Interchange26

Virtual Conference for Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni

Day 1: Tuesday 03 February 2026

10:00 – 10:30 (GMT): Open plenary

• Professor Robin Mason ORB, Chair, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK
• Maddalaine Ansell, Director of Education, British Council
• FCDO Minister (TBC)

10:15 – 10:30 (GMT): Commonwealth Alumni Keynote

• Nfor Carlton Mbunwe, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, 2024 Commonwealth Startup Fellow from Cameroon

10:30 – 11:30 (GMT): Panel Discussion – Knowledge without Borders: How Commonwealth research translates into impact

This panel examines the critical pathways through which Commonwealth-funded research creates tangible societal change. Distinguished panellists will explore how academic knowledge translates into policy influence, community outcomes, and economic development across diverse global contexts.

Speakers

• Souvik Kumar Ghosh, Director-Global Sustainability, HCL Technologies Ltd., 2010 Shared Scholar from India
• Reasat Faisal, Teaching and Learning, Queen’s University, 2016 Shared Scholar from Bangladesh
• Seinya Amie Bakarr, CEO, Jalimi Farms and Foods, 2013 Shared Scholar from Sierra Leone
• Racheal Inegbedion, Founder & Executive Director, Initiative for National Growth Africa; PhD Candidate, UMass Boston, 2022 Shared Scholar from Nigeria

Moderator: Mhonishya Krishnamoorthy, Senior Executive (R&D), YTY Group, 2022 Split-site Scholar from Malaysia

Panel close: Sarah Amoit Okimaru, Founding Partner, Amoit & Seif Law LLP, 2012 Shared Scholar from Kenya

15:00 – 15:10 (GMT): Afternoon session welcome

15:10 – 16:00 (GMT): Networking Sessions

• Session 1: The Role of Youth in Reimagining Prosperity
• Session 2: Crossing Borders: Global Ideas, Local Action
• Session 3: The Alumni Advantage: How Global Networks Advance Equity

Lead: Kayola da Barca Vieira, Manager, Governance, Compliance and Risk, Standards Bank, 2016 Scholar from Mozambique

16:00 – 17:00 (GMT): Workshop – How to Build Sustainable Business Models

This interactive workshop provides practical frameworks for developing business models that balance financial viability with social and environmental impact. Participants will engage with proven tools for revenue generation, cost management, and impact measurement, specifically tailored to social enterprises and fair trade organisations.

Lead: Nana Ama Boa-Amponsem, Assistant Director, The Education Collaborative, 2023 Distance Learning Scholar from Ghana

17:00 – 17:30 (GMT): Q&A and close of day 1

 

Day 2: Wednesday 04 February 2026

14:00 – 14:10 (GMT): Day 2 welcome

• Lindah Mbaisi Chavuya, Communications Consultant (Climate Change and Sustainability), Hans J PR and Communications, 2023 Shared Scholar from Kenya

14:00 – 15:00 (GMT): Keynote – Scaling Impact Across Borders: Real-world experiences in growing social enterprises without losing purpose

This keynote provides an unfiltered examination of the challenges and opportunities encountered when expanding social enterprises internationally. The speaker will share personal experiences navigating cultural differences, regulatory complexities, resource constraints, and partnership dynamics while maintaining mission integrity.

Speaker

• James Nyamai, Founder and CEO, Bioafriq Energy Limited, 2024 Commonwealth Startup Fellow from Kenya

15:00 – 16:00 (GMT): Panel Discussion – Breaking Barriers: Women and marginalised voices in social enterprise

This panel critically examines the systemic barriers that women and marginalised communities face in the social enterprise ecosystem, while celebrating their innovative contributions and resilience. Panellists will discuss gender bias in funding allocation, limited access to networks and mentorship, the compounding effects of intersecting identities, and institutional exclusion. The session moves beyond individual success stories to propose concrete structural reforms in financial systems, government policies, and educational institutions.

