Collins is a versatile and experienced professional with a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. He has a diverse background, having worked with organisations such as Ventures Platform Foundation, Sail, Greativation Limited, and Dataville Research LLC.
Currently, Collins serves as an Analyst at Ventures Platform Fund, where he builds the company's Portfolio Support platform to provide support to its portfolio companies at scale. He also supports the investment team in finding and funding mission-driven founders building exceptional solutions to some of Africa's biggest problems.
Alongside his role at Ventures Platform Fund, Collins is the co-founder of Sail, where he leads a team of value creators to innovate and create pragmatic solutions that enable entrepreneurs to create wealth and serve their customers excellently.
Collins holds a certification in Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies from HarvardX and a B.Tech in Physiology from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo state.
Cynthia is an experienced community manager with a strong background in community management, content creation and brand management. She is skilled in drafting PR articles, preparing communications, and managing social media accounts. She is currently working at Ventures Platform as a communications associate
Prior to Ventures Platform, Cynthia was a Community Manager at the Centre for Digitization of Indigenous African Languages, where she had grown the community from 0 to 1000+ members in 5 months. She writes PR articles for online third-party publications like Tech Point and Business Day, and engaging newsletters to community members. She strategizes and implements communication and marketing campaigns on traditional media channels, CDIAL websites, emails, and social media pages to align with marketing strategies. She also organizes and publicizes social events, webinars, and workshops to build the community and increase brand awareness.
Cynthia was also a Screenwriter and Story Editor for CNBC Africa's West Africa Bureau, where she wrote press releases, curated stories for online publication, and conducted interviews at conferences and social events.
Cynthia is a certified communications specialist and holds an MSc in Media and Communications from Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.
Damilola Teidi is an ecosystem builder with 10+ years experience in the technology space in Africa, with most of that time spent supporting and facilitating access to capital for high-growth technology startups across different stages of growth.
Damilola is currently the Head of Platform and Networks at Ventures Platform, where she leads a team focused on building and ensuring the effective delivery of expertise-driven post-investment support initiatives that create value for the fund’s portfolio companies.
Damilola’s career thus far has involved building strong pan-African startup programmes and initiatives, directly providing support to startups to build and scale solutions, as well as engaging with various key stakeholders to create an enabling ecosystem for African startups to thrive.
She has led the implementation of over 22 startup initiatives that have supported over 150 technology startups. Some of the initiatives in her portfolio include: Google's Black Founders Fund for Africa, The $1.5M AYuTe programme by Heifer International, The Facebook (Deeptech) Accelerator, Africa4Future Programme III by Airbus and GIZ, PitchDrive Asia by CcHUB in partnership with Google for Startups, The Women in Business programme and more.
She has also managed strategic engagements with leading local and international organisations like Google, the African Development Bank, Meta, Mastercard Foundation, Airbus, and GIZ.
In 2022, she was named one of the 100 most inspiring women in Nigeria by Leading Ladies Africa and was a featured author in the 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report by Startup Genome and Global Entrepreneurship Network. She also sits on the advisory board of Wealth8 - a fintech company.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology and a Masters Degree in Strategy and Innovation Management from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom.
Dolapo is an Investor at Ventures Platform. She is responsible for driving the investment process end-to-end including functions such as Deal Sourcing, Due Diligence, Transaction Structuring, and Portfolio Management. She currently serves on the board of Termii and as a board observer for SunFi. She is also a Mentor at Google for Startups.
She spent 5+ years as a Strategy Consultant for Accenture and Bain working on transformational projects across multiple countries in the Middle East and Africa (e.g. Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Seychelles, Saudi Arabia, UAE) where she supported multiple government ministries and the largest multinational corporations across Energy, Finance, Agriculture, Consumer goods, Telecommunications and Mining.
Dolapo is an accomplished professional with a track record of delivering results and driving growth in various roles. She gained a First Class Degree in Information Management for Business from University College, London.
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Dotun is the General Partner at Ventures Platform, with extensive experience in entrepreneurship, investing, and C-level operations. His skill set includes venture investing, portfolio support, board management, startup fundraising, product development, innovation consulting, community building, local and remote team leadership, P&L oversight, and multichannel growth marketing for both startup and established organizations.
