Dr. Florence Wambugu has been the Founder, Director, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International since 2002. She is a plant pathologist with a specialization in virology and genetic engineering. She has an honorary Ph.D. Doctorate of Science from the University of Bath, UK, and she has conducted postdoctoral research at the Monsanto Life Sciences Center, United States of America (USA). For over 30 years, she has dedicated her life to agricultural research, where she has made significant contributions to the improvement of sorghum, maize, pyrethrum, banana, and sweet potato.

Previously, she worked as the Africa Regional Director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri Biotech Applications (ISAAA) in Nairobi; Research Scientist at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research in Kenya (KALRO) and Senior Research Officer (Pathologist) and Coordinator of Plant Biotechnology Research at Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

She has published over 100 articles and co-authored various papers, and is the author and publisher of Modifying Africa and Biotechnology in Africa: Emergence, Initiatives, and Future. In 2005, she spearheaded an international consortium that received a USD 21 million global competitive grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

She has garnered numerous awards and honors, notably the Norwegian YARA Prize in 2008, Woman of the Year by Eve Magazine in 2000, Farmers Support Award, Pyrethrum Marketing Board of Kenya in 1990, Monsanto Company Outstanding Performance Award in 1992 and 1993, First Place Medal Winner, Global Development Network Awards, in 2000,  among many others.

Chiwala James Mutungu serves as the Co-founder and Director of CNC360 Consulting Limited, situated in Lusaka, Zambia. CNC360 Consulting has been collaborating with the Ministry of Small and Medium Entreprise Development in partnership with the chain stores namely Shoprite, Pick N Pay and Choppies to provide capacity building and market linkage opportunities to Cooperatives and SMEs in Zambia and export markets.

Chiwala is a distinguished member of the Zambia Institute of Marketing (ZIM), having previously held the position of Vice President on its council. Chiwala brings a wealth of professional expertise in resource mobilization and marketing alongside a steadfast commitment to fostering innovation and job creation, particularly for women and youths. His leadership will contribute significantly to enhancing the board’s diversity and advancing Africa Harvest’s mission for sustainable growth in Zambia.

With over 25 years of substantial industry experience in the public and private sectors, Chiwala has amassed more than a decade of strategic leadership and management expertise in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector.

Chiwala has a Marketing and Business Development professional with proven track record in working on donor successful donor funded entreprise development projects. His professional background includes a pivotal role within the Zambia Agribusiness and Trade Project/Market Connect Programme, a government-initiated project funded by the World Bank. The project supported growth-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within agribusiness value chains by fostering increased sales revenue and employment generation. He has also worked with other donor funded projects such as USAID Entreprise Development and Growth Enhanced Activity (USAID EDGE), WorldFish/CGIAR, Graca Machel Trust-Women Creating Wealth Programme and a Scottish government funded Climate Just Communities (CJC) project.

Chiwala holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Business Administration and Management from Cavendish University, and a degree in Marketing from Copperbelt University.

Chipokota Mayamba Cindy Mwanawasa is the Policy Advisor to the President of Zambia, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, and also serves as the Deputy Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit.

Prior to this, she was the Legal Officer and Executive Assistant to the Vice-President of Human Capital at one of Africa’s largest integrated copper mines. In addition to her corporate and political career, she is also an agri-entrepreneur and trade retailer, having set up an innovative livestock crowd-farming venture, which she has grown into a meat retail SME.

She also holds an LLM in Commercial Law from the University of Cape Town and an LLB in English and French law from the University of Kent and the University of Bordeaux IV. In 2019, she was awarded a Chevening Scholarship, enabling her to pursue a Master of Science in public policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ms. Mwanawasa was awarded the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Zambia Bureau of Standards in 2018. Furthermore, she co-authored the discussion paper Elections in Africa: Preparing a Democratic Playbook with the South African think-tank The Brenthurst Foundation and is involved in charity work and advocacy for the underprivileged.

Azwifarwi Mavhungu is an Extensionist, Educationist,trainer and an administrator. He is one of the Directors for Skills Development and Training company (SDTCO) and also a Director who co-founded Nemukula Holdings and Trading (PTY) LTD.