Speakers

• Vaibhav Ganesh Sonone, Executive, Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), 2023 Shared Scholar from India
• Keneuoe Semphi, Access and Inclusion Coordinator, Vodacom Lesotho Foundation, 2023 Scholar from Lesotho
• Barbara Amoah, Adjunct Professor, Unity Environmental University, USA, 2009 Shared Scholar from Ghana
• Farwa Tassaduq, Co-founder, One Earth Toys, 2011 Shared Scholar from Pakistan

Moderator: James Otai, Co-Founder & Director of Sustainability and Operations, Imagine Her, 2019 Shared Scholar from Uganda

16:00 – 16:40 (GMT): In Conversation With – My Journey: From Commonwealth Scholarship to social entrepreneur

Speaker

• Adekemi Adeniyan, Founder and Executive Director, Dentalcare Foundation/ Smile Superheroes, 2019 Distance Learning Scholar from Nigeria

17:00 – 17:30 (GMT): Q&A and close of day 2

 

Day 3: Thursday 05 February 2026

10:00 – 10:10 (GMT): Day 3 welcome

• Unéné Gregory, Manager: Public Private Partnerships (and Innovation Projects), Tshwane University of Technology, Institute for the Future of Work, 2015 Scholar from South Africa

10:10 – 11:00 (GMT): Workshop – From Vision to Action

This intensive workshop guides participants through transforming ideas into actionable projects with measurable outcomes. Using established frameworks and collaborative exercises, participants will develop practical implementation roadmaps for their initiatives. The workshop covers vision clarification and theory-of-change development, SMART goal setting, resource mapping and gap analysis, stakeholder engagement strategies, risk assessment and mitigation, timeline creation, and accountability mechanisms. Participants will engage in peer learning and receive feedback on their action plans, leaving with concrete next steps for their ventures.

Lead: Tharindu Udayanga Kamburawala, Lecturer, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, 2024 Shared Scholar from Sri Lanka

11:00 – 12:00 (GMT): Lessons from the Field

Speaker

• Tanushri Roy, Policy Specialist, NITI Aayog, Government of India, 2021 Scholar from India

12:00 – 13:00 (GMT): Panel Discussion – Building Capacity, Building Nations: The future of equitable global commerce

This forward-looking panel examines how strategic capacity building, skills development, and educational initiatives can drive national prosperity while promoting fairer international trade systems. Panellists will explore the intersection of human capital development, institutional strengthening, and economic policy, discussing pathways toward global commerce that benefit all nations equitably.

Speakers

• Dr Susan Maiava, Co-founder, fair&good, 1986 Scholar from New Zealand
• Mohammad Abbas Uddin, Associate Professor, Bangladesh University of Textiles, 2009 Scholar from Bangladesh
• Zara Salman, CEO, Consortium for Development Policy Research, 2012 Shared Scholar from Pakistan

13:00 – 13:30 (GMT): Closing plenary

Dr Adekemi Adeniyan, Founder and Executive Director, Dentalcare Foundation/ Smile Superheroes, 2019 Distance Learning Scholar from Nigeria

Adekemi is a visionary rural dentist and health equity advocate dedicated to expanding access to oral health care in underserved Nigerian communities. She is the founder of the Dentalcare Foundation and CEO of Smile Superheroes, a health edtech company transforming health education for children through storytelling, technology, and culturally relevant content.

A passionate storyteller, Adekemi created Nigeria’s first oral health storybook, ‘The Girl Who Found Her Smile’, and the pioneering VR experience inspired by it. Her work spanning community programs, digital health education, and thought leadership has earned multiple awards and global recognition. Through innovation and advocacy, she continues to champion equitable healthcare and inspire the next generation of changemakers. Adekemi is a Global Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity, a Senior Fellow of the Aspen New Voices Fellowship, and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

Dr Barbara Amoah, Adjunct Professor, Unity Environmental University, USA, 2009 Shared Scholar from Ghana

Barbara is an entomologist and sustainable development practitioner with extensive experience in reducing food loss and advancing fair participation in agricultural markets. She currently supports smallholder farmers and women traders, focusing on strengthening equity and inclusion within maize value chains. In partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture, she empowers rural communities to adopt low-cost, hermetic storage technologies that reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmer income. By increasing storage capacity and market power among women-led maize enterprises, these initiatives promote fair trade practices, income stability, and improved food security.