Before joining Ventures Platform, Dotun served as Principal at Novastar Ventures Platform and Chief Commercial Officer at Moniepoint. In these roles, he provided leadership in fundraising, investor relations, strategic investment, and acquisition. Dotun has over 20 years of experience across various sectors, and as a Board Observer for Moniepoint, he worked with the company from 2021-2022 to establish its services as a leading financial technology provider for SMEs and consumers. He was also an Investor and Board Observer at Turaco from 2020-2021.
Dotun is also a highly regarded Executive Producer and Host of the “Building the Future” Podcast. The podcast features conversations with entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and thought leaders who are shaping the African future. In addition, he is an astute researcher with several works, including air quality and climate change in Bristol, England. He received the 2014 South West England Breakthrough Business Prize and was identified as one of the 42 under 42 most influential business people in the region. Dotun holds a PhD in environmental management from the University of the West of England and has worked as a consultant with many international institutions, including The World Bank Group as Mentor, XL Africa.
Emeke is an experienced business development strategist, and entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of creating successful businesses. He has experience working as a Business Development strategist at FifthGear Plus, where he was responsible for strategy development for Active services and prototyped new services for prospective clients to diversify core offerings.
As a co-founder and Managing Partner at Aegis + Blue, Emeke developed brand and sales strategies, conducted secondary market research for consumers and client target groups, and analyzed clients’ market entrance and expansion strategies. He also made key market growth projections and developed partnership, sponsorship, and acquisition strategies.
Emeke is also the founder of Trulyco, a multimedia storytelling company.
Ezinne is an experienced Executive Assistant and manages Investor Relations at Ventures Platform Fund. With over seven years of experience at the company, she has demonstrated excellent skills in schedule management, event coordination, and investor experience.
Prior to joining Ventures Platform Fund, Ezinne worked as a program associate at the TY Danjuma Foundation, where she gained experience in Project Management and Coordination, managing several projects across Nigeria. She also worked as a Human Resource Manager at the Corporate Affairs Commission. Overall, she has developed strong communication, organisation, and project management skills, which have enabled her to excel in her roles at Ventures Platform Fund.
Ezinne is a certified Project management professional with Jeman Consulting and a specialized Time management professional with the International Business Management Institute (IBMI). She holds an MSc in Psychology from the University of Sunderland.
Ifeoma is an experienced Fund Operations Analyst, Growth Strategist, and Audit Analyst. She is currently working as a Fund Operations Analyst for Ventures Platform Fund, where she provides insight into fund operations procedures for prospective clients due diligence processes and retrieves and maintains records of portfolio statistics and other investment operations reporting for internal and external stakeholders.
Ifeoma has also served as a Director of Growth and Strategy at Quayo Ecosense Limited, where she is responsible for defining the company's growth strategy, coordinating and executing growth plans, and optimizing the funnel to meet revenue targets.
Additionally, Ifeoma has worked as a Senior Associate in Internal Audit and Corporate Compliance at Ventoven Limited, where she led planned audits of various departments and organizations within the group, organized and presented meaningfully detailed reports to communicate the results of various audits to company management, supplemented with recommendations for changes in policy, and reviewed the internal controls policies and procedures for effectiveness.
Ifeoma holds a certification from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). She’s a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Benin.
Jessica is an experienced Executive Assistant/Analyst with a strong background in providing administrative support to high-level executives. She is skilled in drafting memos, preparing communications, and managing calendars. She is currently working at Ventures Platform as an executive assistant.
Prior to Ventures Platform, Jessica worked at KPMG Nigeria where she provided assistance to two Partners of Tax, Regulatory, and People Services. Her duties include finalizing documents, scheduling meetings, making travel arrangements, tracking clients' payments for jobs won, drafting memos, and conducting research to support business decisions.
Jessica's work experience also includes working at Schulz Nig. Ltd as an Administrative Assistant where she was responsible for preparing communications, managing business accounts, and performing bookkeeping. Her experience as a Marketer at Low Pond Construction/Schneider Electric Nigeria gave her a solid background in conducting market research and collaborating with team members to plan promotional marketing campaigns and projects.
In addition to her work experience, Jessica has also obtained a Graduate Membership with the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered). She also holds a BSc in Economics from Niger Delta University.
Kola is an established investor, insightful non-Executive director, and company chair who is passionate about seeing start-ups grow and improving the lives of ordinary Africans by democratising prosperity.
