Nela Duke Ekpenyong is an investor, conservationist, philanthropic advisor, and social entrepreneur. For over a decade she’s worked with leading institutions targeted at large-scale growth and development on the continent. Nela has been able to leverage her network of UHNWI, HNIs and innovators to collaborate and solve Africa’s complex, social and environmental problems.

Currently, she is a Partner at Ingressive Capital, an African-focused, early-stage Venture Capital firm. Additionally, she serves on the board of Harambeans where she previously served as the Chief of Staff, where she managed their multi-million-dollar fund and supported the growth of tech-enabled ventures such as Andela, Flutterwave and Yoco, through hosting convenings and venture capital. She managed the organisation’s multi-million-dollar fund.

Nela has supported and volunteered with several key international agencies including Global Citizen, she was named as one of Africa’s most influential conservation leaders via WWF, AWF, YMCA and Scouts. In 2021 Nela was selected as one of the 15 innovators for the Beyond Tourism challenge by the Luc Hoffman Institute, WWF and ALU School of Wildlife Conservation.

With a background in International Relations and Politics, she has a sound awareness of the socio-political issues that plague developing nations in Africa. Nela received her undergraduate degree from Loughborough University.