Is a visionary leader driving Africa’s transition to a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy. As the Founder and CEO of Wise Preneurs Africa (WiPA), she is spearheading the protection, funding, and commercialization of local groundbreaking ideas. Through WiPA, we drive the monetization of intellectual property (IP), ensuring African youth-owned innovations and inventions achieve commercial success
With extensive experience in enterprise development, financial management, teaching, research, and sustainability leadership, Lilian has supported thousands of students in transitioning from academia to entrepreneurship. She previously managed an investment fund for Bright Future SACCOS. Her expertise spans fundraising, impact investing, and scaling high-growth startups in fintech, agritech, renewable energy, and the circular economy.
Lilian holds Green Rank and Affiliate-Level Certification with Sustainability Promoters and Sustainability Collaborators UK and is a certified Sustainability Ambassador. She is a strong advocate for biochar applications, climate resilience, and regenerative agriculture, and she is dedicated to positioning Africa as a global leader in sustainable industrialization.
She is currently leading efforts to secure a $1 billion investment portfolio to scale Africa’s youth-driven innovations into global enterprises. Under her leadership, WiPA is not just funding startups—it is building an entirely new economic frontier. By unlocking Africa’s intellectual property and scaling these solutions, WiPA offers an unparalleled investment opportunity for stakeholders seeking to shape the future of Africa’s industrial and digital economy.
Having moved from the private sector in the early 1990s, Paul first worked in the Kenyan Government in Meru Municipal, becoming part of the management team assisting social enterprise development. He switched to humanitarian work managing projects in fast-paced, complex, and conflictual settings before moving into economically related development with a focus on decent work creation in rural economies, drawing on his business roots in primary production. Paul left the development world, returning to the private sector, working in the Gulf, leading management skills growth whilst also pursuing further research on organizational development to work in complex settings, building on his leadership with basic service delivery in complex settings. He has supported disaster risk reduction, resilience, and livelihood work in Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia, and was part of Japan’s IGAD engagement through ‘Build Back Better’.
Paul went on to set up the Trust Fund management for over US$ 300 million of programming in Sudan while supporting other countries following this approach. He returned to the East and Southern Africa undertaking livelihood (ICRC regional) and water programme (UNICEF Somalia) and public health (Oxfam Zimbabwe) sector evaluations before building ILO’s Somalia programming with an emphasis on policy frameworks facilitating employment creation, related supportive infrastructure, and governance work for the inclusion of all.
Paul has re-entered advisory work, assisting quality people and organizations. Focused on economic development, enabling environment for livelihood and local economic development, highlighting policy and governance aspects fitting livelihoods to localization. Using his knowledge, contributing to skills building, concentrating on the education to employment transition, youth employment, and women’s economic empowerment, his work has been influential for socio-economic inclusion in climate adaptation and resilience work where he has contributed to programming frameworks and approaches across East Africa and complex settings of Afghanistan and Iran.
Academic linkages related to entrepreneurship and organizational development continue with Henley Business School, Oxford Futures Forum, the International Council of Small Businesses, and Durham University’s Business School. University of Cambridge’s Sustainable Development added insight into shared value and the circular economy policies and practicalities to stimulate ‘green jobs’ given changing economic drivers and environmental issues.
Dr. Milton Apollo - Director, Public Health & Community Systems | Wise Preneurs Africa (WiPA)
Dr. Milton Apollo is a distinguished public health strategist, community health systems architect, and international NGO trainer with more than a decade of experience designing and scaling integrated health programs across Africa and internationally. He currently serves as the Director of Public Health & Community Systems at Wise Preneurs Africa (WiPA), where he leads health-centric enterprise strategies for youth-led innovation in regenerative agriculture, biochar, and sustainable development.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya, and a Diploma in Nursing from the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC). As a registered nurse and globally recognized NGO trainer, Dr. Milton brings clinical precision and systems thinking into policy, innovation, and impact delivery.
Dr. Milton’s track record spans high-impact roles at USAID-funded programs and Impact Kenya, where he led health capacity building initiatives, trained over 5,000 frontline health workers, and supported cross-sector partnerships that reached more than 1.2 million beneficiaries. His work integrates disease prevention, community education, nutrition, and climate resilience—anchored in evidence and tailored to underserved populations.
At WiPA, he champions the positioning of biochar as a public health tool—framing it not only as a soil amendment, but as a critical solution for waste management, food safety, and respiratory health. He spearheads community-driven biochar deployment through health networks, ensuring that regenerative agriculture aligns with national health priorities, youth employment, and household wellbeing.
Through WiPA’s enterprise accelerator, Dr. Milton co-designs learning and funding models that prepare African youth to lead in climate-smart agriculture while improving public health outcomes. His policy contributions have influenced dialogues around health equity and environmental justice across East Africa, and his leadership continues to shape WiPA’s regional and global advocacy.
He is committed to a future where African youth-led innovations scale not only with profit, but with purpose—restoring the health of people, ecosystems, and economies across the continent.
