DMFA: Africa’s Innovation Generation: How Ideas Become Scalable Solutions
It’s impossible to talk about startups in the 21st century and leave out the African continent. Entrepreneurial spirit has always been an integral part of African societies, and Africa’s ever-growing youth population is at the forefront of economic development. But what challenges do entrepreneurs still face? What role does the international community play? And how can we create an enabling environment that allows innovation to thrive? Join this session, in which you can vote in favour or against statements on entrepreneurship in Africa, and join the discussion with three African impact entrepreneurs that are active in agroforestry, aquaculture and health tech.
Speakers
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Natalie den Breugom de HaasDeputy Director for the Department Sustainable Economic Development, DMFANatalie den Breugom de Haas
Deputy Director for the Department Sustainable Economic Development, DMFA
Natalie is Deputy Director of the Sustainable Economic Development Department and head of the department’s strategy team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
Natalie has been working at the Ministry since 2000, in various roles both abroad and in The Hague. During her career, she has gained extensive experience in development cooperation, with a particular focus on private sector development. In addition, Natalie spent time at a research institution (Leiden University) and has valuable, long-standing professional experience in the field of strategic human resources policy and change management. She has previously worked in Suriname, Zambia and Curaçao.
Natalie is passionate about contributing to sustainable development: a world with equal opportunities for all, where people and the environment can thrive sustainably. -
Lorna MudeguCo-Founder & CEO, WavuLorna Mudegu
Co-Founder & CEO, Wavu
Lorna Mudegu is a Kenyan aquaculture entrepreneur and blue economy leader dedicated to transforming smallholder aquaculture across Africa. As the CEO and co founder of WAVU, she is building a WhatsApp first marketplace and logistics platform that connects fish farmers to quality inputs, reliable markets, and practical digital support. Her career spans government, development programmes, consulting, and entrepreneurship, giving her extensive experience working alongside farming communities to strengthen livelihoods and food systems. Lorna is passionate about using innovation to build inclusive, resilient aquaculture value chains that create opportunities for women and youth while increasing access to sustainable protein. Her work has been recognised by Hatch Blue, Katapult Ocean's Top 100 Innovators Shaping Africa's Blue Economy, SPARK GIZ, and UNIDO Global FoodTech.
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Rokiatou TraoréFounder & Executive Director, Herou Alliance | UNCCD Land Hero | Green EntrepreneurRokiatou Traoré
Founder & Executive Director, Herou Alliance | UNCCD Land Hero | Green Entrepreneur
Rokiatou Traoré is a Malian green entrepreneur and the Founder & Executive Director of Herou Alliance, a social enterprise working on land restoration, agroforestry, sustainable agriculture and inclusive green entrepreneurship. Through Herou Alliance, she has supported thousands of smallholder farmers and contributed to the planting of over 150,000 trees across Mali. She is a UNCCD Land Hero and a member of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change, working on agriculture and food security within the UNFCCC negotiations. Her work focuses on creating economic opportunities for women and youth while restoring degraded land and building resilient food systems.
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Hamza AbuelkhairFounder & CEO, LothghaHamza Abuelkhair
Founder & CEO, Lothgha
Hamza Abu-alkhair is an Egyptian Communication and Computer Engineering student at Mansoura University, a member of the Forbes Middle East 30 Under 30 (2025) Social Impact List, an Anzisha Fellow, a Top 6 Global Finalist in the Hult Prize, and a START Global Fellow.
He is the Founder and CEO of Lothgha, an AI-powered platform for speech disorder treatment.
After living with a speech disorder for over 20 years, Lothgha was founded to transform that personal experience into a scalable solution. What began with Hamza as the platform's first user and first success story has grown into a platform serving more than 6,000 active users across 50 countries, helping people overcome stuttering, lisping, aphasia, and other speech disorders.
With a background in both software engineering and entrepreneurship, Hamza previously worked as a programmer for two years and as a Project Coordinator at a Saudi company developing an aphasia treatment application. Today, he leads Lothgha's cross-functional teams across product development, marketing, and operations.
His work has been recognized through eight regional and international awards, including Best Arabic App and Best Social Impact App in the MENA region.