Who we are.

With a wealth of on-the-ground experience, we are passionate about discovering bold, fast, and smart solutions.

Meet our team:

Eleni Gabre-Madhin

Chief executive officer

Eleni is an internationally recognized thought leader on commodity exchanges and rural development in Africa. Her accolades include:

Winner of the prestigious Yara Prize, 2012.
Winner of the African Banker Icon award 2012.
Invited to address world leaders at the G8 Summit Camp David 2012.
Named among New African magazines 2012: 100 Most Influential Africans.
Listed in the 50 Women Shaping Africa 2011.
Ethiopian Person of the Year 2009.

She has held senior roles in the World Bank and the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.

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Jawad Ali

Chief technology officer

Jawad has been a technology entrepreneur specializing in enterprise hubs and complex marketplaces for over two decades.

He has proven strengths in the design and rapid deployment of complex systems and clean and elegant architecture.

As lead technology architect at the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, Jawad designed and took the in-house system from concept to live in seven months.

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Keith Thomas

Chief operating officer

Keith has 25 years of experience in business and technology solutions in the financial sector.

He has particular experience in banking and payment systems, electronic warehouse receipts and financing, clearing houses and electronic central depositories.

As chief clearing and settlement officer at the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, Keith led the strategy, design, implementation, and operation of the ECX clearing house, central depository and the warehouse receipt finance program, for four years.

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Sunru Yong

Chief strategy officer

Sunru is a strategic adviser with a focus on high-impact social enterprises and experience in agribusiness, financial services, and technology.

As an Acumen Global Fellow, he worked on drip irrigation products and mobile technology services targeted at smallholder farmers in Kenya. Previously he was a manager at Bain & Company, where he served clients in multiple industries, including consumer products, healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, and private equity. He also led strategic planning and international business development at TRG Group, a successful entrepreneurial venture. Sunru holds degrees from Washington University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

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Our Investors and Partners.

Our initial financing comes from outstanding global financial institutions:

About IFC

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector and helping developing countries achieve sustainable growth.

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About 8 Miles

8 Miles is a private equity firm focused exclusively on making private equity investments in Africa. The fund is chaired by founder Sir Bob Geldof and all the principals of the fund are known for their extensive experience in developed and emerging economies.

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About Ecobank

With a presence in 35 African countries,Ecobank is the leading, independent pan-African bank. We have set up a cooperative framework with Ecobank to promote and accelerate the development of Africa’s agriculture.

The partnership between Ecobank and eleni aims to realize a shared vision of transforming Africa’s competitiveness in global commodity
markets, enhancing value addition and processing in the domestic economy and enhancing food security.

Our partnership capitalizes on synergies between Ecobank’s unrivalled pan-African presence and commitment to financial inclusion and eleni’s successful track record of creating and operating commodity exchanges in Africa.

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