John Linus - Director Global Youth Engangement and Strategic Communications Wise Preneurs Africa (WiPA)
John Linus Otieno, a passionate and visionary young leader from Kenya, has been recognized globally for his unwavering commitment to climate action, youth empowerment, and sustainable development. In 2024, he was ranked at Position 202 among the Top 500 Global Positive Influencers in Climate Action, a testament to his outstanding contributions to environmental conservation and leadership on the international stage. As the founder of Green World Youth, an organization nurturing leadership and sustainability through tree planting and environmental education, John has managed over one million tree seedlings and created employment opportunities for many young people. He currently serves as the Chairperson of the UNESCO Youth Forum Kenya, where he advocates for quality education, gender equality, peacebuilding, and innovation among youth. His volunteer work with global institutions such as UNESCO, UNFPA, UNEP, the African Union ECOSOC, and grassroots movements has made a lasting impact both locally and internationally. John has also been a key organizer and participant in high-level forums, including the African Youth Climate Assembly, the United Nations Environmental Assembly, and the World Water Forum in Bali. He is a recipient of the Global Humanitarian Award and has been celebrated as the Best Student Leader at Moi University, where he pursued a degree in Technology Education with a focus on Automotive Engineering. John’s journey is fueled by a strong belief in the power of collaboration, innovation, and the resilience of youth to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.
Dr. Edward Owino - Head of Training and Capacity Building | Wise Preneurs Africa (WiPA)
Dr. Edward Owino is a distinguished academic, marketing expert, and strategic planner with a spotless record of over 18 years of experience in academia and business management. His extensive background in teaching, academic management, and marketing consulting, combined with his passion for empowering young people, render him a change agent capable of taking Wise Preneurs Africa Ltd to new levels of excellence. His strategic insight, coupled with a pragmatic entrepreneurial spirit, has assisted in equipping young entrepreneurs with business skills, connecting them to essential resources
, and establishing market linkages. Under his leadership, Wise Preneurs Africa Ltd is today a dynamic platform that promotes innovation, sustainability, and economic empowerment. He holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Nairobi, an MBA in Marketing from Kenyatta University, and a Bachelor of Education in Mathematics and Economics from Kenyatta University. His commitment to lifelong learning and professional development is also evidenced by his active membership in the Marketing Society of Kenya (MSK), where he remains ahead of marketing thought leadership. Dr. Owino is renowned for his ability to integrate theoretical knowledge with practicality, offering students invaluable insight into the vibrant marketing world. He has held strategic leadership roles at the university, including Dean of the Faculty of Education for five years and Dean of the School of Business for three years, where he successfully led academic innovation and fostered a culture of excellence. Beyond academia, Dr. Owino is also a sought-after consultant in sustainability marketing, service marketing, digital marketing, and strategic marketing management. His academic research and real-world expertise allow organizations to utilize more sustainable and customer-centered marketing strategies, positioning them for long-term success in an extremely competitive environment. A dynamic and visionary leader, Dr. Owino is exceptional at inspiring and mobilizing teams towards common success. His excellent communication skills, strategic mindset, and commitment to mentorship make him a force to contend with both in the academic circles and in the corporate environment. At Wise Preneurs Africa Ltd, Dr. Owino envisions the program’s impact being amplified through the integration of innovative marketing strategies, forging partnerships, and championing initiatives that allow youth-led startups to scale. His unique blend of academic expertise and leadership experience ensures that Wise Preneurs Africa Ltd remains a beacon of entrepreneurial.
Prof. Joshua Ogendo - Director for Agribusiness Innovation and Sustainability | Wise Preneurs Africa (WiPA)
Professor Ogendo, an accomplished scholar and business expert in agribusiness and agricultural development holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy (Crop Protection) from Egerton University and postgraduate training in Grain Storage Management from the University of Greenwich, UK. He has more than three decades of expertise experience in agronomy, crop protection, bio-intensive pest management, and sustainable agricultural practices, including regenerative agriculture. He is a business leader with a specialization in agriculture and agribusiness development. Prof Ogendo also has wealth of experience in participatory adaptive research, community outreach and consultancy services focusing on bio-intensive pest management, enhanced food and nutrition security and livelihoods in smallholder agriculture.
As a pioneer in advocating research-led agricultural innovations and community-based agribusiness solutions, he has led in the coordination of multi-million dollar agricultural research projects which have significantly improved food security and smallholder livelihoods in Africa. He espouses some of significant accomplishments which include trail-blazing researches on bio-intensive pest management and spearheading promotion of crops like cassava, sorghum, and traditional vegetables. His mentorship and capacity building efforts have helped young agripreneurs in Kenya’s 47 counties start successful and sustainable agribusiness ventures. His thinking and vision for sustainable agriculture makes him invaluable asset in the field of agriculture.
Michael Okoda- Director of Capital and Investment Strategy | Wise Preneurs Africa (WiPA)
With over a decade experience in administration and academia, Michael Okoda serves as the Director of Capital and Investment Strategy at Wise Preneurs Africa (WiPA). In this strategic leadership role, he is responsible for mobilizing and managing all capital and investment flows that support the growth and sustainability of youth-owned social enterprises across Sub-Saharan Africa. His is responsible for structuring innovative financing models, aligning investment strategies with WiPA’s long-term vision, and driving resource mobilization from equity investors, development partners, philanthropic institutions, and high-net-worth individuals. Michael leads the development of capital frameworks that prioritize African-owned intellectual property, and ensures that youth-led ventures receive the financial infrastructure needed to scale sustainably. He plays a pivotal role in funding WiPA’s impact clusters—renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, food security, digital transformation, circular economy, and affordable housing—while championing financial transparency, investor readiness, and long-term value creation. Michael Okoda’s leadership is instrumental in positioning WiPA as Africa’s premier accelerator for high-impact, youth-led, scalable social enterprises.
Michael is also a practicing financial analyst and investment consultant, with postgraduate qualifications in Finance, Accountancy, and is currently doing research on how application of Biochar in agriculture can enhance the economic health of the small holder farmers in Sub-Sahara Africa.