A team on a mission

New Markets Director, West Africa Blue

Alain focuses on new markets and special projects at West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company). Prior to joining West Africa Blue, he was a member of the senior leadership team at Rising Academy Network where he managed a network of low-cost private schools in Ghana. He brings over a decade of experience in government and community relations and supports the team on strategy and operations. He graduated from the Biomedical Engineering Institute of the Polytechnic School of Montreal, Canada, with a Masters in Clinical Engineering.

Venture Partner

Ali is a Venture Partner at Solon and a founding partner of Renaissance Advisers LLC, a boutique emerging markets adviser.

Prior to founding Renaissance, Ali was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Co. in New York and Pakistan (having launched McKinsey’s Pakistan office in 2014), Special Assistant to UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon, and an Associate Attorney at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. Ali has an A.B in Economics with high honors from Harvard College and a JD from Yale Law School.

Government Relations Manager, West Africa Blue

Aly focuses on government relations initiatives and new project development for West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company) in Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries, working closely with Indigenous communities, NGOs and government ministries and agencies. Aly has been working in the Sherbro River Estuary for six years, having previously led environmental conservation at The Solon Foundation. Aly joined Solon in 2019 to lead eco-tourism operations at the Turtle Island Sustainable Tourism Development Company. Aly holds a BA in Economics & International Development Studies from Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada.

Chief Executive Officer, Flash Vehicles

Antoine is the Chief Executive Officer of Flash Vehicles (a Solon portfolio company) where he oversees the company’s strategic direction and operations across West Africa. Prior to joining Flash, Antoine was the Country Manager for The Coca Cola Company in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for Diageo in Cameroon, and SC Johnson in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Finance Manager

Arielle is the finance and administration Manager at Flash Vehicles (a Solon portfolio company), where she oversees the company’s financial operations.

Before joining Flash Vehicles in 2018, Arielle was Account Manager at Coronation Real Estate in Tema, Ghana. Her main responsibilities were debt recovery, financial reporting, tax compliance and administration.

Arielle is an ACCA affiliate with a master’s degree in financial management from Heriot-Watt University, Scotland, UK

Partner, ESG Lead

Arthur is a Partner at Solon Capital Partners. He is principally involved in operational oversight, local stakeholder management, special project development, and conservation and climate finance initiatives. Arthur also leads Solon's ESG function within the partnership team, as well as all corporate social responsibility initiatives through The Solon Foundation. Arthur sits on the board of Solon Property Partners, and is also at Partner at Solon subsidiary West Africa Blue.

Prior to joining Solon in 2011, Arthur worked at Qualico Homes, one of Canada’s largest fully integrated real estate companies. Arthur graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business from Mount Royal University, in Calgary, Canada.

Investment Committee Member

Bernt is a member of the Solon Capital Partners Investment Committee and is a Vice President at Norfund, where he heads investments in private equity and venture capital funds as well as in fragile and conflict-affected states.

Prior to joining Norfund in 2019, Bernt was CIO at asset manager Fronteer Solution, Head of Research and Chief Strategist at Danske Bank Markets, and CIO at wealth manager Formue. Bernt holds a PhD in economics from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH).

Managing Partner, HC Capital Properties

Cheick is the Managing Partner of HC Capital Properties, a real estate investment and development company focused on Africa (and a Solon portfolio company). He is a member of the Investment Committee of Investisseur & Partenaires and is active in the basketball industry in Côte d'Ivoire. Prior to HCCP, he worked at Helios Investment Partners in London and at Merrill Lynch in New York. Cheick holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Northwestern University.

Associate, HC Capital Properties

Christ-Davy is an Associate at HC Capital Properties, a real estate investment and development company focused on Africa (and a Solon portfolio company). In this role, he supports market research, modelling and evaluation of potential opportunities and assets. Prior to joining HCCP, Christ-Davy worked in operations at the company managing Cosmos Yopougon, a leading shopping centre in Côte d'Ivoire, and at the Regional Center for Maritime Security in West Africa. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Science from Université Felix Houphouët Boigny in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Finance Manager

Crise is a Finance Manager at Solon Capital Partners. In this role he oversees financial management and reporting, compliance, and audit liaison for Solon’s operations. Crise is also a Finance Manager at Solon subsidiary Terra Nova Solutions.

