Advisory Board

Brian Wesaala is a seasoned IT professional with over 10 years working experience. He holds a BSc. in Computer Science from the University of Nairobi (Kenya) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Technology Management from the Open University (United Kingdom) where he focused on innovation and project management. He holds a professional master’s degree in Football Business from the Football Business Academy.
Brian worked with various international organisations, including the World Organisation of the Scout Movement and the United Nations. In 2018, he set up the Football Foundation for Africa to help create a sustainable business model for the future of African football. A passionate follower of the game, he possesses a deep understanding of the global football industry and is keen to see the sport improve the livelihoods of youths in Africa.

Based in Nairobi, Edwin is a serial entrepreneur and technology professional with over 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, software development, project management and product development. He began his entrepreneurship journey in the media industry before venturing into technology in 2010.
He is currently the Director of technology at Outside The Box Africa Limited (OTB Africa), where he has also previously served as Senior Project Manager. OTB Africa is a company he co-founded in 2009 specializing in the implementation of software solutions for Businesses, governments and NGOs. OTB Africa is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with operations in Rwanda and Uganda as well as having several software implementation projects in various countries in East, West and Southern Africa. He also serves as a director of Seno Group limited, an investment firm with interests in property, securities and food services. Edwin has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Nairobi.

Mohamed Shidiye holds a BA (Hon) and an MBA and is currently a PhD candidate in Public Policy. Amb Shidiye started his career as a teacher and was later appointed as a District Officer. He is a three-time Member of Parliament of Kenya serving as deputy government Chief Whip in the eighth parliament. He went on to serve as Director at the Consolidated Bank of Kenya, National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) amongst other noteworthy appointments. He currently serves as Kenya High Commissioner to Botswana

Cathy Kamau is a strategy and leadership specialist, with an interest in training, policy and governance. Currently working with an international organisation in the global nutrition sector, she is passionate about impacting individuals and communities nationally and regionally by positioning people, organizations and institutions to foster mutually beneficial relationships, for long term objectives. Presently a doctoral candidate in Policy Research and Practice, she also holds a Master’s degree in Leading Innovation and Change.

Dev Kumar Parmar is an internationally experienced sports lawyer and academic. He has dealt with contentious matters before FIFA and TAS / CAS. He has advised elite players on transfers, as well as having been the chief advisor to a UEFA participating football club, advising on all matters concerning the management of the club including transfer strategy and technical direction. Dev is also an active member of Association Internationale des Avocats du Football (AIAF).
Dev is a published writer on sports law, and is the current academic director of the Global Executive Masters in International Sports Law at the world-renowned Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía (ISDE) in Madrid. He is also a senior lecturer on the Masters in Sports Law in Madrid as well as the Masters in Sports Law and Management, based in Barcelona.

Karolina is a program manager with over ten years of experience in financial services in various European regions. She has been working with PMI (Project Manager Institute) for almost ten years and is also on the Board of directors of the Switzerland Chapter. Her strengths are an exceptional ability to connect with people, organizational skills and a problem-solving mindset. She holds an MSc in Economics from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland and a BSc in IT Engineering from the School of Economics in Poland.

Kumbulani Masayila is a Project Management and International Business Development professional. He is an Alumni of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Ignite Graduate Program and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). He has also completed training in Economics at Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment in California, USA. Kumbulani works at the intersection of Business, Sustainable Development and Impact Investing to develop solutions that create opportunities and impact for youth and people at the base of the economic pyramid. He has been conferred with the Enactus Service Leadership Award for outstanding contribution to community development through business. He is the Founder of Upvest (short for Uplifting Investments)  Group and a Graduate of Midlands State University in Zimbabwe.

Penny works with scalable early-stage innovation-driven enterprises to support them to develop viable business models and identify channels that support the market-product fit. She helps social enterprises fine-tune their problem identification through Design Thinking, Theory of change development, and social impact assessment tools. As a trainer, Penny provides entrepreneurship training to early-stage entrepreneurs. She also provides sales and customer service training to SMEs.

As a scholar-practitioner, Penny serves as a part-time lecturer at Strathmore University Business School (SBS) and Strathmore Institute (SI), teaching Social Entrepreneurship courses and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation courses.