Africa Rising 2026

Secure your spot at the continent's premier innovation and leadership summit.

Africa Rising 2026

Igniting Innovation in the Marketplace

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Katia de Vasconcellos Lima Gonzalez holds a degree in Communication and Editorial Production.  Married for 39 years with 5 children, she passionate about imparting life lessons to families that will help them lead balanced lives. Co-author of two books, she promotes a love for reading and inspires others to build their lives on values that promote integrity and justice

Sandro Gonzales

CEO & President at Transportes Pesados Minas

Sandro Gonzales is the president of Transportes Pesados Minas – Transpes, one of the largest logistics companies in Brazil. The company has been running for 60 years. Sandro was elected the most admired CEO of Brazil in 2016, in a contest with over 1,500 other CEOs of his country.

Transpes, his logistics company, was elected one of the 10 best logistics corporations of the world. The company has over 20 business hubs in Brazil and a management model admired and imitated by many.

Sandro has a degree in Business Administration from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and a MBA from the DBU – University of Dallas, USA. He follows in the footsteps of his father, Tarcisio Gonzales, who emigrated from Spain to Brazil in the 50s fleeing the horrors of the Spanish Civil War.

From a single small truck driven by Mr. Tarcisio, the company has grown to a fleet of over 2,000 heavy trucks, and thousands of other heavy machinery equipment, and over 1.3 million transported tons every year.

Enthusiastic of a management procedure marked by empowerment and mutual shared goals, Sandro led his company to become the best place to work in Brazil, according to polls developed by specialised opinion institutes.

 

Dr. Demontae Edmonds

President of Destiny 4 the Nations Inc

Dr. Demontae Edmonds is a highly sought-after international speaker, diplomatic advisor, and human rights advocate who has ministered throughout North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, and Asia. He has spoken at conferences, workshops, churches, leadership forums, and seminars, with his ministry impacting more than 30 nations.

In addition to being a faith-based leader, Dr. Edmonds has earned multiple industry-recognized cybersecurity and information technology certifications, including Microsoft (MCITP, MCSA), Cisco (CCNA, CCDA), Novell (CNA), and CompTIA (A+, Network+, Security+). With more than a decade of experience supporting a U.S. Government Special Access Program (SAP), Dr. Edmonds brings a rare blend of national security experience and moral leadership to international engagement. His background enables him to serve effectively in sensitive environments where religion, governance, civil society, and geopolitical interests intersect. He is widely respected as a trusted bridge between government officials, diplomats, faith leaders, NGOs, and private-sector stakeholders, with particular strengths in trust restoration, the de-escalation of ideological and religious tensions, and values-based consensus building aligned with international norms.

As a UN Peace Ambassador through the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Dr. Edmonds is committed to advancing peace, human dignity, and national transformation. He serves as President of Destiny 4 the Nations Inc. and oversees The Father’s House Ministry Network, an international network of churches and itinerant ministries.

Dr. Edmonds’ ability to connect with diverse audiences—from global leaders to individuals in local communities—is a hallmark of his ministry and reflects years of authentic, relationship-centered engagement. He also ministers with a strong governmental anointing, regularly serving ambassadors, members of parliament, congressional leaders, and civic and institutional officials.

 Dr. Edmonds is frequently invited to provide faith-based insight and strategic counsel to governmental and organizational leaders addressing complex societal challenges.

Prof. Timothy (Tim) M. Kiruhi

Vice Chancellor,
International Leadership University, Kenya

Prof. Timothy Kiruhi has mentored and coached leaders to serve in diverse spheres with a passion to equip leaders of high integrity to lead holistic transformation. He facilitated consultations and trainings in leadership in 26 African countries and 17 others globally as the Vice President-Strategy for International Leadership Foundation. He chaired the Governing Councils of the University of Nairobi from March 2017, then Tharaka University College from Sept. 2018 [evaluated the second, third and fourth best state corporation in performance in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively], and currently the Vice Chancellor of International Leadership University in Kilimani, Nairobi. He has sat on seven boards of non-profit and for-profit firms, chairing three of them. 