Prior to joining Solon, Crise spent several years in private practice with a focus on audit, accounting and tax advisory services. Crise holds a Chartered Accountant designation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana and B.Sc in Accounting (First Class) from the University of Professional Studies Accra in Ghana.

Analyst

Daniyal is an Analyst at Solon Capital Partners. In this role he focuses on corporate strategy, investment evaluation, ESG compliance, market research, and operational modelling. Daniyal has worked across various sectors and geographies in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East.

Prior to joining Solon, Daniyal gained internship experience in finance and microlending, and was a finalist at the Global Case Competition hosted by Harvard. Daniyal is pursuing his CFA designation and holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

Partner, Investment Committee Member

David is a founding Partner at Solon Capital Partners. He is principally focused on sourcing and evaluating new investments, raising capital for Solon and its investees, and general management and strategy. David sits on the boards of Flash Vehicles, HC Capital Properties, Solon Property Partners, Terra Nova Solutions, and West Africa Blue. David is also at Partner at Solon subsidiary West Africa Blue.

Prior to co-founding Solon in 2010, David worked in Freetown as the Deputy Project Leader for the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative (now Tony Blair Institute for Global Change), leading the team’s Private Sector Development activities from the Office of the President of Sierra Leone. Prior to AGI, David was a member of the Corporate Private Equity division of The Blackstone Group in London, and the Financial Sponsors Group in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse First Boston in New York. David graduated with Honours in Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western Ontario.

Blue Carbon Associate, West Africa Blue

Ebuka is a Blue Carbon Associate at West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company). An expert in geospatial analysis, he supports the assessment of West Africa Blue’s projects using satellite imagery and remote sensing techniques. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh on ‘Mangrove Carbon Stocks in the Niger Delta’. He is currently a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Edinburgh and in that capacity has supported studies on carbon dynamics of South African savannas and predicting cocoa yield in West Africa. Ebuka also consulted with the World Bank and NASA to map mangrove forests in Guinea for the Guinean Government to assess carbon potential and the valuation of their coastal ecosystems.

Investment Committee Member,
Senior Partner at West Africa Blue

Elizabeth is a member of the Solon Capital Partners Investment Committee and is the Senior Partner of West Africa Blue.

She has led organizations in emerging markets in the public, private and multilateral sectors for three decades with a focus on sustainability, climate finance, and economic empowerment. She Chairs the Board of M-KOPA, the leading pay-as-you-go solar company in Africa, is a Senior Adviser at the Pollination Group, and serves on the boards of several environmental and mission-driven organizations operating in developing countries.

Elizabeth served as President, CEO, and Chair of OPIC, now renamed the US International Development Corporation (DFC), from 2010 to 2017. From 1999 until 2010 she was a Director at the World Bank and CEO of CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor). Prior to that, Elizabeth was a Managing Director at JP Morgan, where she led emerging markets capital markets for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She lived and worked in West Africa in the late ‘80s and helped local communities establish several start-up microfinance institutions in The Gambia, Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, Rwanda, and Burundi.

Government Relations Manager, West Africa Blue

Ibrahima is a Government Relations Manager at West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company). In this role, he manages government outreach and relations in Guinea, where he has an extensive background in environmental conservation and has held senior roles in government, including as Head of Forest Economy and Policy and as a parliamentary advisor to the National Assembly in respect of environmental development. Ibrahima has worked as an advisor and consultant to the non-governmental and private sectors, including with the Mangrove Initiative and Coastal Biodiversity Management Project.

Analyst

Insia is an Analyst at Solon Capital Partners. In this role she focuses on financial modelling and analysis, market research, and support of strategic advisory and transaction mandates.

