Joon Lee is the founder and CEO of the Africa Code Academy. With over 20 years of experience in software development, he has done and seen it all: spending long hours debugging code to managing a team of highly motivated engineers to shepherding new software products to market. Having grown up in the developing world while spending most of his professional life in the Bay Area, he is passionate about the potential for both Africa and software to shape the future. He currently resides in San Francisco with his wife and son.
Raj Wanniappa is the founder and Managing Director of Agile Ventures Holdings (AVH) which invests in early stage disruptive technology ventures across the world. These include investments in AI, VR/AR, FinTech, EduTech and CyberSecurity startups. He is an active angel investor, conference presenter and mentor/coach at a number of incubators and accelerators globally. Raj is passionate about entrepreneur development and innovation. He holds a degree in B.Sc Applied Engineering from the University of Toronto and is currently based between Johannesburg and Toronto.
Bonnie Schulkin has a demonstrated passion for both teaching and coding. She has spent over fifteen years in the software industry, and has taught in a variety of formats: from high school physics and software industry training to coding bootcamps and online courses. You can see an example of her warmth and clarity in React Testing with Jest and Enzyme. This course has attracted students from over 80 countries worldwide. Bonnie has long championed underrepresented groups in tech, especially women, transgender and non-binary individuals, and minorities. She maintains close contact with communities of former students and delights in their successful roles as software engineers at companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and a host of startups.
Mona works consultant in marketing, operations and nonprofit. Mona has been active in several nonprofits including, CEN, Blossom Birth, Strive for College, local school bond and parcel tax school funding initiatives, school PTA board, and most recently, as the Board Chair for the Mountain View Educational Foundation. Previous professional experience includes work in areas of marketing, communications and media production. She holds an BA in International Relations from the University of California at Davis. Born in India and having lived on three different continents (Asia, Africa, North America), she loves to travel and experience new cultures.
Dr. Justin Kagin holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of California, Davis, with over 15 years of experience working in the field of development economics. He has managed and worked on numerous agricultural, social protection, and other poverty alleviation projects. He is the founder and CEO of Kagin's Consulting, and has worked in numerous developing countries across Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. Kagin's Consulting has partnered with various UN agencies (UNFAO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNILO, and the World Bank), as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, University of California, Davis, NGOs and government ministries. He is a published author and referee for various journals. And he is the founder and director of the Economic Diplomacy and Integrity Forum which has conferences around the world promoting moral solutions to problems of corruption, poverty, youth hopelessness, greed and other issues related to economics, politics and business. He is a proud husband and father of four.
Vuyani has worked in the development and management consulting industry for over 15 years in various roles. He has helped design, build and manage implementation of community development programs - including digital connectivity solutions for international mining companies in rural communities. Currently, he is leading the establishment of a major community empowerment and development program which has seen rural mining host communities become shareholders in a global mining company. This includes supporting the communities drive economic diversification from mining and sees great potential in the area of software development and ICT. Vuyani holds a degree from Wesleyan University. He currently resides in Johannesburg with his wife and three sons.
Timo has worked in the marketing technology software industry for almost 20 years in various client facing roles. He helped building enterprise software solutions for international clients, among them many Fortune 500 companies. As a curious and open minded person with natural empathy he has always enjoyed translating between business and engineering. Timo likes working internationally and strives to learn new things continuously. If he is not at work, he likes to travel the world with his wife and daughters.
