After around thirty years in environmental communications, analyzing files before the Energy Authority and with her 2nd cycle diplomas in Sustainable Carbon Management and Environmental Management, Brigitte uses all her skills and experience to the benefit organizations to accelerate the move to climate action and sustainable development.

Dr. Joseph Nzomoi has a wealth of experience spanning over 20 years’ experience in local and international agricultural and economic policy environment, International Trade / Export Promotion and Facilitation, Agricultural Development, Project Planning, Management & Implementation, Capacity Building, Food Security & Poverty Reduction Strategies, Agricultural Financing and Marketing, Policy Advisory as well as University teaching and Research. Over the years, Dr. Nzomoi has worked in various capacities including Senior Economist, Research Manager, Director (Analysis & Planning), Business Transactions Advisor, Senior Policy & Institutional Development Specialist, Senior Lecturer, Senior Technical Advisor and Exports & Trade Advisor– in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Joseph has also implemented projects in Tanzania and Burundi. In October 2023, Dr. Nzomoi was appointed by the General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as a Full Member of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE).

Tekalign Gutu Sakketa is a postdoctoral researcher at Center for Development Research (ZEF) of Bonn University in Germany. He graduated from Bonn University, with PhD in Development Economics on December 20, 2017. His PhD thesis focuses on youth with special emphasis on social comparisons, well-being, and employment preferences. Currently, his research focuses on social protection programs in developing world, trade, food systems, impact of conflict on labor markets, among others. He holds two M.Sc. degrees in Agricultural Economics from Haramaya University, Ethiopia and advanced M.Sc. in Globalization and Development from the University of Antwerp. Before pursuing PhD program at Bonn University, he was a research officer at International Food Policy Research Institute. He has published a number of peer reviewed articles, discussion papers and working papers which are presented on both national and international workshop and conferences as well as different medias. He has received different awards and scholarships for his research and academic performances.

Bibhash Das is a Toronto-based sustainable energy professional with over a decade of global experience advancing low-carbon solutions across wind, solar, and building-efficiency sectors. He combines engineering expertise with data-driven insight, holding an MBA from Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada an M.Sc. in Wind Power Project Management from Uppsala University, Sweden and a B.Tech. in Computer Engineering from MNIT Jaipur, India.

His international career spans project execution, technical due diligence, and strategy development across three continents. Bibhash has worked on solar thermal systems for industrial steam generation, renewable energy policy and efficiency programs in India, owner’s engineering for wind projects in Europe, and business development for sustainability and platform startups. He has helped secure government incentives, developed statistical models to refine performance-risk evaluations, and applied AI insights to enhance operations and lead generation.

Proficient in traditional and agile project management, Bibhash integrates advanced analytics and AI into his sustainability work. As a mentor and advocate for cross-sector collaboration, His current work focuses on supporting NGOs, privates and public institutions scale Innovative technology-driven sustainability solutions.

Olivier FURAHA consolidates a wealth of experience in agricultural and rural economic development in Rwanda. Olivier has served in various capacities in the past 15 years in projects management, planning, agri-business as well in an advisory capacity in both public development and private sector.

Olivier has extensive experience in integrated rural development at the grassroots local community level including: Studies with participatory approach such as the Community Development Plan; the strategy to improve local business enabling environment based on a survey amongst micro, small and medium enterprises and cooperatives.

Olivier draws his experience from the public and private sectors as well as international development agencies including the World Bank where he was the Project Coordinator two times in two different ministries (Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Public Service and Labour). He too served as In-charge of Projects in Bugesera District.

Olivier has had training in Rural Economy at undergraduate level and International Agriculture at post graduate level.

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Divine Mugisha is a thoughtful and committed leader with hands-on experience in administration, project coordination, and organizational management in the non-profit world. Over the years, she has worn many hats  from supporting strategic planning to ensuring day-to-day operations run smoothly  always with a deep commitment to community development and making a meaningful impact. She has played a key role in turning ideas into action,  building solid internal systems, helping teams stay connected, and ensuring that the small but important details are never overlooked.

Her work also extends to advancing gender equality and youth-focused innovation, where she actively promotes initiatives that empower young people especially young women to unlock their potential, embrace creativity, and lead solutions for their communities. She believes the future of inclusive development lies in equipping youth with the tools, confidence, and innovative mindset to challenge barriers and design sustainable change.

Divine draws on her experience from both grassroots organizations and international NGOs, where she has developed a deep understanding of operational structures and the importance of aligning mission, people, and process. Her bilingual fluency (French and English), attention to detail, and human-centered approach make her a reliable and trusted presence in any leadership team.

She holds a Master’s degree in Business Management, with a thesis focused on project implementation in non-governmental organizations.

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Leonard Nkunzimana is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at IFSS Inc, since January 2022.

He has more than 15 years of experience in international cooperation and development.

In the past, Mr. Nkunzimana worked for various organisations, including University of Burundi, public and private organizations as researcher and expert in programs management and evaluation.

Most recently (2018-2019), Mr Nkunzimana held the position of Trade and Market Research Advisor; an International co-operation program of  Uniterra / World University Services of Canada(WUSC)  in partnership with African Institute for Corporate Citizenship(AICC).

Throughout his professional career of more than 15 years, M. Leonard has been involved in various Organisations, including Governments, international and regional organizations and University programs as lecturer and researcher , proposals writing, projects design and management.

Having been invited several times in international business meetings and missions on sustainable development and inclusive growth, Mr. Nkunzimana is comfortable working in a multidisciplinary backgrounds and multicultural environments. In 2014, Leonard was invited as Research Scholar at Arizona State University (ASU) to learn and share with ASU professionals his experience on social acceptability of bioenergy projects in the East- African context. All the above accomplishments to his credits have been made possible by his ability to communicate and work in the two international languages ​​(English and French) and African languages.

He holds an advanced masters in Development Management and Evaluation from the University of Antwerp and a Specialized Studies Diploma in International Cooperation and Development from Free University of Brussels.

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