CERTA FOUNDATION - Key Persons

Andreas studied law at the Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany, and specialized in IP and corporate law, practicing in Berlin, Düsseldorf and New York before starting his own boutique law firm Spieß Schumacher Schmieg, & Partner in 1999. Andreas did extensive legal work in the field of renewable energy technology as well as in emerging and developing markets which was the inspiration for his second career as an impact investor and serial entrepreneur. In 2007, Andreas founded Solar Development plc, based in Addis Abeba, which has become one of the biggest solar system integrators in Ethiopia. In 2010, Andreas co-founded FoseraEthiopia plc, a solar lighting product assembly line based in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Based on these ventures, Andreas had the idea for a solar powered last-mile distribution concept by establishing a formal retail network in remote off-grid areas for solar and other sustainable products, services and solutions. In 2011, Andreas co-founded Solarkiosk and served as CEO until 2019. Solarkiosk isheadquartered in Berlin, Germany, with more than 300 projects in 15 African and 5 South-East-Asian countries, which have impacted approx. 5m people. Andreas continues his engagement as non-executive chairman of Solarkiosk. In 2019, Andreas co-founded Mwingi Kenya Ltd., based in Nairobi, which is a retail and last-mile distribution company to very remote rural off-grid areas in Kenya and East Africa. Mwinginow serves approx. 2,500 retailers and continues to grow. Andreas serves as non-executive chairman. Due to his in-debt know how and experience in the field of rural off-grid energy access and agriculture, Andreas collaborated with and lectured at institutions like G-20, World Energy Council, UN, INSEAD, IFC, AfDB, Smart Community Coalition, the German Government (accompanied Chancellor Angela Merkel to Jordan, Lebanon, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria). He served as a Director at the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA) from 2016-2019. Andreas continues to practice as lawyer and strategic advisor, focusing on impactful start-ups, entrepreneurs and medium size technology companies, based both in Europe and Africa.

Bonny is a Project Implementation Lead at Voluntary Service Overseas and a Member of Senior Management Team at VSO Rwanda where he leads a consortium Reproductive health Program which is implemented in Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda. He holds a master's degree in public policy from Makerere University and PDPro in Project Management and has worked as a research Fellow at Rwanda Governance Board, Never Again Rwanda and as a journalist for the New Times. He is passionate about strategic project management and addressing information disorder. Bonny has over 10 years' experience in project design, scenario planning, partnership building and cross boarder peace building.

Job Titles:

• Project Lead - Startup Residency, Certa Foundation Center for Law and Innovation

Umulisa Doreen is currently serving as a Project Lead of the Startup Residency at the Center for Law and Innovation. Her role involves spear heading the residency incubator within the Startup Bluebook Program, where she provides support in drafting, reviewing, and coordinating legal activities for ten startups, ensuring compliance with essential legal requirements. Additionally, Doreen formerly occupied a leadership role in overseeing the Graduates Prep Program, a comprehensive initiative she actively planned, implemented, and monitored. This program was specifically designed to empower recent law school graduates with essential skills, facilitating their successful entry into prestigious law schools worldwide. Furthermore, Doreen recently embraced a leadership role as the co-organizer of the Africa Law and Tech Summit Network (ALT Network Summit)hosted by the Center for Law and Innovation. This summit served as a pivotal platform, bringing together luminaries from across the continent at the intersection of law and innovation. With a registration count exceeding 220,including lawyers, policymakers, and visionary startup founders, Doreen managed the program and panelists, ensuring the seamless operation of the summit over three transformative days. Beyond her commitments at Certa Foundation, Doreen is one of the Directors of the Law Students Association at the University of Rwanda School of Law. This additional responsibility underscores her dedication to fostering legal education and community engagement among aspiring law professionals.