Prior to joining Solon, Insia held positions of progressive seniority at the Pakistan Credit Rating Agency where she provided diversified sector coverage and research. Insia is a CFA Charterholder and holds a B.Sc. in Accounting & Finance from the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

Community Relations Manager, West Africa Blue

Isagah is a Community Relations Manager at West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company). In this role, Isagah coordinates project initiatives in Sierra Leone, working closely with Indigenous communities, traditional and religious leaders, local district councils and national agencies and ministries. He has been working with Solon since 2010 and supported numerous development initiatives in education, healthcare and conservation in the region. Isagah studied at St. Petersburg University in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Associate, HC Capital Properties

Jean-Eudes is an Associate at HC Capital Properties, a real estate investment and development company focused on Africa (and a Solon portfolio company). In this role, he supports market research, modelling and evaluation of potential opportunities and assets. Prior to joining HCCP, Jean-Eudes worked as a consultant for Groupe FINACTU and in the financial services industry. Jean-Eudes holds a M.Sc in Banking and Corporate Finance from MSTCF and has completed professional courses in private equity from Erasmus University in Rotterdam.

CEO, Terra Nova Solutions

Joel is the CEO of Terra Nova Solutions (a Solon portfolio company), a professional services firm specializing in frontier markets. Prior to assuming leadership of TNS in 2021, Joel led various innovation projects for Solon portfolio company Flash Vehicles, including the launch of Sierra Leone’s first ride hailing service.

Prior to joining Solon in 2018, Joel practiced corporate and securities law at a national law firm in Toronto and worked for both global and Canadian investment managers. Joel holds a Juris Doctor degree from Western University and a B.Com from the University of Toronto.

Partner, Investment Committee Member

John is a founding Partner at Solon Capital Partners. He is principally focused on sourcing and evaluating new investments, supporting portfolio company operations, and general management and strategy. John is the Chair of the Solon Investment Committee and sits on the boards of Flash Vehicles, Rising Academy Network and Terra Nova Solutions. John is also at Partner at Solon subsidiary West Africa Blue.

Prior to co-founding Solon in 2010, John was a Senior Manager in the New Businesses Group at Accenture where he was responsible for developing and launching businesses across all sectors globally. John graduated with Honours in Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University.

Blue Carbon Associate, West Africa Blue

Kelley is a Blue Carbon Associate at West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company). Prior to joining Blue, Kelley served as an Assistant Director of Academics for Verto Education, where she designed and facilitated curriculum on climate change and marine habitats including mangroves. Prior to that, she spent several semesters in Asia leading a community-based conservation project on the socioeconomic dynamics of protected areas, for Duke University. She has also spent time working with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on the biological monitoring of wetland ecosystems. Kelley graduated with an International Masters of Environmental Policy from Duke University, and a B.S. in Environmental Science, Chinese Language and Culture from Stonehill College.

Operations Associate

Kenneth is an operations associate at Solon Capital Partners where he focuses on new markets throughout West Africa.

A culturally diverse professional with several years’ experience in marketing, public relations, and project management, Kenneth earned his MBA from Zhejiang Normal University and is proficient in Mandarin. Kenneth’s work experience includes time spent at the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority and the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, which has reinforced his commitment to community-driven and sustainable socio-economic development.

Community Relations Manager, West Africa Blue

Mariama is a Community Relations Manager for West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company). In this role, she leads community outreach initiatives in Guinea with a focus on environmental education, consent, and livelihood solutions. Mariama is a passionate environmental professional with extensive experience in community relations and a background in education, health, and child safeguarding. Mariama’s background also includes experience working for national government in a liaison and training role with regional authorities on planning and development matters. Mariama holds a degree from Gamal Abdel Nasser University in Conakry.

