Nancy Iraba is an Award-Winning Marine Scientist (Msc), Co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer at Healthy Seaweed Co. Limited (™️ Seaweed Cafe). This social enterprise innovates and processes diverse high-quality nutritious and affordable seaweed-based food products while creating markets for women seaweed farmers in Tanzania. Seaweed Cafe has partnered with 130 women seaweed farmers in Zanzibar and Kilwa who buy approximately 20 tons of seaweed as raw material per year and offer them technical skills in climate-resilient seaweed farming to increase seaweed production. Seaweed Cafe’s vision is to promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle through innovative seaweed superfoods. 

Mashoko Chakanyuka is Head – Youth Employment in Agriculture based in Nairobi, Kenya within AGRA which is a proudly African-led institution focused on scaling agricultural innovations that help smallholder farmers towards increased incomes, better livelihoods, and improved food security in many different African countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania. In this role Mashoko leads AGRA’s efforts to effectively engage young people as both drivers and beneficiaries of food systems transformation. Mashoko has over 15 years working in various capacities in Ag-food systems work including market development, access to finance, strengthening farmer cooperatives, youth groups and agri-SMEs facilitating their participation in mainstream markets. 

Dr. Mamdouh Issa: CEO & Managing Director of AHDO – Arab Health and Development Corporation 
With twenty-three years’ experience in the fields of sustainable development, Mamdouh Issa is a Food Safety and Sustainable Development Expert for Arab Planning Institute (Arab Experts List), and an Editor-in-chief for "Food" Magazine. He is also Food content consultant for "Arab Food Gate”, Tutor and/or Translator for many international and local organizations, universities and institutions; i.e. The UN FAO, USDA; Farmer2Farmer, ERAS and TRADE, GIZ, EOS, National Institute of Planning, Konya University for Food and Agriculture - Turkieye, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Agriculture Export Council, Chamber of Food Industries, Egypt International Center for Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture.

Chairman of the African Committee on Science and Technology (STC), for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)Ahmed Ali Abdelati Ahmed CST vice-chair Dr. Ahmed Abdelati Ahmed is a Professor of Agronomy and Head of the Plant Production Department of Ecology and Dry lands Agriculture at the Desert Research Center. He was nominated by Egypt to serve as the principal Science & Technology Correspondent (STC) for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Ahmed is the head of the Scientific Committee in Egypt and the Arab Team, following closely the implementation of the UNCCD and CBD for Egypt and the League of Arab States. He was appointed as the Egyptian National Consultant to the UNCCD Inter-working Group (IWG) on Drought. Ahmed is also the Focal Point of the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) as Co-Chair of the Taskforce for Sustainability.

He has been a Professor of Biological Sciences for over 20 years. His interdisciplinary background covers Agriculture (BS), International Affairs (MA), Environmental Science (MS), and Entomology (PhD). He is a trained and accomplished facilitator in eLearning, Critical Thinking, Problem-Based Learning, Case Studies in teaching science, and is certified in Quality MattersTM rubric. This diverse foundation has shaped him into a versatile expert capable of addressing complex challenges through innovative approaches tested at over 20 countries in Africa, Central America, the Middle-East, the Far-East, and the United States. Additionally, Prof. Otieno’s partnerships on the African Continent include; The Arab Health and Development Organization (AHDO), the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the Mastercard Foundation, and Winrock International.