THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING AND SUPPORTING THE EABN 17th Annual Trade & Investment Conference

 

Welcome to our archive of the nights events. Visit often to see more images and video added of the amazing knowledge provided throughout the conference!

 

Scroll down for the most up to date speakers, panelists and sponsors!

This year’s focus was on technological potential in East Africa with topics that include agriculture, telehealth, education, technology, water, investment and more. Check back often for more highlights from the weekend’s event being added all the time.

View and download the Event Program for more event details, speakers and sponsors via the button below.

 

A BIG TEXAS WELCOME!

Texas Governor Greg Abbott

Dallas County Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia

and Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer 

welcome you to the conference!

Guest Speakers

EABN 17th Annual Trade & Investment Conference

Hon. Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki-Secretary General

Dr. Peter Mathuki is the current Secretary General of the East African Community. He was appointed with effect from 25th April, 2021. Before his appointment to the EAC, READ MORE…

Marvin McHellon Jr. – Market President Producer for Truist

Marvin McHellon Jr. is Market President Producer for Truist in North Texas. He oversees the McKinney, TX market. Marvin joined BB&T, now Truist in 2012 through READ MORE…

Bill Morgan – CEO & Consulting Principle of Avistas

Bill Morgan is the CEO and Consulting Principal of Avistas, a 20 year-old international advisory firm specializing in strategic growth and transformation.  He has supported the East African Community since 2009 and proudly serves as Vice Chairman of the READ MORE…

Sheryl Pinckney-Maas – CEO and Founder of Guardian Zone, LLC

Sheryl Pinckney-Maas is the CEO and Founder of Guardian Zone, LLC, a technology company in Colleyville, Texas that is a leading provider of crowd-sourced security solutions. Sheryl launched an innovative security mobile app and software READ MORE…

Elsa Juko-McDowell – Chairwoman East Africa Business Network

Elsa Juko-McDowell, Uganda native, has a passion for people and business and joined the East Africa Chamber of Commerce in 2015. The EACC is a dynamic organization that promotes trade and investments between READ MORE…

Jessica Gordon, Director, U.S. Commercial Service Dallas-Fort Worth

Jessica Gordon is the Director of the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) U.S. Commercial Service Dallas-Fort Worth office where she leads a team of industry-focused international trade specialists to counsel U.S. companies on the export  READ MORE…

Dean Allen – Founder and President of Zontos Hydrogen Water

Dean Allen was born in Johannesburg, South Africa where he lived for 20 years before immigrating to the United States at the end of 1999. Having grown up in a family who owned their own business Dean saw first-hand how READ MORE…

Laban Opande, Juris Doctor (JD), MBA, BSc.

Laban Opande is a Kenyan-American lawyer with over 25 years of leadership, management and executive experience in a unique and vast array of fields including law, business, technology, science,  READ MORE…

Herbert Austin- District Director Dallas/Fort Worth District Office

Herbert Austin is the District Director for the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Dallas/Fort Worth office, covering 72 counties of north, central, and east Texas.  READ MORE…

Hempstone Maroria – Serial Entrepreneur

Hempstone Maroria is a serial entrepreneur, innovator, and experienced professional in fintech, mobile payments, eCommerce, and disruptive technologies with skills in software product and platform design and development. READ MORE…

John Oshodi – CEO VoxTechnologies

John Oshodi is the CEO of Vox Technologies in Richardson, Texas. Founded in November 1997, Vox Technologies, a Relevant Technologies Corporation, has grown into a leading provider of industrial computing, automation, and READ MORE…

Senator Tabitha Mukami Karanja

Tabitha Mukami Muigai Karanja, MBS is the current Senator for Nakuru County. She is an established business womanentrepreneur and an industrialist. She founded Keroche Breweries, where she READ MORE…

Brandon Sebirumbi - Managing Partner, Brilliant Silver Investments

Brandon is a Managing Partner of Brilliant Silver. He has a background in asset management in multifamily properties. Brandon’s real estate journey has taken him from residential into commercial real estate READ MORE…

Edward Sebirumbi – Real Estate Investor

Edward Sebirumbi is a U.S. based Real Estate investor. He is the founding partner of Brilliant Silver Investments which is a grassroots real estate investment company. READ MORE…

Habte G. Woldu, Ph.D.

Born in Ethiopia, Dr. Woldu attended Haile Selassie I University in Addis Ababa where he pursued an undergraduate degree program education in social science while simultaneously working as an auditor READ MORE…

Dr David Wachira - WayaPay Co-Founder & COO

A fintech entrepreneur, public finance and governance specialist with a technical background and specialization in fiscal and financial issues. Previously, a public-sector specialist at the World Bank; READ MORE…

David Muthiani – Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE)

David Muthiani –Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE); Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR); Certified Home Marketing Specialist (CHMS); Military Relocation Professional (MRP); Seller Representative David’s 21 years of global READ MORE…

Angelo Viard — President of RESSCOP Alternative Energy & VACS Group

Mr. Angelo Viard is the current President of RESSCOP ALTERNATIVE ENERGY & VACS Group, Inc. formerly known as VCS Group; Mr. Viard is an experienced senior executive with more than 26 years of experience in international business  READ MORE…

Richard Thomas, CEO – The Present House Hospitality Group

Richard is the founder and CEO of The Present House Hospitality Group, a global company focused on developing “Minority Loved Brands” in the food and luxury vacation space across READ MORE….