Blue Carbon Analyst, West Africa Blue

Max is a Blue Carbon Analyst at West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company). In this role, Max supports project development and new markets entry with a focus on Francophone West Africa. As a member of the technical team, he supports the analysis and writing that goes into core project development documents. He wrote his undergraduate research paper with Dutch NGO The Ocean Clean up, where he examined ocean/river plastic pollution, modelled currents to observe plastic dispersion in the open ocean and considered the risks to insurance policies for major freight forwarders. Max graduated from University College London, with a B.S. in Business Management and Ocean Engineering.

Senior Policy Advisor, West Africa Blue

Nick is a Senior Policy Advisor at West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company), where he is responsible for leading engagement with national level governments to promote and support the development of enabling policies and education on carbon markets. Prior to joining Solon, Nick was ‘Executive Director – Strategy’ at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) and has been active on-the-ground in West Africa since 2009. Nick was a founding member and CEO of the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative, which merged into TBI in 2017. Nick has built government advisory projects working with 15 Presidents and governments including Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Guinea, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Malawi. Nick graduated with a B.A. in German Studies from the University of Nottingham.

Director of Legal, ESG & Policy

Nitya is the Director of Legal, ESG & Policy at West Africa Blue. Prior to joining Blue full-time in 2023, she was Director of Legal & Operations for Solon Capital Partners, where she supported Solon and its portfolio companies on all legal, compliance, and administrative mandates, including advising on M&A and fundraising transactions.

Prior to joining Solon, Nitya worked at Trilegal in Mumbai, India, and MD&T Partners in Bangalore, India. She specializes in M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions in emerging markets with a special focus on tech-based companies. She is a member of the New York Bar and the Bar Council of India. She has a master’s in law from Columbia University, New York, and a bachelor’s in law from Christ University, Bangalore.

CEO and Co-Founder, Rising Academy Network

Paul Skidmore is the founder and CEO of Rising Academy Network (a Solon portfolio company), one of the fastest-growing quality-focused education companies in Africa, and a Certified B Corp®. Prior to launching Rising Academies in 2014, Paul was a founding team member at the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative in Rwanda and Sierra Leone, and later served as Deputy CEO. He began his career as a think-tank researcher and government strategy advisor in the UK. He has a BA and MA from Manchester University, and an MPA from Princeton University. He was named a UBS Global Visionary and a Mulago Foundation Rainer Arnhold Fellow in 2019.

Blue Carbon Technical Lead, West Africa Blue

Sean is Blue Carbon Technical Lead at West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company). In that role, he primarily focuses on the technical and scientific components of blue carbon project development across all markets. Prior to joining West Africa Blue, Sean worked in international development through carbon finance and has consulted on a range of projects in forestry and renewable energy. Prior to working in carbon markets, Sean spent years in marine climate change research with a particular focus on the unique impact mitigation capabilities of seagrass and mangrove ecosystems. Sean graduated with a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a B.S. in Marine Sciences from Eckerd College.

Sales and Marketing Manager

Serge is the Sales and Marketing Manager at Flash Vehicles (a Solon portfolio company) where he oversees sales and business development operations for the group.

Before joining Flash Vehicles, Serge had an extensive career in business-to-business sales, e-commerce, and last-mile logistics with various multinational companies operating in Africa, including DHL Express, G4S Secure Solutions and PEG Africa.

Serge holds a degree in business administration from the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët Boigny’s Ecole supérieure de Commerce d’Abidjan.

Partner

Shaun is a founding Partner at Solon Capital Partners. He is principally involved in operational oversight, local stakeholder management, special project development, and conservation and climate finance initiatives. Shaun sits on the board of Flash Vehicles, a company which he co-founded and was instrumental in launching and developing. Shaun is also at Partner at Solon subsidiary West Africa Blue.

Prior to co-founding Solon in 2010, Shaun worked in fleet management, construction and logistics in Western Canada. Shaun has been operating in West Africa since 2008 in both the private and non-profit sectors. Shaun graduated with a Bachelor in Management from the University of Lethbridge.

Analyst

Sheharyar is an Analyst at Solon Capital Partners. In this role he focuses on research, strategy, market analysis, and transaction and advisory support.

