The Speakers

Founding Director, Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health (AFRIMEB)

Prof. David Ndetei

Founding Director - Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health (AFRIMEB) and Professor of Psychiatry at University of Nairobi.

Operating Partner, DRK

Dr. Anika Warren Wood

Operating Partner and Chief Organizational Effectiveness Officer, Draper Richards Kaplan (DRK).

Core Team Member, The Agency Fund

Paul Wang

Core Team Member, The Agency Fund & Co-Founder, IDinsight.

Founder, Shamiri Institute

Tom Osborn

Founder & CEO Shamiri Institute. TED Fellow. Forbes 30 under 30.

Senior Lecturer, Kenyatta University

Dr. Christine Wasanga

Senior Lecturer of Psychology at the Department of Psychology, Kenyatta University.

Senior Economist & Director IDinsight

Dr. Bilal Siddiqi

Senior Economist and Director at IDinsight, Bilal is a development economist specializing in poverty, institutions and conflict in low- and middle-income countries.

Head of Research Ethics, AfriMeb

Dr. Christine Musyimi

Dr. Christine Musyimi is a mental health researcher focused on community mental health interventions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Head of Mental Health Department, NCCG

Stella Waruingi

Stella Waruingi, is the Head of Mental Health & Substance Use Program at Nairobi County, Directorate of Health.

Communications, Advocacy and Safeguarding Lead

Eugene Wanekeya

Eugene is the Communications, Advocacy and Safeguarding Lead at Basic Needs, Basic Rights

Founding Director of the Brain and Mind Institute at the Aga Khan University

Dr. Zul Merali

A neuroscientist and pharmacologist, Dr. Zul is the Founding Director of the Brain and Mind Institute and a full Professor, College of Medicine, Aga Khan University

Executive Director, Tunaweza Empowerment Organization

Gloria Ochola

Gloria is the Executive Director of Tunaweza Empowerment Organization and an active volunteer within her community.

Lecturer at the University of Kabianga

Dr. Janet Surum

Dr. Janet Surum is a researcher and an Educational Psychologist with a keen interest in the well being of children, youth mental health, resilience, emerging adults and life span development studies.

Country Medical Director, African Healthcare Network

Dr. Yuri Oketch

Dr. Yuri is the Country Medical Director for Kenya.

Director of The Division of Mental Health, MOH

Dr. Mercy Karanja

Dr. Mercy Karanja is the Director of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health in Kenya and a consultant psychiatrist.

Program Manager, CitiesRise

Joyce Arita

Joyce Arita is a psychologist and the Program Manager at CitiesRise Kenya

Counselling Psychologist

Aliya Shah

Aliya Shah is an adolescent and adult psychologist focused on trauma and behavioral issues. As chair of communications at the EMDR Kenya Association, she works to reduce stigma around therapy and promote mental health awareness.

Head of Policy and Partnerships at Food4Education

Shalom Ndiku

Shalom M. Ndiku is the Head of Policy and Partnerships at Food4Education. There, he leads the organization’s external-facing functions, including government relations, policy, partnerships, impact and communications.

Focal Person - Workplace Mental Wellness and Suicide Prevention, MOH

Dr. Nasri Omar

Dr. Nasri Omar serves as the focal point for Workplace Mental Wellness and Suicide Prevention at the Ministry of Health, Kenya.

Deputy Director Partnerships, MoE

Dorah Kitala

Dorah is the Deputy Director of Partnerships at Ministry of Education and Peace Education in the Directorate of Policy, Partnerships and East African Community Affairs

County Projects Coordinator, Kajiado County, MoE

Ceciliah Koyieyio

Ceciliah M. Koyieyio has dedicated her career to advancing education in Kenya with over 15 years of experience in teaching and educational administration.

Executive Director and Founder, Nivishe Foundation

Amisa Rashid

Amisa Rashid is a counseling psychologist, mediator, and tireless advocate for community resilience, mental health, and peaceful social cohesion. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Nivishe Foundation.

Deputy Director, Policy - Directorate of Policy, Partnerships & EA Affairs, MoE

Alice Nyakiongora

Alice Nyakiongora serves as a Deputy Director in the State Department for Basic Education within the Directorate of Policy Partnerships and East African Community Affairs.

Founder and Executive Director, Mental 360 & Boma

Bright Shitemi

Bright Shitemi is the Founder and Executive Director of a youth-led youth-focused mental health organization, Mental 360, and a digital wellness start-up, Boma.

Founder, Clear Minds Better Livez

Wanjiru Karanja

Wanjiru Karanja, founder of Clear Minds Better Livez, draws from her expertise and lived experiences to champion suicide awareness, Black and women’s rights, and mental health advocacy across continents.

Research Scientist at the APHRC

Dr. Frederick Murunga Wekesah

Dr. Frederick Murunga Wekesah is an associate research scientist at the African Population and Health Research Centre. He is an epidemiologist focused on cardiovascular and mental health research.

CEO, HRBox Africa

Pillie Nkasara

Pillie Nkasara is the CEO of HR Box Africa, an innovative HR Software and Services company that focuses on empowering people to do excellent work and fostering thriving, high-performance work cultures.

HR Business Partner, World Vision Kenya

Erick Kagose

Erick Kagose is the HR Business Partner of World Vision Kenya where he handles talent and stakeholder management. He Has over 10 years of experience leading teams in both the public and private sectors.

Associate Director, People & Talent, Savannah Informatics

Janet Odalo

Janet is an experienced Talent and Operations Manager at Savannah Informatics. She draws on her seven years of experience, her background in software engineering, and her passion for people and talent management to create policies for organizations.

People & Culture Manager, Belva Digital

Cecilia Muriithi

Cecilia is the People & Culture Manager at Belva Digital. With over nine years of experience in people operations across different industries, she has garnered expertise in HR strategy, talent management, organizational effectiveness, and employee wellness.

Programs Coordinator, TINADA

Ammon Otieno

Ammon is the Project Lead for the Shamiri Intervention and Programs Coordinator at TINADA

Core Team, The Agency Fund

James Walsh

James Walsh is a dedicated professional at The Agency Fund, where he contributes to impactful initiatives focused on social innovation and transformative change.

Head of Growth & Strategy, Shamiri Institute

Rahim Daya

Rahim Daya is the Head of Growth and Strategy at Shamiri Institute. Previously, he served as the Chief of Staff at Shamiri Institute.

Managing Director: Africa, Healthy Brains Global Initiative

Julia Greenland

Julia Greenland is Managing Director: Africa for the Healthy Brains Global Initiative. She leads on the development implementation of outcome-based mental health programming in Africa.

Director of Partnerships, People & Engagement, Shamiri Institute

Caleb Kiarie

Caleb is the Director of Partnerships, People & Engagement at Shamiri Institute.

COO, Shamiri Health

Chiara van Oekel

Chiara van Oekel is COO at Shamiri Health

Director of Communications - Shamiri Institute

Soni Adriance

Soni Adriance is the Director of Communications at Shamiri Institute.

Multi-hyphenate Kenyan creative

Patricia Kihoro

Patricia Wangechi Kihoro is a multi-hyphenate Kenyan creative, storyteller, and cultural advocate with a passion for the African creator economy.

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