Evita Grant, Esq., PhD., is the Managing Partner of Yaaba P.C. She founded Yaaba to make intellectual rights protection available to all. Evita was formerly a lawyer in the Palo Alto office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she was a member of the patents and innovations practice. Her practice included intellectual property development, counseling, and monetization for clients in the life sciences, biotechnology, clean energy, and high-tech industries. Evita has consulted the Brazilian government's Institute of Applied Economic Research, where she researched legal and non-legal policies that support technology transfer from academic institutions to private markets in the U.S. and Brazil and formulated governmental policy recommendations on legal reforms and non-legal infrastructure critical to support and expand local biotechnology industries in emerging markets. She also authored the first article ever published in the Food and Drug Law Journal relating to FDA regulation of CRISPR gene-editing technology. Chinese-based publishing group, Angle Publishing requested publishing rights to publish an article in Chinese for the entire Greater China region. Moreover, she helped establish an exemption to the Anti-Circumvention Rule of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that allows independent researchers to access the information necessary to evaluate the safety, security, and effectiveness of medical devices. Evita is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BSc in Chemical Engineering) and Harvard University (PhD in Engineering Sciences and JD in Law).

Esther Bella Munezero is a dedicated individual who is deeply passionate about human rights and social justice. In pursuit of her LLB, she developed a keen interest in understanding and addressing the legal challenges faced by vulnerable populations. She actively participated in legal research, case analysis, and trial preparation at the National Public Prosecution Authority. Esther is currently a project lead and partnership Liaison at the Center for Law and Innovation. She is involved in cutting-edge projects that aim to bridge the gap between traditional legal systems and emerging technologies. She holds various Certificates in advocating for sexual reproductive health rights. She is also a moot enthusiast. With her strong academic foundation, practical experience in the legal field, and unwavering commitment to human rights advocacy, Esther Bella Munezero is making significant contributions toward building a more just and equitable society. She speaks English, French, and Kinyarwanda

Euphrasie Harerimana is a Child Protection Advocate at CERTA Foundation based in Gatsibo District. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB) from Université Libre de Kigali (ULK) and is a member of the Rwanda Bar Association. Euphrasie has 10 years of experience working with clients in mediation, research and case preparations to trial. She speaks English, French, Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili.

Job Titles:

• Program Officer
• Program Officer - Center for Justice and Advocacy

Fabiola UWERA is the Program Officer at CERTA Foundation. She is a Rwandan Lawyer with more than five years of experience in investigative research. She is trained in lay counseling and passionate about social justice, policy and advocacy work for women's rights, particularly through community-based approaches.

Job Titles:

• Administration & Finance Manager

Habimana Faustin is a Finance and Administration Manager at Certa Foundation. He has a diverse background encompassing international trade, economics, finance, and business operations. Faustin holds a Bachelor's degree in International Trade and Economics from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST), providing him with a solid foundation in global commerce and economic principles. Building upon this foundation, Faustin pursued a Master's degree in Finance from NUIST, further augmenting his expertise in financial analysis, investment strategies, and risk management. With an extensive range of experience in various roles, Faustin has demonstrated exceptional performance as an Investment Promotion Officer at Shandong Silk Road International Co. Ltd and served as a Marketing and Data Analysis Representative at Duka App, where he effectively applied his expertise in market research and strategic planning to drive business growth. His role involved utilizing data analysis to inform marketing strategies and optimize customer outreach.

Job Titles:

• Executive Director
• Founder

Ms. Kabasinga is the Founder and Executive Director of CERTA Foundation. As Managing Director of Certa Law Chambers, Florida and her team found themselves receiving and litigating cases of SRHR and gender-based violence pro bono. As a result of working closely with other national and international organisations in this field, including with Women's Link Worldwide, Florida decided to start the Foundation to enable this work to be performed as part of the Law Firm's Corporate Social Responsibility. Florida brings a wealth of experience both internationally and domestically.

Gloriose Mukamasabo is a Child Protection Advocate at CERTA Foundation based in Nyagatare District. She holds a bachelor's degree in law (LLB) from the Independence Institute of Lay Adventists of Kigali, and is a member of the Rwanda Bar Association. Prior to joining Certa foundation, Gloriose worked with the Rwanda National Police in the Criminal Investigation Department as their Judicial Police in charge of SGBV cases, she also worked for the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) as their legal officer. She speaks English, French, Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili.