CT Mobley – Small Business Services (SBS)

CT’s background includes over 20 years of executive experience leading cross-functional leadership teams, indirect and direct sales teams, strategic planning and execution in diverse markets. READ MORE…

David Bryant – Coastal Communities

In 2000, David started Coastal Communities in Beaufort, SC. Specializing in residential and Commercial land development. Within 36 months David was spearheading a 5,000 unit development called Lake Carolina. READ MORE…

Sen. Abdulkadir Mohammed Haji, MP

Senator Abdulkadir M. Haji is the current Senator for Garissa County. He was first elected to Parliament in 2021 through a by election after the demise of his father, the late Hon. Senator Yusuf Haji, EGH, MP. READ MORE…

Lydia Tate - EABN Board Member & Truist Sr. Vice President, Commercial Banking

Lydiah’s banking career spans for nearly 27 years, having started her career in banking in 1994.  She has held several positions at different Financial Institutions, from Teller, Customer Service, Branch Manager/VP to Business Banking and Commercial Banking VP.  Lydiah joined Business and Commercial Banking in 2002 and has worked for several financial institutions in both Tennessee and Texas.  Lydiah graduated with honors from university of Memphis in 2002 with a Finance degree and an MBA with honors in 2005.  She is multi-lingual and speaks 5 languages.  She is a member of National Association of Women Business Owners and National Black MBA Association.  Lydiah is also a published spiritual empowerment writer and public speaker.  Her passion is to make a difference for businesses and individual’s by providing tailored banking solutions to diverse businesses. 

Dr. Daniel Juma

Dr. Daniel Juma is a graduate of Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas. Dr. Juma, earned his Doctorate in Dental Surgery in 2012 from Baylor, having been awarded for his excellence in Periodontology as well as being a recipient of the READ MORE…

Dr. Ivan Edwards

Dr. Ivan Edwards (DO, FAAPMR, FRSA) is a physician with over fourteen years of experience in medicine, rehabilitation and pain management. He holds a doctorate in Medicine from Glendale’s Midwestern University, with READ MORE….

Dr. Sam Bore – Associate Professor of Counseling

Dr. Sam Bore is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) in the state of Texas specializing in counseling with individuals, couples, families, and teenagers. Dr. Bore holds a Ph.D. in Counseling with a specialization in child/adolescent and READ MORE…

Nelson Bamundaga – Director of IT For Premier BH

Nelson Bamundaga is the Director of Information Technology for Premier BH– a healthcare management provider located in Los Angeles CA. He attended the University of Texas at Austin READ MORE…

Fareed Zein El Abdin – Entrepreneur, Business & Community Leader

 Founder and CEO of Universal Toll Tag, Inc (Unytag), a tech startup looking to disrupt the toll road fee payments industry and ease daily toll road, READ MORE…

Senator John Kinyua Nderitu

Senator John Kinyua Nderitu was born in 1974 in Laikipia County, Kenya. He studied Botany and Chemistry at the University of Nairobi and is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Law in the same University. Prior to getting into politics, he was READ MORE…

John C. Robinson – Chief Executive Officer

John C. Robinson is a seasoned investment professional with more than 25 years of global institutional financial services and capital markets experience. He has held senior management, investment consulting, investment banking, READ MORE…

W. Mark Cotham—Attorney at Law

President and Founder Books for Development, a Houston area non-profit dedicated to building libraries in developing countries (2011-date). Through Books for Development and a predecessor project at Chapelwood United Methodist Church, READ MORE…

Oswell Binha – CEO African Roundtable

Oswell Binha, The Chairperson CEO African Roundtable board of governors, is the Promoter and Chief Executive of Orac Systems. Oswell Participates in several SADC and African Union READ MORE…

Colby C. Boone

Colby C. Boone hailing from the Coastal Plains of North Carolina holds the title of Author, Founder, International Speaker, Community Activist, Tech professional, and Servant leader. READ MORE…

Dr. Robert W. Chiuri, Phd

Dr. Robert W. Chiuri, Phd is Managing of Global Standards Resources & Institute (USA) a company involved in certifications, manufacturing quality audits and management consulting having worked for many international READ MORE…

Hon. Fatuma Adan Dullo, C.B.S, Member of Parliament (MP)

Hon. Fatuma Adan Dullo, C.B.S, is a third-term Member of Parliament (MP), the current elected Senator for Isiolo County as well as the Minority Whip of the 13th Senate of the Republic of Kenya. READ MORE…

Ms. Rashanda Johnson– Business Development Specialist at OPIC

Ms. Rashanda Johnson is a Business Development Specialist in the Small & Medium Enterprise Finance department at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). As Business Development Specialist, Rashanda focuses on counseling READ MORE…

Regina Hill Onyeibe –Africa Liaison and SBA Coordinator, City of Dallas

 Africa Liaison and Small Business Center Senior Coordinator (dual roles) for the City of Dallas. Before coming to work for the city, Regina was Senior Business Planning Manager for Hewlett Packard, a Fortune 100 company. In her current role, READ MORE…

Conference Sponsors

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