Seinya Amie Bakarr, CEO, Jalimi Farms and Foods, 2013 Shared Scholar from Sierra Leone

Seinya is a Sierra Leonean social entrepreneur and founder of Jalimi Farms and Foods, a fast-growing agrifood company transforming local crops into nutritious, culturally relevant baby and family foods. With a strong background in community development, climate resilience, and inclusive agriculture, she has built an integrated model that improves child nutrition while strengthening livelihoods for rural women and smallholder farmers.

Under her leadership, Jalimi has grown into a trusted, woman-led brand with national retail presence, more than 100 farmer partners, and over 180 sales agents across the country. She is passionate about reducing Sierra Leone’s dependence on expensive imported foods through value addition, farmer integration, and sustainable local sourcing. Seinya’s work focuses on empowering women and youth, promoting climate-smart agriculture, and building resilient food systems that support health, dignity, and economic opportunity for underserved communities in the Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape.

Kayola da Barca Vieira, Manager, Governance, Compliance and Risk, Standards Bank, 2016 Scholar from Mozambique

Kayola is a social impact leader who believes that equity and inclusion are not ideals, but daily leadership choices. With experience at national, regional, and global levels, she has worked across social entrepreneurship, ethics, and safeguarding within international youth and volunteer organizations, including the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the Africa Scout Region.

Her journey reflects a commitment to creating systems that protect the vulnerable, amplify diverse voices, and turn values into action. Rather than building change from the outside, she drives transformation from within institutions—strengthening governance, shaping policy, and mentoring leaders to lead with integrity and courage. Drawing from real-world experience, Kayola inspires youth to see social entrepreneurship as a responsibility shared by all leaders: to design organisations where dignity, inclusion, and opportunity are embedded, and where social impact is both sustainable and scalable.

Nana Ama Boa-Amponsem, Assistant Director, The Education Collaborative, 2023 Distance Learning Scholar from Ghana

Nana Amo is the Founder of Think Education, an organisation committed to equipping school leaders in low-income, non-state schools across Ghana with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to enhance learning quality and student achievement. Think Education leverages evidence-based approaches to strengthen school leadership and management practices. She founded Think Education in 2020 with a belief that Ghana’s future will be shaped by the learners in today’s classrooms and thus all children whether educated in government or non-government systems must have access to quality education.

With over a decade of experience in Ghana’s education and development sector, Nana Ama has led and supported both early-stage and large-scale education initiatives. She has worked with and consulted for globally recognized institutions including the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Jacobs Foundation, Better Purpose, and Global School Leaders. Beyond her programmatic work, she is deeply passionate about mentoring young people. Over the years, she has supported students, educators and early-career professionals, offering coaching and personal development support to help them grow and thrive in their educational and professional journeys.

Lindah Mbaisi Chavuya, Communications Consultant (Climate Change and Sustainability), Hans J PR and Communications, 2023 Shared Scholar from Kenya

Lindah Mbaisi is a seasoned strategic communications leader with over 12 years of experience in advocacy communications, media relations, and multi-format storytelling across UN-led initiatives, sustainability, climate change, agriculture, intellectual property rights, and international development. She brings strong expertise in strategic advocacy planning, policy influence, rights-based communication, cross-cultural community engagement, and multi-stakeholder partnerships, with a consistent focus on driving impact and shaping narratives that influence policy and action.

She is an Executive Committee Member of the Commonwealth Scholarship Alumni Association of Kenya (CSAAK), supporting strategic communications and alumni engagement across Kenya.

Reasat Faisal, Teaching and Learning, Queen’s University, Canada, 2016 Shared Scholar from Bangladesh

Reasat recently completed a PhD on transition pathways and capabilities of climate-induced migrants working in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector. His research combined qualitative fieldwork with climate, labour and migration perspectives to understand how displaced workers navigate precarious urban employment and global supply chains, and what a more just transition could look like in this context.