Job Titles:

• Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
• Member of National Treaty Body Reporting Task Force

Godfrey KABERA a Senior Projects Policy Advisor and project management specialist with a professional experience of 17 years. Worked in Economic policy sector supporting countries to undergo policy reforms, establish strategies to sustain economic achievement and building up a strong team to drive economic development. In particular, worked with the Rwandan Ministry of Commerce (MINICOM) for 5 years. Godfrey has an international and a regional experience as well, in Management skills, Training skills, in village savings schemes, formation of cooperatives, negotiation skills, private sector promotion and promoting a harmonized fair trade of regional and global economic activities. As an economic policy and project management specialist, has enormous amount of experience in projects management skills in project initiation, design, management, monitoring and evaluation and also have experience working with regional trading blocs like COMESA, EAC, SADC,

Grace served as nurse in charge of Gender based Violence prevention and case management by ensuring health care and the psycho-social well-being of GBV victims and she's passionate in Human right protection; specifically, children and women rights promotion.

Job Titles:

• Finance and Administration Manager

Job Titles:

• Co - Founded the African Corporate and Government Counsel Forum ( ACGC ), the Only Professional Association for African in - House Lawyers

Job Titles:

• Director - Center for Law & Innovation

Isobel Acquah is a dual qualified transactions and corporate advisory lawyer with experience in investment banking and venture capital. She is a multilingual professional with over 20 years of legal and business experience across a number of jurisdictions in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Job Titles:

• Administration and Finance Officer

Jeanne MUTESI is the Administration and Finance Officer at CERTA Foundation. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Kigali Independent University (ULK) with a major in Finance.

Job Titles:

• Program Coordinator

Job Titles:

• Managing Director With Bank of America

Katherine C. Ashdown is a Managing Director with Bank of America in the Enterprise Credit global Product Strategy team, based in London. Prior to her current role, Ms Ashdown spent nearly 25 years working in the Global Leasing division, in both sales and legal functions, financing transportation assets such as aircraft, rail and shipping assets. Ms. Ashdown also recently served as a Director on the Board of the Bank of America Employee Pension Plan in London for five years. After graduating from UCLA Ms. Ashdown attended Boston College Law School and was awarded a Juris Doctor,Magna Cum Laude. She became a member of the California Bar and worked with Morrison and Foerster, an international law firm in San Francisco as a securities lawyer. After moving to England in 2003 Ms. Ashdown qualified as a Solicitor of England and Wales. She attained a LLM degree (Master of Laws), First Class, with Commercial Distinction, from Trinity Hall College, University of Cambridge.

Job Titles:

• Program Coordinator - Gender Policy Advocacy - Center for Justice and Advocacy

Kagina Laura is the program coordinator of gender policy advocacy in the Center for Justice and Advocacy one of the two Centers of Certa Foundation. Laura Kagina holds an LLB in Law from the University of Kigali and has completed the School of Legal Practice and Development for Lawyers. While at the University, she volunteered as a legal advisor for various startups including Mulika Farms, Aga Farms, and Pristine Technology. In these capacities, she gained skills in providing strategic legal counsel, that can contribute to the growth and success of ventures by helping them with compliance, risk management, and intellectual property safeguarding. Previously, Laura served as an intern judicial clerk at the Supreme Court, where she gained valuable insights into the legal system most importantly the realm of legal research. Laura has also served as a legal assistant at Philga Law Firm. Here, she honed her legal skills and contributed to the firm's activities, gaining practical experience in diverse legal matters. Laura's past experiences have equipped her with a diverse skill set and a comprehensive understanding of legal dynamics. Prior to joining Certa Foundation, Laura worked as a lead facilitator for Resonate Workshops, she dedicated her efforts to empowering women who are victims of gender-based violence and other forms of discrimination. Where she has helped conduct various workshops and trainings including the global citizens debate on the future of the internet. Aside from work, creative writing is her main area of interest, she has written and performed her poetry at the national level and in various international events. Laura speaks English, French, Kinyarwanda, and beginner-level ASL. She is interested in pursuing the edges of intellectual property and tech law to see how they can contribute to the empowerment of women and help elevate gender equality.

