Speakers

Lavanya Anand is an Investment Director at the Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund (part of the AfricInvest Group), a €110M VC fund investing in Seed to Series B stage tech startups across Africa, where she manages portfolio companies like PalmPay and Paytic. She has over 8 years of experience in Africa VC, previously a Principal with VestedWorld. Before moving to Kenya in 2018, Lavanya was based in the US where she worked as a CPA in public accounting and corporate finance. She has a BA in Business Economics from UCLA and an MBA from Chicago Booth. Her sectors of interest include fintech, AI-powered software, e-commerce, and consumer.

Jason Black, better known as J2K, is a UK artist, entrepreneur, and cultural strategist whose influence spans music, business, and youth culture.

Born and raised in East London, J2K emerged during grime’s formative years as an MC, gaining recognition through pirate radio, the underground scene, and his influential Heat In The Streets mixtape series. As grime grew, he helped pioneer the CD mixtape format at a time when most releases were distributed on cassette or vinyl, contributing to a shift in how the genre was marketed and sold.

Known for combining creative talent with sharp commercial instincts, J2K developed an early reputation for understanding branding, consumer behaviour, and cultural trends. Following a publishing deal with Bucks Music Group, he expanded into entrepreneurship, building ventures that would go on to achieve international success.

He is best known as the co-founder of Crep Protect, the globally recognised footwear-care brand that transformed sneaker protection into a lifestyle category. Under his leadership, the brand became deeply embedded in music, fashion, sport, and youth culture, helping redefine culturally driven marketing for a new generation. He also partnered with UK rap duo Krept & Konan to launch the popular London dessert brand Crepes & Cones.

Today, J2K is the founder of HYPHNT, a design-led footwear brand created for the modern multi-hyphenate generation. Inspired by creatives who move between industries, environments, and identities, the brand sits at the intersection of street culture, design, and urban mobility, reflecting his belief that creativity and entrepreneurship thrive without boundaries.

Beyond business, J2K remains active across music, branding, and community development through atHOME and various consultancy projects. Named on the UK Powerlist of the most influential Black people in Britain, he continues to shape conversations around ownership, culture, and innovation, representing a generation that transformed independent cultural movements into global influence.

Birgit is a Community Manager for LinkedIn DACH, specialising in community engagement, social media strategy, and campaign execution. She is passionate about building meaningful professional connections and creating impactful initiatives that strengthen communities across the DACH region. Fluent in English, German, and Twi, Birgit brings an inclusive and collaborative approach to audience engagement and communication.

Eva Simpson is the Founding Director of ESPR, a strategic communications agency specialising in crisis communications and institutional reputation.
With 30 years spanning national newspaper journalism, including The Times and the Daily Mirror, and senior communications roles, Eva brings a rare understanding of how stories are built, how they move, and how they can be shaped in high-stakes situations.
Eva advises at board and C-suite level on complex, high-profile national and international issues, particularly where reputation, race, culture and public scrutiny intersect.
Her work includes leading campaigns for the NHS, the Church of England and KPMG, as well as crisis communications for Buckingham Palace.
Operating across the UK and West Africa, Eva is known for bringing clarity, pace and cultural intelligence to conversations that matter most.

Esther is an award winning Influencer Marketing Consultant and seasoned Senior Influencer Marketing Manager with nearly a decade of experience driving impactful influencer campaigns in the digital space. She has an extensive background working at industry-leading platforms such as Twitter (now X), Meta, Instagram, News UK and now LinkedIn as a Creator Manager.

In addition to her in-house expertise, Esther has excelled in agency work, leading high- profile influencer campaigns for global clients such as Booking.com, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Virgin Atlantic.