Prior to joining Solon, Sheharyar worked in growth strategy for one of Pakistan’s leading startups, Bazaar Technologies, and, prior to that, worked in project sales with Pakistan real estate leader Zameen. Sheharyar holds a B.Sc. Management Sciences from the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

Chief Impact Officer and Co-Founder, Rising Academy Network

Stephanie is the Chief Impact Officer and Co-Founder of Rising Academy Network (a Solon portfolio company). In this role, she is responsible for designing Rising’s learning systems and for maximizing and tracking its impact and learning outcomes. Prior to co-founding Rising Academy Network in 2014, Stephanie was a course instructor and researcher at the University of Oxford and conducted research at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. Stephanie holds DPhil and MSc degrees in Evidence-Based Social Intervention from the University of Oxford, and a B.A. in Psychology from Queen’s University.

Blue Carbon Director, West Africa Blue

Tanya Bryan is the Director of Blue Carbon at West Africa Blue (a Solon portfolio company). In this role, Tanya leads the technical elements of project development for Blue. Prior to joining West Africa Blue, Tanya worked at GRID-Arendal, strategically developing a comprehensive programme of multi-national, complex projects in Norway, Europe, West Africa and globally, involving multiple organisations and a range of stakeholders, with an overall focus on bridging the gap from knowledge to action. In her work, she promotes peer-to-peer learning and local capacity development to ensure long-lasting positive impacts. She has extensive international experience in ecosystem services, ocean governance and community-focused approaches to ocean management. Tanya graduated with a Master of Biological Oceanography from Dalhousie University.

Finance Director

Tawanda is a Finance Director at Solon Capital Partners. In this role he manages finance and accounting services for the Solon portfolio and is responsible for strategic financial reporting, audit management, and financial controls for several companies. Tawanda is also a Finance Director at Solon subsidiary Terra Nova Solutions.

Prior to joining Solon in 2017, Tawanda was a manager in the audit and assurance group of Deloitte & Touche in The Bahamas where he focused on the financial services industry. Prior to joining Deloitte, Tawanda worked for other ‘Big Four’ accounting firms across Zimbabwe, the United States and Sierra Leone. Tawanda is a Chartered Accountant and holds a B.A. in Accounting from the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe.

Compliance Associate

Umair is a Compliance Associate at Solon Capital Partners. In this role he is responsible for managing regulatory and administrative compliance obligations, supporting the ESG and impact reporting process, and transactional support.

Prior to joining Solon, Umair spent six years working across business, technology and law covering MENA, Europe and West Africa. In addition to work in the consulting and tech sectors, Umair drafted some of Pakistan’s first contracts dealing with NFT assets and assisted the World Bank with advising a state government on tourism policy. Umair holds a B.A. and LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) from the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

Operations Manager, Flash Vehicles

Xavier is the Operations Manager at Flash Vehicles (a Solon portfolio company) where he is responsible for the company’s fleet and driver operations.

Xavier has over 20 years’ experience in supply chain management, fleet management and team management and, before joining Flash Vehicles, held various management positions with companies in the West Indies, France, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Xavier holds a master’s degree in Logistics Management from the University of Aix Marseille II in France and a degree in Marketing and Communication from PIGIER Université des Métiers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Investment Committee Member

Yasser is a member of the Solon Capital Partners Investment Committee and is the Head of Food Security Investments at U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (“DFC”), the development finance institution of the US government. He previously served on the boards of multiple Solon subsidiaries, including as the Chair of Rising Academy Network.

Prior to joining Solon, Yasser was the Head of West Africa for AgDevCo. Prior to that, Yasser worked in Freetown for the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative (now Tony Blair Institute for Global Change), leading the team’s Private Sector Development activities from the Office of the President of Sierra Leone. Prior to that, Yasser spent ten years as an investment banker and principal investor in the United States, including as a General Partner at TSG Consumer Partners LLC. Yasser graduated with a B.A. in Economics and Computer Science from Dartmouth College.