Charmaine Hayden is the visionary Fund Manager behind Goodsoil VC, an Africa-focused fund that invests in early-stage startups with exceptional founders. Her investment philosophy is driven by a passion for solutions that address the world's biggest problems, with a particular focus on sustainable tech and tech-enabled startups

Before founding Goodsoil VC, Charmaine had already made a name for herself in the talent industry, thanks to her award-winning agency, which provided diversity-focused talent for globally recognized brands. A champion of underrepresented groups, Charmaine also established a technical support and incubation community for UK-based female entrepreneurs. Her unconventional personal and professional background enables her to identify promising opportunities that are often overlooked when identifying top-tier startups.

Charmaine is not only an exceptional fund manager but also a captivating public speaker, renowned for her innate ability to connect with audiences. Her diverse professional background, including her experience as a TV presenter and BBC radio personality, has undoubtedly shaped her charismatic persona and relatability on stage. With her unique career path, she possesses the skills and expertise to engage any audience effectively, leaving a lasting impact on attendees. It's no surprise that she is in high demand as a public speaker.

Pete set up Candela Capital in 2003 to meet the distribution needs of small- to mid-sized funds who want a personalised, long-term relationship with a distribution partner. His 25+ years of experience from Pantheon Ventures, InvestorForce, Fleming Asset Management and NM Rothschild & Sons gives him a unique insight into the needs of the institutional investor - be they pension funds, private banks, family offices, insurance companies or fund-of-funds. He is also a trustee of Legacy of War Foundation, an amazing international charity providing support to civilians affected by conflict.

Mark McDonald co-heads the Sponsor Solutions business within Brookfield’s global private equity group, focused on minority equity, M&A capital and single-asset GP-led secondaries investments, typically in partnership with mid-market PE sponsors. Mr. McDonald joined Brookfield in 2023 following Brookfield’s acquisition of the DWS Private Equity business.

Prior to Brookfield, Mr. McDonald was Managing Partner of DWS’s global private equity business and a board member of DWS Alternatives Global Ltd. Prior to DWS, he held a number of senior roles in direct and secondaries private equity with firms including Barclays Capital, 3i, Pomona Capital, Keyhaven Capital Partners and Credit Suisse.

Mark holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi, Milan and an honours degree from the University of Leeds. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and The Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House. Mark also Chairs the Board of Trustees for a London-based children’s music charity.

David is a Partner and member of the founding team of Clipway. Prior to Clipway, David was a Managing Director at Rothschild Five Arrows. As Head of U.S. Origination, he sourced private equity deal flow across secondaries, primaries and co-investments.

Before joining Rothschild, he was Head of Private Equity for the Bureau of Asset Management in the Office of the New York City Comptroller. In this role, he managed a $23 billion private equity portfolio for the five New York City retirement systems (Teachers, Employees, Fire, Police and Board of Education) and successfully established a private equity co-investment program.

Previously, he was an investment banker at Rothschild & Co, Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns where he worked on financing and strategic advisory transactions. David began his career as an M&A lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell.

David holds an A.B. from Brown University, magna cum laude; an M.P.A. from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs; and, a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.

Ruzgar is Managing Partner of Next Billion Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm focused on global emerging markets. Next Billion manages investment funds targeting high growth opportunities across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Previously, Ruzgar led IFC / World Bank's technology investments across EMEA and consumer internet investments. At IFC, Ruzgar launched Techemerge.org, a market-entry accelerator for global tech companies, and Startup Catalyst, a FoF program for early-stage funds. He received a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.