Tim was the CEO of the Ethical Leadership Network (ELNET; 2008-2018), which seeks to model lived-out integrity [that it is possible to be a leader or business of integrity, and yet be successful] in Kenya—focusing on the spheres of governance, ethical business, and mentoring of the next generation of leaders. ELNET, in collaboration with the International Leadership Foundation (ILF), contributed a values framework to Kenya’s Vision 2030 strategy, which led to Kenya’s national values and principles, and also the values for leadership and integrity in Chapter 6 of Kenya’s new constitution. ELNET has so far awarded 22 Ethical Kenyan leaders and 18 Ethical Kenyan Businesses and Organizations [after attaining an integrity perception index of over 80% – all round].

Tim is a Certified Transforming Leadership Coach with ILF, having coached over 15 leaders who have gone on to coach others. Some of the most notable coachees include former IG of Police and other senior Police officials in Malawi, Bank President in Ethiopia, Principal Secretary (PS) in Kenya, current University Professors of Biochemistry in Eldoret, Kenya, several CEOs, a Medical specialist, and many others. Tim received his PhD from Regent University (USA) in Organizational Leadership – Global Leadership emphasis. He is driven by a conviction that Africa’s vast natural and human resources can be maximised for her development and also to make a contribution to the world. His earlier studies were a BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering (University of Nairobi – First Class Hons.), and an MA in Leadership Studies (Azusa Pacific University, USA). He has published many academic papers, including a chapter in ‘Leading an African Renaissance’, a 2017 academic book.

 
 

Marshall Belcher

Principal Strategist & AI Innovation Lead
@ Google, USA

Professional and Humanitarian Leadership

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Global Influence & Academic Excellence

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Diane Arnold

Licensed Professional Counselor, USA

Professional and Humanitarian Leadership

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Global Influence & Academic Excellence

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Neal Arnold

CEO & President at Sunflower Bank, N.A, USA

Professional and Humanitarian Leadership

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Global Influence & Academic Excellence

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

 

Daniel Gonzalez

CEO & Founder of the Social Justice Hub

Social Entrepreneur

Married to Milagros Isaia since 2019. 

He holds a degree in Economics from Anderson University and is the founder of the Social Justice Hub, one of Brazil’s largest social impact ecosystems, established in 2017 and recognized as a leading platform for social innovation and community transformation.

Created an AI platform to help non profit leaders and social entrepreneurs to become more efficient in marketing, fundraising and management through an AI called Hub Social360.

He also serves as a volunteer pastor at Reino.

 

 

 

Dr. Leah Miracho

Event Host: Business Leader &
AI Strategist @Deloitte

Dr. Leah Miracho is a business leader, AI innovation advocate, transformational execution strategist, and visionary leader with a mandate to advance in the marketplace. With a background as an Engineering Manager at a Fortune 100 company, as well as an author, and entrepreneur, she bridges global business excellence with faith, innovation, and emerging market transformation.

Dr. Miracho brings divine insight and practical solutions to leaders, organizations, and communities seeking Kingdom impact. She serves as a marketplace leader, consultant, and equipping others to thrive in purpose and excellence.

Whether she’s empowering business professionals, ministry leaders, or young emerging entrepreneurs, Dr. Miracho’s heart is to see a generation transformed—equipped to lead, innovate within market-driven industries, and ignite movements that fuel lasting transformation. Her passion is to raise up Kingdom-minded leaders who walk in a life-giving,  Heaven culture lifestyle within the Marketplace.

Stacey Campbell

Event Host: Global Prophetic Leader,
CEO and Founder of Shiloh Global

Professional and Humanitarian Leadership

Stacey Campbell is the CEO and founder of Shiloh Global. She is internationally recognized leader, renowned prophetic voice, and strategist dedicated to developing value-driven leadership. She has traveled to over 80 nations and spoken to presidents, CEOs, leaders from all walks of life, and even the pope! Her passion is to see cities and nations advance by bringing different generations, cultures, and skill sets together in a collaborative way. She carries divine insight to help all to prosper. She has formerly hosted (primarily through Christian ministries) Business Seminars, Family Seminars, and Transformational Seminars in Brazil, America, Portugal and Canada. 

