Ekeledo, Anna

Anna Ekeledo is the Executive Director of AfriLabs – a network organisation of over 400 technology and innovation hubs spread across 225 cities, 53 African countries and the diaspora. She leads the AfriLabs community to achieve its vision of a thriving innovation economy in Africa and heads a pan-African team to develop initiatives and build multi-stakeholder partnerships that support African innovation hubs and other stakeholders in raising high potential entrepreneurs that stimulate economic growth and social development in Africa.

Anna is an international speaker, trainer, innovation ecosystem builder, and advisor. She also holds advisory roles in; Technopolis Group Amsterdam and the Alibaba efounders fellowship. Anna is a member of the Africa-Europe Foundation Digital Strategy Task Force, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the future of technology policy, a member of the NESG Strategic Group on Mining and Manufacturing, and a judge and mentor for the Cartier Women’s Initiative, a global programme that supports women entrepreneurs. Anna has participated in several Ministerial Roundtable conversations recently, notably the African startup Conference Ministerial Roundtable Algeria, 2023, the GEC+Africa Ministerial Roundtable Cape Town South Africa 2024, and the Digital Cooperation Assembly DCO General Assembly, where she represents AfriLabs as an observer.

Anna has a first-class degree in psychology from Covenant University, Nigeria, and an M.Sc. in International Marketing Management from Leeds University Business School, UK. She is a Skoll World Forum Fellow and has also been recognized as a top African economic and tech leader by bodies such as Choiseul 100 Africa and Agile 50, the World’s 50 Most Influential People Navigating Disruption, by Apolitical and the World Economic Forum.

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Speaking in
IASP 2024