He’s previously with BRAC and other non-profit and urban planning organisations on renewable energy, waste management and socially focused urban projects. Reasat is currently in teaching, learning and quality assurance at Queen’s University, Canada, where he helps connect evidence, policy and practice in higher education. Across these roles, his core interest has been how research and institutions can expand the real choices and capabilities of marginalised communities.

Souvik Kumar Ghosh, Director-Global Sustainability, HCL Technologies Ltd., 2010 Shared Scholar from India

Souvik is a global ESG and sustainability leader with nearly two decades of experience driving enterprise-wide transformation across regulated and purpose-driven organisations. As Director of Global Sustainability at HCL Technologies, he oversees global ESG strategy, governance, reporting and compliance, embedding sustainability into digital solutions, enterprise risk frameworks and business decision-making. He previously held senior leadership roles at DNV, Bureau Veritas, KPMG and EY, where he shaped sustainability service lines, guided organisations through evolving ESG regulations and supported market expansion across multiple regions. His expertise spans climate and sustainability risk, supply-chain resilience, sustainable finance, advisory and assurance. A regular contributor at academic institutions and international forums, Souvik brings an interdisciplinary, solutions-focused perspective to complex sustainability challenges.

Dr Unéné Gregory, Manager: Public Private Partnerships (and Innovation Projects), Tshwane University of Technology, Institute for the Future of Work, 2015 Scholar from South Africa

Unéné is a seasoned professional with a unique background spanning engineering, innovation, entrepreneurship, and public-private partnerships. She currently serves as Project Manager: Public-Private Partnerships at the Institute for the Future of Work (IFOW), Tshwane University of Technology, where she leads strategic collaborations that drive innovation, skills development, and enterprise growth.

Unéné is passionate about youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development, and has contributed as a venture capitalist, mentor, and speaker on these topics. Dr Gregory also serves as a thought leader in building sustainable partnerships between government, academia, industry, and civil society to unlock opportunities for MSMEs and startups in Africa. Her expertise and commitment to shaping a future-ready Africa position her as a valued contributor to initiatives that recognise and empower entrepreneurs.

Racheal Inegbedion, Founder & Executive Director, Initiative for National Growth Africa; PhD Candidate, University of Massachusetts Boston, 2022 Shared Scholar from Nigeria

Racheal is a PhD candidate in Global Inclusion and Social Development at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her research explores how structural shifts in labour and policy, such as neoliberalism, affect economic access for persons with disabilities. She brings over a decade of experience leading disability-focused employment programs, policy analysis, and community-based research. As founder of the Initiative for National Growth Africa, Racheal builds pathways to work through training, advocacy, and inclusive program design. She currently contributes to research at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), analysing how workforce systems can better serve individuals with disabilities.

She serves on the board of the World Institute on Disability, where she helps shape global conversations on disability, labour justice, and economic resilience. Her work blends policy research with lived experience to challenge exclusionary systems and promote workforce equity. She is committed to centring disabled voices in global development and economic recovery.

Mhonishya Krishnamoorthy, Senior Executive (R&D), YTY Group, 2022 Split-site Scholar from Malaysia

As a dedicated and innovative Doctor of Philosophy in Polymer Chemistry, Mhonishya specialises in developing advanced materials tailored for environmental and industrial applications. Her academic foundation in chemical science is reinforced by extensive hands-on research and industry experience, focusing on designing and synthesising hydrogel composites and photocatalysts for wastewater treatment.

Mhonishya’s expertise spans experimental design, sophisticated data analysis, and interdisciplinary collaboration, enabling me to drive impactful research projects from concept through to completion. She is passionate about applying her analytical skills and scientific acumen to create sustainable solutions within the chemical industry. By maintaining engagement with the latest trends in polymer science and environmental technology, she aims to bridge the gap between research innovation and real-world application.

