Event schedule
3 p.m. Book signing and sales
4 p.m. Lecture
5 p.m. Discussion panel and Q&A
5:45 p.m. Reception and poster session

Hosted by College of Engineering with support from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Horn Entrepreneurship Program

Registration is required. Seating is limited. Early bird registration ends August 15.

Innovation alone is not enough. In Africa, where fragile institutions and systemic corruption often undermine even the most brilliant solutions, the true challenge is implementation—with integrity. In this keynote, Sangu Delle draws on his work as an entrepreneur, investor, and institution-builder to argue that integrity must be treated not as a moral afterthought but as a critical design principle. Sharing lessons from his leadership at Ashesi University—Africa’s pioneering institution for ethical engineering education—alongside his ventures in clean water, healthcare, and venture capital, Delle explores how ethical leadership, cross-sector collaboration, and systemic thinking are essential to building a future that works. This is a call to engineers, educators, and innovators to design not just products or companies, but societies grounded in trust, dignity, and purpose.

About Sangu Delle

Sangu Delle is chairman and CEO of CarePoint, a tech forward healthcare group focused on “building Africa’s healthcare future.” He is also founder and executive chairman of Golden Palm Investments Corporation, one of Africa’s leading venture capital firms. Delle has been named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a 2022 Eisenhower Fellow, Africa’s “Young Person of the Year,” a 2014 TEDGlobal Fellow, a 2013 Soros Fellow, one of Forbes’ top 30 most promising entrepreneurs in Africa, and one of Euromoney’s “Africa’s Rising Stars.” Delle is a member of Harvard University’s governing Board of Overseers Center and a board member of Ashesi University and Ghana International School. He graduated with a BA, a JD, and an MBA from Harvard University, a masters from Oxford University and a PhD from the University of Birmingham (UK). Delle is the author of “Making Futures: Young Entrepreneurs in a Dynamic Africa” which was published in September 2019. He is a mental health activist with a TED Talk on the stigma of mental health which has garnered over two million views.

About the panelists

Professor Emeritus Doug Buttrey, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Professor Julia Domínguez, Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Associate Professor Dan Freeman, Horn Program in Entrepreneurship
Instructor Jeffrey Richardson, Africana Studies

About Making Futures: Young Entrepreneurs in a Dynamic Africa by Sangu Delle

Making Futures profiles 18 young entrepreneurs from 14 African countries who are transforming their communities through innovation. From David Sengeh’s custom prosthetics in Sierra Leone to Farida Bedwei’s microfinance software in Ghana, their stories offer inspiration and practical insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. These changemakers are reshaping Africa’s narrative by turning challenges into opportunities, showing what’s possible in emerging markets. This collection offers readers valuable lessons on building businesses in Africa’s dynamic, tech-enabled landscape.

Copies of Making Futures will be available for sale with pre-registration. A limited number of copies may be available at the event.