Job Titles:

• Coordinator - Research & Policy Development Program
• Coordinator at the Center for Law

Frank is the Coordinator at the Center for Law and Innovation's Research, Knowledge, and Development Program and has been pivotal in guiding research strategic and operational aspects across five specialized labs. His role is instrumental in integrating research with impactful initiatives, notably the Data Protection Training of Trainers and Judicial Clerkship Training Program. These programs benefit greatly from his oversight, significantly elevating their effectiveness and outreach. In his capacity, Frank has overseen the "Looking for Low-Hanging Fruits in Tech and Innovation" project under the Tech Lab, cementing CLI's position as a proactive entity in the technology sector. His responsibilities include identifying and implementing accessible, innovative tech solutions. Additionally, as the Publishing Editor of the Inaugural Certa Foundation Human Rights Journal, Frank has demonstrated his commitment to advancing critical discussions, with a special focus on Gender Violence. Frank's contributions are profoundly recognized in policy development and evaluation, particularly concerning data protection. He has been actively involved in evaluating startup and fintech policies and in reviewing projects related to artificial intelligence. His collaboration with entities like the ICT Chamber, the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), and the National Cybersecurity Authority underlines his commitment to harmonizing technological advancement with data protection. This is especially relevant in the context of rapidly evolving digital surveillance systems. Frank, drawing upon his educational foundation in Cameroon, has honed his legal acumen through a Bachelor's degree from the University of Kigali. His expertise in National and International Legal First Aid Provision was further solidified during the completion of the Advocate Trainee Program at the Institute of Legal Practice and Development. Frank's diverse educational background underscores his proficiency in data protection, positioning him as a valuable asset at the intersection of law and technology.

Job Titles:

• Director - Center for Justice & Advocacy
• Director of the Center for Justice

Ms. Lydia Taima Munganyinka is the Director of the Center for Justice and Advocacy at Certa Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked with Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in Westlake Village, California where she conducted research for the Catholic Sister's Initiative on projects in the human development portfolio and incorporated child protection policies in grant making in Africa.

Job Titles:

• Assistant Director
• Associate Director - Professional Development - Center for Law and Innovation

Ridwan is an assistant director at Certa Foundation, leading the professional development workflow. He has advised global companies across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East on data protection, artificial intelligence governance, regulatory intelligence, digital ethics, and technology policy. Before joining Certa Foundation, Ridwan co-founded Tech Hive Advisory (a technology policy advisory and research firm with a footprint in Africa and Europe), PrivacyLensAfrica, and Privacy Bar & Bants, where he uses visualisation and podcasting to draw attention to data protection in Africa. He is a policy advisor and a researcher with extensive work across different thematic areas, focusing on Africa and contributing to policy development in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. He has published and contributed to book chapters, reports, articles, and guides. Ridwan holds a Master's in Law and Technology from Tilburg University, Netherlands. He is a certified information privacy professional in European data protection law, a certified information privacy manager, and a trained artificial intelligence governance professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Ridwan has organised policy hackathons and facilitated international certification-based capacity-building sessions for law enforcement, government agencies and departments, senior leadership and executives in global corporations, enhancing their capacities in artificial intelligence governance, data protection, surveillance, deceptive design, regulatory intelligence, and technology policy. He is a member of the Africa Digital Rights Network, the Africa Law and Tech Network, the Africa Data Governance Initiative, and the Privacy Alliance. He also sits on the advisory board of the Continental Approach and is a Trustee of the African Biodata Foundation. He is ranked as a country leader by Who is Who Legal for Data. He is a Fellow of Information Privacy with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and a Fellow of Access to Justice Tech Design Lab, Tilburg Institute of Law and Technology. He contributes his expertise as a Research Fellow at the African Academic Network on Internet Policy, a researcher at the Responsible Data Governance for Artificial Intelligence, and a member of the privacy working group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He is also designated as an expert at the Data Protection Unit of the Council of Europe.

Viviana Waisman, originally from Argentina, is a US-educated and trained attorney and an expert on women's rights and international human rights law. She founded and led the transnational feminist organization Women's Link for over 20 years. More recently, she has combined her skill in social justice organizations with teaching and designing experiential learning opportunities. In May of this year, she launched her new initiative, the GenEquity Institute (GenEq). GenEq offers an innovativeapproach to increase the number of human rights advocates savvy in the use of the law and skilled at the creation of legal strategies that advance human rights with an intersectional gender perspective. Waisman is a well-regarded social entrepreneur and leader, recognized by the Ashoka Foundation (2016 Ashoka Fellow) and by Elluminate (formerly the Jewish Women's Federation of New York) in 2020, joining their second cohort. She teaches human rights and women's rights at the Carlos III University in Spain and at the Academy for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (American University, Washington College of the Law). Waisman holds a Master of Studies in International Human Rights Law from Oxford University, a Juris Doctorate from the University of California College of Law in San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.