Dr Susan Maiava, Co-founder, fair&good, 1986 Scholar from New Zealand

After 40 years as a development academic, practitioner, and governance leader, Susan co-founded fair&good to facilitate and advocate for ethical consumption as a transformative development pathway. Currently partnering with a global barcode organisation, they are enabling the inclusion of ethical supply chain information in 2D barcodes on products accessible via smartphones and launching in 2027. This innovation has the potential to be globally revolutionary, empowering consumers to demand change and transform lives across the supply chain.

Nfor Carlton Mbunwe, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, 2024 Commonwealth Startup Fellow from Cameroon

Nfor Carlton is a social entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Innovative Clan, creators of SchoolPay an education-financing platform transforming access to schooling for underprivileged children. Growing up and schooling in the underserved Northern part of Cameroon, Carlton witnessed firsthand how poverty forces thousands of children out of school. This experience fueled his mission to ensure that no child is denied education due to financial hardship.

Through SchoolPay, he has pioneered a system that not only streamlines fee payments but also connects donors directly to vulnerable learners, enabling over 30,000 underprivileged children to access supported or free education. Today, SchoolPay serves 2 million users across 6,000+ schools, driving transparency, equity, and opportunity nationwide. Carlton is a recognised voice in African fintech, a speaker at the first Cameroon Fintech Summit, and a member of the inaugural UNDP Timbuktoo African Fintech cohort. He continues to champion inclusive, technology-driven solutions that break barriers and expand educational access.

James Nyamai, Founder and CEO, Bioafriq Energy Limited, 2024 Commonwealth Startup Fellow from Kenya

James is a Kenyan social entrepreneur, mechanical engineer, and certified public accountant, and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BioAfriq Energy Limited. He leads the development and scaling of climate-smart food processing technologies, including KEBS-certified hybrid solar dryers that reduce post-harvest losses, improve food safety, and increase incomes for smallholder farmers across East Africa. Since founding BioAfriq Energy in 2017, James has supported thousands of farmers through technology deployment, community-based dehydration hubs, and market linkages, with ongoing expansion into regional and continental markets.

Taliana Foods operates as the nutrition arm of BioAfriq Energy, converting dried produce from farmer networks into gluten-free and nutrient-dense flour blends for households with special dietary needs. James’s work sits at the intersection of engineering, nutrition, and social impact, driven by a personal commitment to food security, resilience, and inclusive agribusiness development in Africa.

Sarah Amoit Okimaru, Founding Partner, Amoit & Seif Law LLP, 2012 Shared Scholar from Kenya

Sarah is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya; Arbitrator (ACIArb), a Certified Mediator, Commissioner of Oaths, and Notary Public with over 15 years of post-qualification experience. She specialises in dispute resolution and litigation, with a strong focus on constitutional law, judicial review, and other complex legal matters. She has served as a member of the Public Interest Litigation Committee of the Law Society of Kenya.

Sarah is a founding partner at Amoit & Seif Law LLP, a boutique law firm with offices in Nairobi and Mombasa. In addition to legal practice, she is deeply committed to mentoring young lawyers and lectures at the Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi.

She is the President of the Commonwealth Scholarships Alumni Association of Kenya (CSAAK).

James Otai, Co-Founder & Director of Sustainability and Operations, Imagine Her, 2019 Shared Scholar from Uganda

James is the Co-founder and Director of Sustainability and Operations of the non-profit organisation, Imagine Her (IH). IH prepares rural young women and youth to become self-made and thriving social entrepreneurs by building rural entrepreneurial infrastructure for last-mile women and youth. Through hands-on social entrepreneurship skills training, tailored venture development, and patient, returnable capital financing, IH enables social entrepreneurs to build products, create markets, strengthen agriculture, build climate resilience solutions, and create jobs. James oversees the management of human resources and curriculum development, leads systems and policy development, and spearheads the organisation’s sustainability programming.

James is a 2024-2026 Mountaintop Anglican Fellow and a 2024 Study UK Alumni Award Global finalist (Social Action Award Category) representing Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tanushri Roy, Policy Specialist, NITI Aayog, Government of India, 2021 Scholar from India

Tanushri is a policy specialist and cultural entrepreneur working at the highest levels of government in India. She currently serves at NITI Aayog, leading multi-sectoral policy appraisals and advising on public investment decisions across schemes collectively exceeding billions of dollars. Previously, she represented India in international trade negotiations, including FTAs with the UK, EU, US, Australia and ASEAN and contributed to institutional reforms and cross-border cooperation frameworks.