Azwifarwi (Farwi/Azwi) Mavhungu is a former Deputy Chief Education Education Specialist for Agric. Sciences in Vhembe District ( Limpopo Province)  His duties were that of managing curriculum advisory services in Agricutural Sciences Fields, advocating and training of teachers on the correct implementation of Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), train school management teams on curriculum management,support functions and effective supervision of teacher’s work, workshop design and conducting workshops for teachers. Develop training manuals for teachers of Agric. Sciences.

Worked as a lecturer in two teacher training colleges (Rammano Mbulaheni Training Center and Venda College of Education) It was during his tenure in the college wherein he was instrumental in the strategic input and generated strategic initiatives and guidelines of the establishment of a successful Pratical Agricultural Unit. He was responsible in building team spirit and motivate members for align commitment towards the set objectives and values. He does have ability to solve problems within team members.

It was during his tenure in the college where he became a member of Link Community Development (UK sponsored) which was making communities to be supportive of their schools. Some of the things he was involved with include developing and delivering training for leader teachers in schools, training and supporting British Volunteer teachers, facilitate school development planning, team building- problem solving, reviewing progress and workshop design and also community-based fundraising.

He became a Part-time lecturer for senior students-teachers doing Agric. Sciences Methodology since 1997 to present. He trains students on teaching methodologies.

Azwifarwi worked as a teacher for eight years before lecturing in colleges and also being curriculum advisor in Agric. Sciences. Azwifarwi (Farwi) possesses a wealth experiencein teaching, lecturing, change management especially on agric. related activities and also negotiation for which he is well qualified for and having experiences on.

His academic qualification include MBA from Potchefstroom University, M.Inst Agric.Extension from Pretoria University. B.Agric. (Hons) and also a degree in Agric. Extension from the University of Fort hare. Advanced Program in Sourcing and Supply Chain Management from Unisa.

Edwin Zulu is the Managing Director of GEN Zambia and is recognized as a leading social entrepreneur in Zambia and Africa. With extensive experience in SMEs, agriculture, and business development support services, he has dedicated himself to promoting women’s and youth entrepreneurship. His vision is to establish a premier African provider of business development support services (BDS), business incubation, and trade facilitation, achieved through strategic collaborations with various stakeholders at local, national, regional, and global levels. Edwin has played a key role in numerous national development policy initiatives and programs throughout his career.

Edwin presented a paper at the 1999, 2nd National Convention that focused on revitalizing the Zambian economy, contributing to discussions on the National Agriculture Policy and small-scale farming. This led to an invitation to the Parliamentary Sub-committee on agriculture, lands, and cooperatives in the same. Later, he was nominated as a 2000 finalist in the World Bank Group Development Marketplace Innovations Competition in Washington, DC. In 2005 he also received the Manchester University Award for agencies supporting women ICT Enterprises, and invited to be part of the team that developed a handbook on agencies supporting women in ICT enterprises in India. In 2005 partnered with the World Bank Group under the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and COMESA to establish the Zambia-COMESA SME Toolkit Project under his firm ELIF Business Solutions ltd.

Edwin was invited by the World Bank Group to participate in the inception of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), enhancing his contributions to entrepreneurship promotion on a global scale. Currently, Edwin serves with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Zambia at the Government Complex in Lusaka, Zambia, where he advances organizational goals and initiatives. It is also interesting is also been appointed as the 2025 Indiana Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) 2025 Ambassador working with the Ministry of SME development to lead the national build and lead the national delegation of about 50 to 100 members, for more visit: www.gec2025.co

He is also set to serve as an Ambassador for Africa Harvest, a role that will represent the organization across various networks, including development agencies, sponsors, and policymakers. His leadership and collaborative approach are essential for steering the organization’s strategic initiatives and fundraising efforts. This is justified with his combined 30years in agribusiness and agriculture projects and initiatives development dating back to 1994 /2000 then supporting the Chawama Women club in Mukonchi , Kapiri Mposhi District of Central Province led on the development and successful implementation of the Chawama Agro Marketing Project a then ZMK7,000,000.00 matching fund from the World Bank Group through the Ministry of African under what was called Rural Investment fund under the Agriculture investment support program (ASIP) and later 2010 – 2012 partnered with COMESA and ACTESA under his Consultancy firm ELIF Business Solutions ltd which is the founder  and CEO since 2003 etc.