Morning LINEUP:
8:00 - 12:00
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Connect with fellow attendees, enjoy breakfast, and prepare for the conference. Opportunity for informal networking and getting settled before the main program begins.
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Session Type: Opening Welcome
Speaker: Makeda Mahadeo
Topic: "Product Is The Way" - A warm welcome setting the tone for a day focused on product excellence, innovation, and the unique opportunities within African markets. Chidi establishes the conference themes and prepares attendees for meaningful -
Session Type: Opening Welcome
Speaker: Chidi Afulezi
Topic: "Product Is The Way" - A warm welcome setting the tone for a day focused on product excellence, innovation, and the unique opportunities within African markets. Chidi establishes the conference themes and prepares attendees for meaningful -
Speaker: H.E Minister Paula Ingabire Session Type: Opening Keynote
Topic: H.E. Minister Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, delivers a candid strategic conversation on Rwanda’s drive to become Africa’s center for product excellence. Hear firsthand how targeted policies, investment in top talent, and strategic partnerships are turning Rwanda into a hub for technology and product leadership. A rare inside look at the leadership decisions shaping Rwanda’s future and Africa’s next wave of growth.
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Session Type: Keynote
Speaker: Christian Idiodi (World Renowned Product Coach and Partner, SVPG)
Topic: Practical strategies from a global product expert on adapting proven methodologies to thrive in African market contexts. Real frameworks and actionable insights for accelerating innovation and achieving meaningful impact across diverse African environments. -
Session Type: Fireside Chat
Speakers: Caralene Robinson (CMO/CGO, Global Citizen)
Topic: When your product needs to work for millions of people across diverse markets and political systems, everything changes. Two leaders who build at massive scale reveal how they create initiatives that governments adopt, institutions fund, and entire populations depend on. Caralene has built Global Citizen’s platform that turns citizen action into policy wins across health, climate, and poverty, mobilizing millions globally through digital campaigns. Jean-Guy brings expertise from leading regional integration initiatives across Africa at the African Development Bank, where he designed systems that work across complex political and economic landscapes, and now leads Rwanda Development Board’s mission to position the country as a premier investment and innovation destination. They’ll share the counterintuitive strategies that work when your success metrics aren’t revenue but transformation at scale, and why the hardest challenges come from building products that must serve entire nations while navigating the intersection of policy, economics, and social impact.
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Session Type: Keynote Discussion
Speakers: Laura Teclemariam & Ezinne Udezue
Topic: Two accomplished product leaders share real-world case studies and frameworks for building product teams that excel during transformative shifts like AI adoption. Laura (former Senior Director at LinkedIn, now UC Berkeley Haas lecturer) and Ezinne (CPO at WP Engine, former VP of Product at Procore) bring extensive executive product leadership experience and provide practical insights for assembling and leading teams that thrive in the uncertainty and excitement of rapid technological change across African markets. -
Session Type: Case Study Breakdown
Speakers: Annu Augustine (NedRock) + Tesh Mbaabu + Euler Bropleh (VestedWorld), moderated by Abraham Augustine (Norrsken)
Topic: Forensic analysis exploring why good products fail in African markets beyond obvious reasons. Annu (Founder of NedRock, product management consultant with 20+ years of experience) and Euler (Founder & Managing Director of VestedWorld, who has invested in 30+ African startups) dissect systemic challenges, hidden costs, and the 'Ecosystem Tax' that impacts product survival and growth across African contexts.
Afternoon LINEUP: 12:30 - 17:00
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Lunch & Networking
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Session Type: Product Strategy Discussion
Speakers: Ifeoma Chuks-Adizue (Managing Director, Africa, Global Citizen)Topic: A strategic conversation exploring go-to-market excellence and building customer love across African markets. Ifeoma brings two decades of commercial scaling experience driving growth at multinational brands, while Quincy shares insights from leading digital product innovation at Qatar Airways. Together, they examine practical strategies for not just entering African markets but building products and services that customers genuinely love and advocate for, exploring how global brands can adapt their strategies to win hearts and minds in African markets while moving beyond transactional relationships to build lasting customer loyalty.
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Session Type: Founders PresentationSpeakers: Seun Akinbode & Ade Ademiluyi, Israel Ihaza & Temiloluwa Kalaro, Adero Miwa, Lucy Kgware & Phumla Mahkoba
Rundown: Founders from Innovate Africa Fund’s venture building arm Wicked Innovation Labs present their journey and their ventures. Represented are Tnkr.ai, Trubai, Oikus and AddressMe, winners of the Wicked Innovation Labs Hackathon.
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Session Type: Lightning Talks
Speakers: Chiedza Muguti, Akua Gyekye
Topic: Dual perspectives on how AI is reshaping African innovation and society. Chiedza, former Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of Black in Tech Berlin from Zimbabwe, explores how AI can amplify the human creativity and collaborative leadership needed to build inclusive product teams. Akua, Microsoft's Government Affairs Director for Africa, examines AI governance strategies and the policy frameworks that can democratize AI access while ensuring responsible adoption across the continent. Both speakers focus on the transformative potential of AI for African builders, innovators, and communities. -
Session Type: Executive Fireside
Speakers: Anish Bhimani (Chief Product Officer, JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking) and Christian Idiodi (Partner, SVPG; Founder, Innovate Africa Foundation), moderated by Chidi Afulezi
Topic: How do you transform a massive organization from "build this for me" to "solve this for me"? Anish Bhimani oversees digital and product strategy for a business where a third of the US economy flows through daily, leading 25,000+ clients globally. He moved from Chief Information Officer to Chief Product Officer and shares his journey shifting teams from project-based to product-led thinking, the obstacles that nearly derailed the transformation, and what finally created breakthrough. Christian Idiodi, SVPG Partner who founded Innovate Africa Foundation and convenes this conference, coaches product leaders globally and reveals the patterns he sees in successful transformations versus those that stall. Together they explore how great product leaders grow, why external perspective accelerates transformation, and why investing in your own development matters as much as investing in your teams. Real challenges, leadership growth, and what it takes to drive lasting change. -
Session Type: Product Leadership Conversation
Speakers: Charles Wartemberg, Seyi Ogebule, Patrick Ndjientcheu
Moderator: Ronnie Varghese (Mindful Leadership)
Topic: This panel brings together three product leaders who have discovered approaches that go beyond conventional product management wisdom. They'll share insights on when standard playbooks fail and what works instead, drawing from diverse experiences across global companies and African markets. The conversation explores how exceptional product leaders adapt, innovate, and succeed when traditional frameworks aren't enough. -
Speakers: Minister Yves Iradukunda, interviewed by Makeda Mahadeo
Topic: Exploring Rwanda's pioneering approach to government entrepreneurship and AI-powered digital product development. How government services are being reimagined as user-centric products that directly impact citizens' lives, from AI-enhanced digital identity systems to intelligent public service delivery. A deep dive into how artificial intelligence is transforming product discovery, citizen insights, and service delivery in the public sector, creating measurable outcomes for the people. -
Session Type: Closing Comments
Topic: Synthesis of the day's insights into actionable next steps for African product leaders. Announcement of key initiatives, partnerships formed, and the roadmap for continued ecosystem transformation.