Alongside her policy career, Tanushri is the founder of the Shrinkhala Centre for Arts & Development, a social enterprise that promotes Indian arts, community engagement and youth empowerment through performances, workshops and cultural exchange programmes. Previously, she has also worked in judicial reform and as a development practitioner, contributing to institutional strengthening, justice-sector innovation, and community-focused policy design. She continues to integrate policy, culture and social impact in her entrepreneurial journey.

Zara Salman, CEO, Consortium for Development Policy Research, 2012 Shared Scholar from Pakistan

Zara is an economist and public policy expert with over a decade’s professional experience of working with donor organisations as well as policy makers at the highest levels in Pakistan. She has extensive knowledge and experience of conducting research across sectors particularly in the areas of trade, industry, climate change, and governance. Over the years, Zara has have developed and managed effective research teams, designed and implemented projects, coordinated across multiple partners and managed strategic relationship building. She is currently one of the youngest and only woman heading a research organisation in Pakistan.

Keneuoe Semphi, Access and Inclusion Coordinator, Vodacom Lesotho Foundation, 2023 Scholar from Lesotho

Keneuoe is a visually impaired gender and disability inclusion advocate with more than 10 years of experience in disability inclusion advocacy. She has served national and international organisations like the UNAIDS, Mastercard Foundation and African Disability Forum to advance the rights of persons with disabilities in Lesotho and beyond. Her determination to serve finds life in the leadership programmes she has completed. She is the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow and 2022 Futureless Public Service Leader.

Vaibhav Ganesh Sonone, Executive, Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), 2023 Shared Scholar from India

Vaibhav is a development practitioner and researcher dedicated to advancing climate adaptation, livelihood and equity-driven social enterprises with Indigenous and marginalised communities in the Central India Tribal Region. With over nine years of field experience at non-profit PRADAN, he has facilitated women’s leadership in climate-resilient agriculture, regenerative value chains, and local governance. Coming from a marginalised rural background himself, Vaibhav brings a rare blend of lived experience and professional insight into how gender, caste, and climate vulnerability intersect to shape exclusion in rural economies.

As a recipient of the India-UK Achievers Honours finalist 2024, his research explores Indigenous knowledge, climate justice, and gender-inclusive governance. Vaibhav contributes a grounded practitioner–researcher perspective on how equity, women’s leadership, and community agency can transform local markets and drive sustainable, socially just prosperity.

Farwa Tassaduq, Co-founder, One Earth Toys, 2011 Shared Scholar from Pakistan

Farwa is the co-founder of One Earth Toys, Pakistan’s only manufacturer of eco-friendly, handmade wooden toys. She has led the design of workshops that combine woodworking with mathematical concepts to promote hands-on learning and sustainability among children. She is also working as an Assistant Manager at Punjab Skills Development Fund.

Her work has been recognised nationally and internationally: Farwa was a finalist in the British Council Study UK Alumni Awards 2021–22 (Business and Innovation Category) and received the CSC Alumni Community Engagement Fund to deliver a virtual course on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for emerging environmental professionals.

Dr Mohammad Abbas Uddin, Associate Professor, Bangladesh University of Textiles, 2009 Scholar from Bangladesh

Mohammad Abbas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Dyes and Chemical Engineering at Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX) and a Principal Consultant at Reed Consultancy, Bangladesh. A chartered fellow of the Textile Institute (UK), he brings over two decades of combined expertise in textile production, academic research, and environmental consultancy. His work spans sustainable textile manufacturing, chemical and wastewater management, and circular economy practices. His contributions include co-authoring the national Chemical Management Guideline for the textile sector and leading a pioneering low-carbon ‘Decarbonization Lab’, recognised as a winner in the Global Change Award 2025. Passionate about bridging academia and industry, he mentors rising professionals and promotes green, globally competitive practices in textile engineering.