Rwanda

David Ross, Managing Director Stratera Capital, Rwanda

David.Ross@wbaforum.org
Sub-Saharan Africa focused investment professional, former university professor, mentor, and advisor with Finance MBA,  Project Management Professional certification, and over 15 years private and public sector experience providing management consulting, financial advisory, investment banking, and business development services to World Bank, AfDB, DfID, AFD, GIZ, SIDA, USAID, Financial Sector Deepening Trust (FSDT), and GSMA as well as project developers, SME businesses, and Fortune 500 firms investing in Sub-Saharan Africa.  On the ground experience working throughout the African continent with multilateral development agencies, government agencies, private equity, and global and regional investment banks on projects in renewable energy, agriculture, technology, housing, equipment leasing, transportation, telecom infrastructure, health care, microfinance, oil and gas, and other sectors.  Experience serving as US Ambassador to the Open University of Tanzania, Distinguished Professor of Practice at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, and Pearson Business College in London teaching topics of innovation, entrepreneurship, investment, globalization, and development.  
Aggregated recent accomplishments throughout Eastern Africa include:
•    Evaluation, design, and implementation of over $300 million USD worth of development partner sponsored investment funds to catalyze growth in renewable energy, water, and agriculture in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and across the continent
•    Successful transaction advisory for over $90 million USD for 14 companies seeking equity, debt, carbon finance, and grant funding in East Africa for renewable energy, technology, and agriculture
•    Direct angel level investments into 12 African startups and SMEs in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and South Africa
•    Identification of over $500 million USD of efficiencies through digital finance initiatives in Tanzania for GSMA
Projected impact of recent accomplishments:
•    Access to renewable electricity for over 1 million people for the first time in East Africa
•    More reliable access to drinking water for 840 thousand people in Tanzania
•    Access to funding for over 400 small agricultural businesses in Tanzania
•    Teaching & mentoring in innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment of over 200 undergraduate and graduate students from 18 African countries