He brings demonstrable success from leading investment in over 70 companies in Africa, India, and the US, including payments companies such as Paystack. He has established networks across the private sector, development partners, financiers, governments, and regulators.
He is an entrepreneur, technology operator, and venture capital investor with vast experience working in Africa’s most significant economic market. He brings expertise across several sectors, including venture capital, technology, media, agriculture, infrastructure, publishing, and real estate, and a significant interest in the arts.
He is currently general partner at the largest early-stage technology startup fund in Africa - Ventures Platform.
Kola is a passionate art patron, chairs the advisory board of the Yemisi Shyllon Art Museum, and is a member of the Africa Acquisitions Committee(AAC) of the Tate Museum. He is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation(YPO) and a fellow of the Aspen Institute USA (ALIWA).
Kola enjoys mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs, loves collaboration and is passionate about driving innovation and supporting new business models.
Matthew is the Head, of Fund Operations at Ventures Platform, where he oversees compliance, processes, finance & account, corporate advisory, and internal controls. He is an experienced professional with over 15 years of work experience across different sectors. Prior to joining Ventures Platform, he worked as the Vice President of Ventoven Limited and also as the Regional Head of Internal Audit at Visafone Communications Limited.
With his extensive experience and qualifications, He has helped various businesses to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements and manage risk effectively. Beyond his work in the private sector, he has also worked as a compliance consultant on international projects with prestigious organizations such as ICMPD, USAID, NED, etc.
Matthew is a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration of Nigeria, a member of the Chartered Institute of Financial & Investment Analyst, a Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, and other professional bodies. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Accounting, and a Master’s Degree in Forensic Accounting & Audit from Charisma University, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies and is currently pursuing his PhD with the same institution.
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Odunayo is an experienced accountant with over 7 years of professional experience in finance and accounting. She holds a BSc degree in Accounting from Wesley University in Ondo and is a chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
Odunayo has a strong background in Budgeting, Financial planning and management, Financial reporting, Financial Analysis, and Accounting. She is detail-oriented, highly organized, and has excellent communication and analytical skills.
Her prior experience includes working as a Head of Finance and Finance Associate for various organisations, including Ventoven Limited, Ventures Park, Ventures Platform Fund, and ACE Solicitors.
Sola is an investment analyst with extensive experience in fixed-income research, financial valuation, competitor research, investment deal execution, accounting, and auditing. She has worked at different companies, including FCSL Asset Management, MBO Capital Management Limited, Aircom Nigeria Limited, and Adcem Healthcare Ltd.
Currently at Ventures Platform Fund, Sola is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing deals. She conducts research on various investment, reviews and analyzes industry, company, and third-party research for the Active portfolio, and prepares presentations to the Investment Committee at VP Fund.
While working at MBO Capital Management, Sola conducted in-depth competitor research for a buy-side deal, assisted in the financial valuation of the subsidiaries of a tier-1 bank, and participated in the selection of two companies from a startup pitch. At Aircom Nigeria Ltd, Sola reduced time spent reconciling revenue from various service lines and receipts in the bank statements, posted recurring invoices and payments on the accounting software, and prepared credit appraisal memos for staff loans.
Sola also has experience in accounting and auditing with a certification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). She holds a BSc in Accounting from Pan- Atlantic University, Lagos.
Sola is an investment analyst with a strong background in fixed-income research, financial valuation, competitor analysis, investment deal execution, accounting, and auditing. She has built an impressive track record through her tenure at organizations such as FCSL Asset Management, MBO Capital Management Limited, Aircom Nigeria Limited, and Adcem Healthcare Ltd.
Presently, as a member of the Ventures Platform Fund team, Sola is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing investment deals. She conducts comprehensive research on diverse investment opportunities, reviews and analyzes industry, company, and third-party research to inform investment decisions and support the active portfolio.
During her tenure at MBO Capital Management, Sola contributed to the success of numerous projects. She undertook industry research for a buy-side deal, played a pivotal role in conducting financial valuations of subsidiaries affiliated with a prominent tier-1 bank, and actively participated in the selection process of two companies during a startup pitch. During her tenure at Aircom Nigeria Ltd, Sola streamlined revenue reconciliation processes, managed recurring invoices and payments using accounting software, and prepared credit appraisal memos for staff loans.
Additionally, Sola possesses extensive expertise in accounting having earned a certification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). She holds a BSc in Accounting from Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.