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The VFA Team
We've been there, built that and have a track record of bringing together some of the best and brightest talents with Africa's leading tech companies.
Tobi Lafinhan
Talent & Program Management
Tobi recently left his role as the Head of Recruitment at Pan-African tech incubator, MEST. There, Tobi led and managed recruitment processes and funnels in 5 key African markets, recruiting founders across 11 companies backed by $1.1 million in seed funding. Through the eyes of over 200 tech entrepreneurs, he's seen first-hand the challenges startups face when it comes to identifying and recruiting talent that fits and now leads our efforts to recruit incredible VFA fellows from across the world and works with our startup partners to deliver successful fellowship experiences.
Stephanie Gogo
Program Development & Operations
Stephanie previously managed marketing for a fast-growing fintech startup in Kenya and is now Head of Community at Hustle Sasa. She has deep direct insight into the talent challenges in Africa from both candidate and startup perspectives. She also leads program development and operations at VFA, ensuring fellows receive a fulfilling and impactful fellowship experience and equipping them to hit the ground running.
Aaron Fu
Startup Success & Partnerships
Aaron has been working with startups in Africa since 2015 - as an active early-stage investor and venture builder. Kicking off by launching Nest and Mettā in Kenya and leading MEST's Pan-African expansion, today he leads growth at the Catalyst Fund. At VFA, Aaron collaborates with startups to accelerate their growth with VFA fellows.
Thea Sokolowski
Marketing & Communications
Thea has been advising early-stage companies in emerging markets in areas from ideation, to go-to-market and growth strategies, to investor readiness. Previously, she led marketing and communications for finance and innovation consulting firm BFA Global, and its inclusive tech accelerator Catalyst Fund, as well as for entrepreneurial training program, seed fund and tech incubator, MEST Africa, across international markets. Today she's Head of Marketing for a fast-growing fintech startup in Africa and heads comms efforts for VFA.