Dr. Brook Bello

Dr. Brook Bello

AI Founder, CEO & Founder MoreTooLife.
Creator of AI Coming Home by VR Eval, Inc
Author, Global Speaker, US Patented Innovator.

Professional and Humanitarian Leadership

Dr. Brook Parker Bello is a celebrated survivor champion, technologist, actor, author, social innovator and recognized counter-trafficking leader, whose life’s work serves as a global bridge between healing, innovation, and justice. A survivor of child sexual abuse and trafficking, Dr. Bello has spent more than two decades transforming personal trauma into a mission of prevention, restoration, and empowerment.

As the Founder and CEO of More Too Life (now re-branding as More To Living), she has led an award-winning organization that has recovered and served over 14,000 victims and families. Her extensive frontline impact includes over 800,000 hours of direct service, featuring intervention and mental health programs that have successfully diverted over 75% of at-risk youth from harm within juvenile justice systems.

She and her team have led multiple national sting operations, successfully rescuing hundreds of victims from immediate danger. Guided by her deep faith and a commitment to justice, she developed the transformative framework that moves individuals from “victim to survivor, survivor to thriver, and thriver to champion,” ultimately leading them to purpose-driven leadership.

Parallel to her humanitarian work, Dr. Bello is a visionary in behavioral health technology and the Founder/President of VR Eval, Inc. She is the developer of ComingHome.ai, an AI-enabled, trauma-informed SaaS and digital therapeutics platform designed to support human service providers, justice systems, and mental health professionals by providing continuous care for survivors and students between clinical sessions.

Her groundbreaking innovations in this space have earned her two granted U.S. Utility Patents and one provisional Design Patent related to Prescription Gaming, AI-enabled case management, and integrative digital mental health systems. These platforms merge neuroscience, data analytics, and emotional intelligence to enhance recovery, care coordination, and accountability. Her technical expertise was further recognized when her software was selected by the Techstars Founders.

Global Influence & Academic Excellence

A Google Fellow (serving as a Next-Gen Fellow from 2017-2026), her research in restorative justice, digital equity, and trauma-informed systems has informed national frameworks and federal policy discussions. She holds a PhD in Pastoral Clinical Counseling and attended seminary to study the intersection of behavior and faith, which opened doors for her to work with the FBI, DOJ, U.S. HHS, Harvard, and Georgetown Law.

Notably, her expertise in this field led to her serving as an FBI consultant for the Epstein case, further solidifying her role as a key advisor on high-profile human trafficking investigations. Her signature educational curricula, including REDE™ (Restorative Justice End Demand Education) and LUYD™ (Lift Up Your Dreams), have been adopted by courts, schools, and correctional institutions nationwide to address identity restoration and gender-based violence.

Her latest initiative, Kingdom Sons: Legacy of Fatherhood, extends this work into the realm of biblical manhood and intergenerational healing, helping men and fathers build godly legacies of leadership. Recognized globally for her leadership, Dr. Bello has received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama and the White House, the United States Department of Justice Survivor Leader Award, and commendations from the State of Florida.

She has been named Advocate of the Year by Florida’s Attorney General and Governor and was featured as a “Hero” by United Way Worldwide on the Oprah Winfrey Network. As a prolific author, her works include Living Inside The Rainbow, Shame Undone, and the Fine Heart Table Book, a collection of survivor paintings launched at the Picasso Villa in Cannes and supported by the Carlyle Group.

Today, through ComingHome.ai, More To Living, and her global GOT LIFE™ campaign, Dr. Bello continues to shape the future of trauma recovery and digital mental health, serving as an expert witness, keynote speaker, and a powerful voice for those who have been marginalized.