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

A Premier Soccer League (PSL) Head of Stakeholder Relations and Communications. She is experienced business executive with communications and stakeholder management expertise. Deal making and strategic market identification. She served as a member in Global Women Leaders of Red Cross (GLOWRed) and Unicef Influential Women Circle (IWC) and former board member at Accor Services, French Chamber of Commerce in SA, Torque Holdings. Former Chairperson: South African Red Cross and Transformation Committee Chairperson – Business Unity South Africa, Her areas of specialities include: Government relations, Policy Influencing, Reputation Management, Communication Strategy, business management, global issues management, commercial and change management.

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.

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.

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.

A commercially driven professional with over 17 years’ experience across energy, oil & gas, telecoms, and manufacturing in Sub-Saharan Africa, he specialises in commercial structuring and project development, delivering impactful initiatives that align strategy, stakeholders, and execution. In his advisory role, The Football Foundation for Africa will leverage his expertise to provide strategic guidance, strengthen partnerships, and support programs that empower youth, build sustainable grassroots football infrastructure, and unlock opportunities across the continent.

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.

Tshiamo Molefe is a Pan-African Connector focused on sustainable technology solutions. Tshiamo has played various roles in providing green, intelligent, and integrated systems to the commercial and industrial sectors. As a project developer of green-rated sports infrastructure, she facilitates the adoption of sustainable and resource-efficient solutions to ensure facilities operate with a consciousness for their surrounding environment and communities, while optimising financial and functional efficiency.

Tshiamo spearheads collaborative sports development in Africa by connecting stakeholders across the ecosystem. This includes facilitating partnerships between the public and private sectors that promote long-term impact and legacy creation. As an advocate for sustainable sports development, she leverages the intersection of sports and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thereby driving investment into the industry by positioning sports as a vehicle to achieve these goals.

Tshiamo’s professional background is rooted in Private Equity and Corporate Finance Advisory, and she brings 15 years of experience in value-adding operational, strategic, and new business initiatives; fostering key relationships; and identifying collaborative opportunities between businesses and systems.

Chris is a growth strategist with a global lens and a decade of experience supporting sustainable expansion in diverse markets, including Kenya, Bangladesh, Nepal, Canada, and the U.S.

His career spans a range of operational and leadership roles in the tech sector, including strategy and partnerships at IBM and multiple NYC-based startups. He also worked in field operations for clean water NGOs, bringing hands-on knowledge of implementing impactful solutions in resource-constrained settings.

A lifelong football enthusiast, Chris has played the sport for most of his life and considers the game his first love. He now brings that passion to his professional life, viewing the beautiful game through a development impact lens informed by the ‘Football as Infrastructure’ model.

Chris specialises in building cross-sector partnerships and enabling market access strategies for innovative companies across geographies, and is dedicated to leveraging his expertise to create lasting social impact.

Education:

• BA, Political Science & Philosophy – Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.
• MS, Global Affairs – New York University

Collins Marita aspires to change the landscape of African football by empowering players and improving club governance, better resource mobilisation, and entrenching sustainability in sports development.

At FFA, Collins has been an integral part of a team that successfully organised the inaugural Africa Football Business Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2022 and the second edition in September 2023. He is a researcher and part of the production team of the Africa Football Business Show, a biweekly program aired on the Football Foundation for Africa media channels that seeks to educate current and future industry stakeholders on the needs of the industry and strategies to address those needs to take football business in Africa to the next level.

He is a strong-willed, innovative, and value-driven individual who believes in turning ideas into reality. Collins is a Bachelor of Business Information Technology (BBIT) graduate from Strathmore University and an ex-professional footballer, having turned out for Bidco United FC. He is equipped with a positive attitude and drive to succeed. He is skilled at performing in high-stress situations and conscientious with the capacity to manage time and plan.

George Okwaro Mutuli is the Principal Partner at Mutuli & Monari Advocates LLP (Nairobi). He holds a Global Master in International Sports Law from ISDE (Madrid), a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA – Nairobi), a Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) from the Kenya School of Law, and an Executive Certificate in Sports & Entertainment Law from Strathmore Law School. George is a member of the Kenyan Bar.

George specialises in dispute resolution, as well as sports and entertainment law, including the management of related issues. He uses his expertise to address the legal challenges faced by athletes and various stakeholders, while also working to improve the legal framework for sports and entertainment law in Kenya and beyond. George is a member of the East Africa Law Society Sports Law Committee, the Law Society of Kenya Sports Disputes Tribunal (Bar-Bench) Committee, and LawInSport, a global organisation focused on capacity building in the sports sector.