Patience Finye Andrew is a poet and international development professional with expertise in program design, monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL). She has designed and implemented different education and youth development projects while serving as the Executive Director of COAL. She has also led evaluations across diverse thematic areas, including humanitarian contexts, women’s economic advancement in Sub-Saharan Africa, and youth development. Patience is passionate about Africa’s contributions to knowledge and best practices for solving global development challenges. Her work combines theoretical and practical applications of alternative approaches to development. She holds a BA in History and International Studies and an MA in International Development.

Umar Turaki is the author of the literary speculative novel Such a Beautiful Thing to Behold (Little A, 2022), which was named a best book of the year by the Boston Globe, Brittle Paper, and Open Country Magazine. His writing has been nominated for the Miles Morland Writing Scholarship and the Short Story Day Africa Prize. His short films have screened at festivals around the world, notably, the New York African Film Festival, the Pan African Film Festival, and the Durban International Film Festival. His second novel, Every Drop of Blood Is Red (Little A), was released in November, 2024. He lives in Kelowna with his wife and two children and teaches creative writing at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus).

Sunga is a community-centered design practitioner and scholar specializing in human-centered, design-based, and participatory approaches. She has collaborated with grassroots and international organizations to co-create programs that work with historically marginalized communities, focusing on education development and climate justice.

As a PhD candidate in Comparative and International Development Education at the University of Minnesota, Sunga employs traditional storytelling methodologies to explore community participation in climate change education across Sub-Saharan Africa. She is also an aspiring farmer and learning scientist, bridging design, education, and sustainable agriculture.

Oluwabusola Oni is an accomplished educator, economist, and leadership strategist with extensive experience in youth development, entrepreneurship education, and business strategy. She holds an MSc. in Management & Economics from the London School of Economics and a BSc. in Economics from the University of Birmingham. She is also a Certified Chartered Accountant (ACCA Member) and has earned a Certificate in Public Management from the University of Minnesota as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. She is also a Serious Work Certified Facilitator for Build Level One and Build Level Two LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and recently earned her GPE-IIEP Training certification on the Fundamentals of Independent Appraisal of Education Sector Plans. She is a staff alum of Deloitte Nigeria as a tax consultant and at African Leadership Academy South Africa, where she was both a faculty member and head of the department of entrepreneurial leadership.

With a strong innovation and strategic leadership background, she has worked extensively with startups, educational institutions, and global organizations to develop and implement impactful programs. Her design thinking, strategic planning, and financial management expertise make her a sought-after facilitator, empowering leaders and entrepreneurs to navigate complex challenges and achieve sustainable success.

Oluwasegun supports COAL’s strategy and operations, contributing to business process improvement, financial oversight, compliance and fundraising. Involved since its early days, he has helped develop the systems and resources that sustain the organisation’s work.

Drawing on experience across finance and technology, he brings a practical understanding of organisational effectiveness and accountability. His commitment to COAL reflects a belief that access to education expands individual opportunity and strengthens society.