Speaker Listing 4

Dennis is currently based in Nairobi, Kenya and leads the IFC EDGE Green Building Market Transformation Program in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria and serves as a support for the entire Africa sub region. He works with IFC’s global partners in green building certification and is responsible for identifying early EDGE adopters amongst commercial and residential developers, financial institutions, industry organizations, and other stakeholders; presenting the technical and business case for EDGE; and assisting in registering projects for EDGE certifications. Papa Odenyi works with national and local governments to ensure EDGE is integrated into incentives and policy planning and to assist governments create green building codes on national and local levels. His background is in Urban Development with experience working in the built environment in Africa and has participated in several urban redevelopment projects. He has over the past 12 years provided specific technical inputs for various real estate projects. His expertise includes Green Buildings, Sustainable Real Estate Development, Real Estate Marketing and Management, Real Estate Valuation and Business Development. He holds an MSc in Urban Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science, (LSE) in the UK and an Undergraduate degree in Land Economy from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology in Ghana. He is also a member of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors.

Divinah Maturi serves as the Inspection Manager Control Union Kenya, where she brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role.With six years of experience in the field, she has honed her expertise in auditing sustainable standards in organic, textile and tourism. Divinahs commitment to sustainability and her detailed understanding of multiple standards make her an invaluable asset to the society thus contributing to the promotion of environmentally responsible practices

Dr. Kayode D. Aleshinloye is an Assistant Professor of Tourism and Event Management at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida. His research interests focus on the social and cultural impacts of cultural and sporting events, community, and sustainable tourism, and residents and tourists’ relationships. Kayode has published in top tourism and event journals and presented at several national and international tourism conferences. He currently teaches Event Administration Management at the graduate level and Fairs and Festivals at the undergraduate level. He is an associate Editor and regional editor (Africa) for the Event Management Journal and reviews for many leading tourism journals.

Sisco is a researcher at the Namibia University of Science and Technology. She holds a Ph.D. in community-based tourism development from Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. Her research interests include Sustainable Tourism, Dark Sky Tourism, Indigenous Astronomy, and Community Development. Before entering the academic space. She has spent more than 20 years working in the tourism sector in Europe, South Africa, and Namibia. She worked for the US Millennium Challenge Account -Namibia where she managed sustainable tourism projects. In 2019 she was a judge for the Africa World Travel Market Responsible Tourism Awards held in Cape Town, South Africa. Recently, she has just been selected as an associate member of Astro Accel, a US National Science Foundation (NSF) supported initiative pioneering a global interdisciplinary network for accelerating synergies through research on astronomy for culture, education, engagement, and communication. She is also the advisory executive member of Eco-Awards Namibia, an alliance of the private sector and government organisations that runs a sustainable tourism certification program for Namibia. During her spare time, Sisco enjoys traveling to remote locations with minimal light pollution to appreciate the magnificent beauty of the pristine Namibian night skies.

Gulam Sawant is a seasoned professional with a diverse background spanning journalism, health, fitness, and now sustainability management. With a career fuelled by a desire to serve others and add value, Gulam transitioned from a successful tenure in the health and fitness industry to join Weeva as Head of Sales in December 2023. Drawing upon 20 years of experience in commercial development, Gulam brings strategic acumen and leadership to Weeva. His role involves forging strategic partnerships, leading the Sales team, and representing Weeva at key industry events. Gulam's journey began with a qualification in journalism, which laid the foundation for his communication skills and passion for storytelling. Over the years, he honed his expertise through various professional development programs, including a distinguished Global Executive Development program at Gordon Institute of Business Science. With a proven track record of success and a relentless drive to make a positive difference, Gulam Sawant embodies leadership, excellence, and a commitment to sustainable practices.

Harriet Owalla is a Kenyan journalist who's been reporting on tourism and conservation for the past seven years. Her work has been published in various publications both local and international like the Skift, Afar, Fodor not to mention but a few. She has also featured on BBC Travel Kenya edition and the New York times talking on the same. On top of that, she has worked with various tourism boards like Magical Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Seychelles, Morocco, Zimbabwe to market their destinations.

Jon Danks is a senior tourism leader with a track record of developing high performing teams to drive commercial growth and brand engagement. Jon has worked for some of the world’s largest global brands, and has brought this experience into smaller organisations, gaining him a strong reputation across the Travel, Media, Technology, Financial Services & Government sectors. A strategic thinker, with vision and diplomacy and with several volunteer non-Exec roles under his belt, his most recent experience as Chief Executive Officer for a Pan African tourism trade association heralded a period of phenomenal global growth, accompanied with a focus on sustainable tourism.

Judy Kepher Gona is a global sustainable tourism leader from Kenya. As the founder of Sustainable Travel & Tourism Agenda, Judy has been instrumental in advancing responsible tourism practices in the continent. Her efforts have been recognized globally, and she continues to be a leading voice for equity, inclusion, diversity and consciousness in tourism.

She is an environmentalist with a strong background in tourism with emerging specialties in disaster risk management, environmental impact assessments, environmental management and climate change. She has more than 15 years of experience in tourism and hospitality management, six years in academia managing a training facility and have nine years in academia at the NUST Hotel School, managing the daily operations and sustainability of the Hotel School and the Work Integrated Programs for the 2nd & 3rd students. She enjoys research and has completed her Masters dissertation under the supervision of Dr Morgan Hauptfleisch (NUST Biodiversity Research Centre) and Professor Francois Retief, North West University South Africa. Research for my dissertation was focused on the “Quality Review of Biodiversity Inputs in EIA’s in Tourism Development”. Furthermore, she holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Risk Management as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Travel and Tourism Management. She has completed a thesis which focused on Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on SME Tourism in Windhoek Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework - 2021, as well as research which focused on “An Investigation into Sustainable Water Management in Windhoek Based Hospitality Establishments in a Climate of Drought and an Existing Water Crisis Period - 2019”.