Simon is a researcher and social innovation practitioner working at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystems, technology transfer, and youth development. A PhD Candidate at the University of the Witwatersrand, his research focuses on academic entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging economies. At AIF, he provides overall organisational leadership while leading youth programmes, entrepreneurship research, Innovation Labs, and the secondary school and TVET innovation pipeline.

Nokubongwa specialises in agriculture and animal sciences and brings sectoral expertise to AIF's work in sustainable livelihoods and agri-innovation. She leads agriculture-focused innovation programming and supports the development of partnerships connecting young people to opportunities within Mpumalanga's growing agricultural and agribusiness ecosystem.

Lihle specialises in development studies and participatory community engagement. He helps ensure that AIF programmes are designed with communities rather than for communities. He leads community needs assessments, stakeholder engagement, and participatory approaches that connect local challenges with practical innovation opportunities.

Harvest specialises in information technology and human resources. He oversees AIF's technology infrastructure, digital programme delivery, operational systems, and learning platforms. His work supports AIF's commitment to expanding meaningful digital access and participation for young people in underserved communities.

Asanda specialises in sociology and applied research. She coordinates research and leads AIF's monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities. Her work ensures that AIF measures not only programme outputs but also broader changes in youth agency, confidence, opportunity, participation, and social mobility.

Prof. Surya Raghu is an internationally experienced innovation and entrepreneurship specialist whose work focuses on enabling innovators and entrepreneurs from developing countries to commercialise ideas, inventions, innovations, and intellectual property addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He has served as Director or Co-Director of entrepreneurship workshops across more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, the Pacific, and the United States, and has been an invited speaker internationally on entrepreneurial ecosystems, technology roadmaps, inventions-to-market pathways, technology transfer, and knowledge transfer. His work includes consulting on innovation policy, entrepreneurship education, capacity building, ecosystem development, innovation metrics, curriculum development, e-learning, and research commercialisation, and he has extensive experience developing strategic partnerships involving governments, universities, UN and UNESCO-linked initiatives, NGOs, professional organisations, industry, and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders. His technical expertise spans fluid mechanics, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and instrumentation related to atrial fibrillation. He holds 15 issued patents, with four commercial products introduced to market from his inventions, and his research collaborations have included Purdue University, MIT, Johns Hopkins University, Georgia Tech, TU Berlin, and other universities, as well as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, NASA, NRL, and NAVAIR. He has authored more than 65 publications in fluid mechanics and has undertaken contract research and development for government agencies and major aerospace companies.

Nkuli is a strategic advisor specialising in health systems transformation, enterprise development, and cross-sector partnerships. Her work sits at the intersection of health research operations, continental policy, organisational transformation, and innovation-driven development. She holds a Master of Business Leadership with a specialisation in e-business and technology management and is currently pursuing doctoral research examining the integration of SMEs into Universal Health Coverage frameworks. At AIF, she contributes strategic guidance on partnerships, institutional development, stakeholder engagement, health innovation, and organisational growth.

Dr. Vuyisile Phehane is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in technology development, innovation, and the commercialisation of intellectual property. He is a strong business development professional with expertise in evaluating, funding, investing in, developing, and exiting life sciences opportunities. His experience spans technology commercialisation, innovation management, venture development, intellectual property, investment readiness, and the translation of scientific and technological opportunities into viable commercial ventures. He contributes to AIF's work by providing strategic insight into research commercialisation, life sciences innovation, venture development, and investment pathways.

James is an experienced organisational development specialist, leadership consultant, entrepreneur, and executive coach. He holds a Master's degree in Organisational Psychology from the University of Cape Town and Master Certified Coach accreditation through Middlesex University. His expertise includes leadership development, succession planning, executive coaching, conflict resolution, team effectiveness, organisational development, and strategic people management. He also trained for five years in Gestalt psychotherapy and undertook doctoral research into entrepreneurial activation. James has extensive experience advising senior leaders, executive teams, and Boards and contributes to AIF's leadership development and organisational effectiveness work.

Melody has more than 15 years of experience in agribusiness and entrepreneurial development. She currently serves as a Business Development Practitioner at the University of Mpumalanga Centre for Entrepreneurship and Rapid Incubator, where she supports MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs through tailored enterprise development initiatives. Her expertise includes business incubation frameworks, entrepreneurship ecosystem modelling, enterprise development, and stakeholder collaboration. She is particularly committed to strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems, reducing the risks associated with start-up failure, and building sustainable enterprises through strategic partnerships and alignment between entrepreneurs, institutions, and funders. Her work contributes to strengthening university-led enterprise support and advancing long-term socio-economic impact. At AIF, she provides advisory support on agribusiness, incubation, MSME development, entrepreneurship ecosystems, and enterprise support.