Innovation Summit - Meridian International Center

Participant Biographies
Ms. Innocentia Itumeleng Greta Motau – South Africa
Director and CEO, XPanse Investment
As Director and CEO of XPanse Investment, Ms. Motau formulates company strategy, manages
investments from conceptualization to implementation, and oversees company development.
XPanse is an investment bank with clients in a wide range of fields, including maritime and logistics,
mining, property and renewable energy. While Ms. Motau focuses on corporate finance and
investment banking as part of her “day job,” her after-hours passion is to promote opportunities
for youth, especially girls, in the business world. As President of the South African Chapter of the
G20 Young Entrepreneur Alliance, she is concerned that South Africa, the powerhouse of Sub-
Saharan Africa, lags behind on some key Millennium Development Goals. As a board member for
the National Youth Development Agency (an appointed position), she is proud of her work to help
fund cooperatives in rural areas that benefit women in particular, and has lobbied successfully for
increased government support for micro-finance loans to rural communities.
Ms. Mwaka Mukwasa – Zambia
Spokesperson, Young African Leaders Initiative
Ms. Mukwasa serves as the spokesperson for Zambia’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), a
coalition of young leaders in Zambia inspired by U.S. President Barak Obama’s Forum for Young
African Leaders held in August, 2010 in Washington, D.C. YALI’s mission is to engage, support and
empower Zambian youth and young leaders to enhance civic engagement through promotion of
education, good governance, principled leadership and business skills. YALI’s vision is a Zambia
anchored in a vibrant generation of young leaders in the private and public sectors that effectively
contribute to good democratic governance, justice, peace and economic development. Ms.
Mukwasa’s role in the organization includes engaging media on issues affecting youth, preparing
media advisories and issuing press statements, calling press conferences and handling questions
from the media. Ms. Mukwasa plans to begin a program to help girls continue their education
beyond grade 7, when it is no longer paid for by the government.
Mr. Muhammed Njie – The Gambia
Senior Executive Trainer Financial Control Department, Bank PHB
Mr. Njie works in the finance department of Bank PHB Gambia preparing periodical financial
statements, managing accounts and preparing regulatory returns for submission to the central
bank of the Gambia. Bank PHB Gambia employs about 148 staff with an annual budget of $1.5
million (PBT). In addition to his banking background, Mr. Njie has developed a business plan to
employ modern techniques and the latest technologies to process locally grown fruits into fruit
juices, thereby reducing the high waste of fruit due to spoilage. Mr. Njie was one of the top finalists
in a contest sponsored by the local American Chamber of Commerce for writing this comprehensive
business plan. Mr. Njie’s business plan was also selected among the top five in Gambia that was
later showcased at the ECOWAS Business Forum in Nigeria.
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