Spring Meetings

Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Media, has made her mark through various endeavors in the corporate world; she has been described by Forbes as “Africa’s Most Successful Woman”. Abudu oversees EbonyLife Media, comprising EbonyLife Films and EbonyLife Studios, as well as the EbonyLife Creative Academy, a school aimed at accelerating filmmaking skills, and EbonyLife Place, Nigeria’s first luxury entertainment resort. She has produced several highest grossing blockbusters to include: Fifty, The Wedding Party, Your Excellency and Òlòtūré.

Mo Abudu's recent success is the launch of Blood Sisters, Netflix's first Original Nigerian series. The show made the Netflix Global Top ten list with over 11 million hours viewed; and Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman, an adaption of renowned playwright Professor Wole Soyinka’s play of the same title which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2022. EbonyLife Media has secured several production collaborations with international studios to include: Sony, AMC Networks (USA), Netflix, Starz and Lionsgate, BBC, Westbrook Studios, and Will Packer Productions.

Mo Abudu, is an Executive Fellow of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, Harvard University and the African Media Mogul has recently partnered with Idris Elba's Green Door Pictures to empower and uplift talent from Africa and its diaspora by creating new tv and film projects, nurturing rising talent, providing educational and mentoring opportunities, and creating a more inclusive and diverse media landscape. In August, she was appointed Creatives Champion for the upcoming UK-African Investment Summit by the UK Government.

Audu Maikori, a distinguished media mogul, entertainment attorney, and social advocate, stands as the Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Africa's thriving Chocolate City Group. He oversees various sectors, including Chocolate City Media, Chocolate City Kenya, CCX, and the renowned Chocolate City Music label, under which eminent African artists like Femi Kuti, Young Jonn, CKay, and M.I. Abaga have thrived.

As the Co-founder and CEO of Pixel Ray Studios, Audu partners with Ghana's National Film Authority to establish 10 Soundstages, cementing Ghana's role as a film production hub in West Africa.

Audu's legal background bolsters his influence in shaping creative policy and championing copyright reforms. His digital ventures include a role on the board of Unanimous Games, LLC, enhancing E-sports with Rocnation, BET Networks, and the Government of Barbados.

Notable accolades encompass the Global International Young Music Entrepreneur Award and Most Influential Person of African Descent.

Hannah O’Leary is Head of African art at Sotheby’s, the oldest and largest internationally recognised firm of fine art auctioneers in the world. She pioneered the first international auction sales of modern and contemporary art from Africa, a field she has specialised in since 2006. Since joining Sotheby’s in 2016 they have consistently dominated this market, offering more work by artists from Africa and the Diaspora than anyone else, and breaking over 200 world record prices artists from the continent. Hannah maintains close relationships with private collectors and public institutions worldwide, advising on their collections and acquisitions, and facilitating private sales and exhibition loans. Last year alone she raised over £2million for institutions supporting African artists. She has written on Contemporary African Art for various publications and lectured at events and institutions internationally. She a Council Member of the Royal Africa Society in the UK and a Trustee of the Norval Foundation in South Africa.

Filmmaker Mandla Walter Dube‘s diverse body of work includes Kalushi, Silverton Siege, and JiVa, all on Netflix. Dube’s work in camera includes The Italian Job, Men in Black 2, Money Monster, Drop Squad. In addition to his qualification in Heritage Management, he obtained a MFA from the prestigious American Film Institute. He is in development with Yasuke, Pushkin, and Rivonia Trial. He was instrumental in the formation of Independent Black Filmmakers Collective (IBFC) as a co-founding member of the working committee. His passion is family and farming. Currently he is in post-production with Deon Meyer’s book adaptation- Heart of the Hunter for Netflix & The Great War series for The History Channel. He is managed by AltaGlobal Media and repped by CAA. In 2016 he co-founded South African production house, Pambili Media.

Lanre Da Silva Ajayi is an eponymous label, founded in 2005, which is arguably the most well-known and most sought-after clothing label in Nigeria today. Known for her high class aesthetics, as well as her daring and bold styles, Lanre Da Silva is a masterclass in sartorial innovation, and her pieces have been worn by many of the biggest names in the Nigerian fashion and further recognised on a global stage and featured in a number of international magazines. E.g. Vogue

Ms. Marlène Ngoyi Mvidia is the Chief Executive Officer of the Fund for Export Development in Africa - FEDA, a subsidiary of Afreximbank.

FEDA is a $670 million impact investment platform providing equity and debt capital to companies engaged in industrialization, intra-African trade, and value-added exports across various sectors including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, TMT, energy, and the creative industry.

Marlène Ngoyi is a trilingual Executive who has served as the CEO of several financial institutions including a commercial bank in the DRC, a Pan-African investment bank and a Pan-African trade finance bank based in Europe (Deputy CEO). Prior to that she worked in East Africa as Principal for a private equity firm and as Portfolio Manager for an impact investment fund. She has successfully worked with social enterprises, private companies, public-private partnerships, and governments across Africa to raise multi-billion capital through capital markets, loan syndications and private equity transactions.

Marlène Ngoyi began her career in investment banking at Merrill Lynch in New York and graduated magna cum laude from Bentley University with a B.Sc. in Economics and Finance. She also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and was also a recipient of its 2009 Leadership Fellowship.

Brahim El Mazned has been serving as the Artistic Director of the Timitar Festival of World Music since 2004. This festival, primarily dedicated to Amazigh culture and global folk music, has gained worldwide recognition under his leadership and has evolved into a significant event in the world music scene, attracting approximately half a million spectators annually.

In 2014, Brahim El Mazned introduced Visa For Music (VFM), the inaugural festival and professional music market exclusively focused on the music industry in Africa and the Middle East. This annual event, held in November in Rabat, Morocco, has since played a pivotal role in promoting regional music talent and fostering industry connections.

Brahim's remarkable contributions led to his selection as one of the top 100 leaders in sustainable cultural development worldwide, as featured in the "Les Aventuriers de la Culture" Guide to Cultural Diversity.

Furthermore, as a member of the EU/UNESCO Bank of Expertise for the period 2019-2026, and with several years of experience as an expert in cultural policy and creative industries at UNESCO, Brahim El Mazned also serves as a jury member and artistic advisor for numerous cultural events both in Morocco and on the global stage.