Optimize Your Business Potential with Us

Vanessa Adams is a visionary leader with over 25 years of experience in economic development, agriculture, and market systems. She has spearheaded transformative projects across 30 African countries, focusing on policy reform, investment facilitation, and agricultural value chains. Vanessa holds an Executive MBA from INSEAD, complementing her strategic acumen with expertise in Political Economy Analysis. Her leadership in multi-stakeholder initiatives like AGRA’s PIATA has advanced agricultural governance frameworks and improved rural livelihoods. Fluent in English, French, conversant in Bambara and adept with Amharic. Vanessa excels in fostering impactful partnerships, and co-founded the Global Shea Alliance, African Cashew Alliance, as well as Value4Her Connect.

Marialyce Mutchler has over 25 years of experience in agribusiness and international development, including leadership in USAID-funded projects. Her strategic vision and expertise in policy reform, market linkages, and institutional capacity building have driven systemic transformations in East African food systems. Holding an EMBA from HEC Paris, Marialyce is highly skilled in facilitating public-private dialogues. Her deep understanding value chains enables actionable recommendations to meet global standards. 

Anne Mbaabu is a leader with over 40 years of expertise in international agricultural development and business management. She has held senior roles at AGRA, where she developed market access strategies impacting millions of smallholder farmers and raised $80 million in funding. Anne’s academic achievements include an MSc in Food Science and Technology and an MBA in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi. Her specialties include value chain analysis, post-harvest management, and structured trading systems, positioning her as a pivotal figure in transforming food systems across Africa.

Terry Wyer is a seasoned investment and international development professional with more than 25 years of experience mobilizing capital for sustainable growth across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the U.S. He specializes in fundraising and investment facilitation from family offices, foundations, pension funds, and development finance institutions (DFIs), with a proven track record in structuring funds, strengthening financial sectors, and channeling private capital into impactful projects.

Most recently, Terry led a market systems assessment under the USAID-funded Market Systems Transition (MST) program in Uzbekistan, driving investment facilitation in ICT, tourism, and textiles while engaging local financial institutions to expand access to capital. His expertise includes program management, fund development (debt, equity, mezzanine), SME lending, and institutional capacity building, with a consistent focus on ESG integration across agriculture, health, renewable energy, and private markets.

Terry has partnered extensively with global financial institutions and donors, including the World Bank, IFC, EBRD, AfDB, ADB, the EU, and multiple DFIs, aligning responsible investment strategies with social and environmental outcomes. Previously, as Senior Vice President of Heifer Impact Capital, he led impact investment initiatives connecting global investors to local communities.

Based in South Africa for the past 18 years, Terry is fluent in Russian and Polish and brings a global perspective to advancing sustainable finance and development.

Lavender is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience, specializing in driving technologically innovative projects across a range of industries, including IT, telecommunications, agri-tech, and climate tech. Her career is marked by leading large-scale initiatives such as the development of the Agribusiness Deal Room platform for over 4000 SMEs and partners under AGRA, spearheading the setup and launch of multiple gaming platforms in East Africa, and advancing Digital Climate Smart Agriculture initiatives. Lavender has demonstrated success in building and managing operations within startups and SMEs, delivering transformative projects, and forging key partnerships with major stakeholders. With a strong foundation in project management, solution architecture, product development, and strategic planning, Lavender excels in steering complex projects from inception to completion, ensuring impactful results.

Mengesha Tadesse is a senior policy, regulatory, enabling environment expert with a wealth of professional experience in the field of agriculture and private sector development, including roles as an Agriculture and Private Sector Development Consultant, Trade/Private Sector Development Specialist, International Trade Expert, and Agricultural Policy and Regulatory Assessment Specialist. He has worked with various organizations such as the World Bank, AARC Consultancy/Expertise Advisors/STEM-VCR Consortium, Pan-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PACCI) International Economics Consulting Ltd, Stantec/SOFRECO Consortium, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)/BGMF, USAID/ACDI-VOCA, European Union/Agriconsulting Europe S.A., and more. Mengesha has been involved in a range of projects and responsibilities, including evaluating the effectiveness of World Bank support in Ethiopia, providing technical assistance in economic and private sector development, analyzing the impact of trade agreements and policies, developing and implementing agricultural policies and reforms, and conducting impact assessments for Ethiopia's accession to the WTO. Mengesha Tadesse Seyoum has extensive education and qualifications in law, including LL.M. degrees in Agricultural and Food Law, International Agricultural Trade Law, and International and Comparative Law.

Partha is an experienced with over 25 years of global expertise. He has operationalized agribusinesses worth $50-300 million in Africa and Asia with Olam International and Barry Callebaut, focusing on sustainable value chains, smallholder livelihoods, and corporate social responsibility. An accomplished team leader and consultant, he specializes in responsible sourcing, climate finance, and biodiversity. Partha holds a Master’s in Climate Change Finance & Investment from the University of Edinburgh and worked across 168 countries, bringing a unique perspective to his work. Partha speaks English, French, Hindi. 

Dr. Sue Canney Davison is a British expert in sustainable food systems, gender-responsive programming, and value chain development, with over 30 years of global experience in agriculture, natural products, and renewable energy. She is the founder of Pipal Ltd, a Kenya- and UK-based company specializing in strategic facilitation and project development, and co-founder of Radical Facilitation.

Sue has designed and led multi-stakeholder platforms, leadership programs, and strategy processes for organizations including the World Bank, AGRA, USAID, CGIAR, and CABI. Her work emphasizes building transparent, resilient, and gender-inclusive systems that connect smallholder farmers—especially women—to markets and improve livelihoods.

With a long-standing focus on medicinal plants and tree-based livelihoods, Sue co-founded the Kenyan Burseraceae Research Forum, advises the AIRMID Institute, and is a Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg. Her expertise spans community land governance, sustainable natural resource use, and intercultural management, grounded in her PhD from London Business School on multicultural teamwork.

Based in Kenya for over 25 years, Sue speaks English, Hindi, French, and Kiswahili, and has worked in more than 40 countries. She remains committed to advancing inclusive, sustainable agriculture and food security through innovative, collaborative solutions.