, strategy, finance, investment, governance, resource mobilisation and portfolio management experience having previously worked (across various locations internationally) with African Development Bank, Real People Financial Services, African Management Services Company (AMSCO), USAID, Plus Consultants, ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola Africa, and WestConsult.
Daniel has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from University of Nairobi, MBA in Strategic Management from USIU-A and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.

He is an avid tennis and cricket supporter, is married and blessed with two sons.

Dr. Beatrice Murage is an experienced, results-oriented leader in systems strengthening, healthcare management, entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, digital innovation and exploration/ventures. She has successfully built teams and led strategy, policy formulation, and project implementation in emerging and established markets.

Dr. Abdi Mohamed is an award winning serial entrepreneur who was voted as one of the Top 40 under 40 men in Kenya. He is the co-founder and CEO of Ladnan Hospital which has been acquired by a PE Fund. Dr. Abdi has been elected into leadership positions by his medical professional colleagues. Dr. Abdi has strong entrepreneurial acumen with a leaning towards social enterprises.

Ndeye Thiaw currently heads deal sourcing and transaction execution as the managing partner and a co-founder of Brightmore Capital, an impact investment firm focused on enterprises with regional high growth potential. She has experience leading the identification of investment opportunities, executing transactions, actively managing portfolio projects and building relationships with clients in the banking sector. Her professional experience and insights into Francophone West Africa will further strengthen the expertise and knowledge base of our board.

Nazeem has over 40 years of experience in global pharma, working in both private and public sectors, giving him unique insight into the need for better coordination and harmonisation between these sectors in order to improve the quality of lives of people in the developing world. 

He has played a key role in the development of the local manufacturing industry through his work as the Chair of the Federation of East African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (FEAPM) and the Vice Chair of the Federation of African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (FAPMA). 

Dr. Watu Wamae is a researcher and innovation specialist working at the Africa Oxford Initiative at the University of Oxford. Her research primarily focuses on networks as the locus of innovation within the context of connecting scientific research to the broader innovation ecosystem. In 2021, she set up the Africa Oxford (AfOx) Innovation platform, which supports early-stage ventures turning science-based solutions into viable businesses that address high priority challenges in Africa. She is also a tutor for MBA students at the Said Business School, University of Oxford. She previously worked at the Cambridge Center for Global Health Research and the African Centre for Technology Studies. Dr. Wamae has a PhD in Economics of Innovation, an MA in Economic Policy, Macro-Dynamics and Development, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Economics from the Université de la Méditerranée.