Ambassador Damptey Bediako Asare is a senior Ghanaian diplomat and international affairs expert with extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, foreign service leadership, and international negotiations. He most recently served as the High Commissioner of Ghana to Kenya (with concurrent accreditation to several East African countries) and as Permanent Representative to UNEP and UN-HABITAT.

He is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy and Management (MPPM) from Strathmore University and holds a Certificate in Strategic Decision-Making from the London School of Economics, a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Ghana, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Philosophy and Russian. He also holds GCE Advanced and Ordinary Level qualifications.

Over a distinguished diplomatic career, he has served in multiple senior roles including Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission in Ethiopia, Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Director of State Protocol in both the Office of the President and Vice President, and senior postings at Ghana’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York and embassies in London and Moscow. He has also played key roles in UN negotiations on sustainable development, finance, climate change, and governance.

He has chaired and participated in numerous international delegations and committees, including UN Environment Assembly negotiations on plastic pollution and leadership roles within UN-HABITAT governance structures. His work reflects strong expertise in diplomacy, international policy development, and multilateral negotiation.

Ambassador Asare is recognized for his leadership in advancing Ghana’s foreign policy objectives, strengthening global partnerships, and contributing to international development discourse, particularly in climate action, trade, and sustainable development governance.

Lorraine Platt is the Co-Founder of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) supporting policy engagement and advocacy on animal welfare issues within the UK Parliament. She contributes to discussions on how government, industry and civil society can work together to advance animal welfare outcomes, including in areas relating to farming and food production standards.

Lorraine is former Vice Chairman of a leading wildlife protection charity and currently serves on the Board of Save The Asian Elephants (STAE) and the advisory council of the Wilberforce institute in the USA. She has received awards and recognition from animal welfare organisations, including the RSPCA, CEVA and the International Fund For Animal Welfare (IFAW).

A longstanding advocate for the ethical treatment of animals, Lorraine has worked extensively to bring animal welfare and animal sentience issues into mainstream political and public discourse. Under her leadership, CAWF has championed practical, evidence-based reforms focused on advancing farm animal welfare, wildlife protection, conservation, and strengthening protections for animals both within the United Kingdom and internationally.

Lorraine is recognised for building cross-party and international partnerships that unite policymakers, academics, scientists, and campaigners around the shared goal of strengthening protections for animals globally. Her work has contributed to elevating animal welfare as a serious policy issue both within the United Kingdom and internationally.

She is also actively involved in developing initiatives on animal sentience and advancing animal welfare standards, bringing together influential voices from across politics, science, and civil society and has organised numerous parliamentary events in the House of Commons to advance discussions on animal welfare and drive policy engagement at the highest levels of government.

Lorraine has worked widely to advance farm animal welfare, including campaigning for a ban on live animal exports for slaughter and fattening — a longstanding CAWF campaign objective. In 2024, Great Britain introduced the first ban of its kind in Europe under then Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, marking a significant milestone in animal welfare reform.

In addition to his pastoral leadership, he is an accomplished theological researcher and speaker, with published journal articles and participation in international scholarship forums.

Gena has hands‑on experience supporting fundraising and nonprofit development initiatives, including donor engagement, program evaluation, conference coordination, stakeholder relations, and organizational capacity building. Gena’s approach to fundraising is grounded in storytelling, impact measurement, and aligning mission with financial sustainability.

A core area of passion and expertise is animal welfare, particularly at the intersection of public health and community well‑being. Gena holds a certificate in Animal‑Assisted Social Work and has contributed to international animal‑welfare initiatives in Kenya and Ethiopia through the Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW). This work has included support for advocacy, policy development, organizational strengthening, public health programming, and fundraising activities, bringing a global and ethical lens to animal protection efforts.

Clinically trained as a mental health professional, Gena offers additional strength in governance, safeguarding, trauma‑informed practice, and ethical decision‑making, with experience supporting diverse and vulnerable populations. Gena holds a Master of Social Work (Health and Wellness) and a Master of Arts in International Human Rights from the University of Denver.

Gena is recognized for a collaborative leadership style, strategic thinking, and commitment to mission integrity, making Gena a strong contributor to boards focused on fundraising growth, marketing and communications strategy, animal welfare, and long‑term organizational sustainability.

Samuel Njuguna Mwaura, MBA, BCom, CPA(K), IRMCert, is a senior finance executive with over 25 years of experience driving strategic growth, financial excellence, and enterprise risk management across the healthcare, insurance, and governance sectors. He currently serves as the Director of Finance at Mater Misericordiae Hospital, where he oversees multi-billion-shilling budgets, strengthens financial governance systems, and supports institutional sustainability and growth. He is widely recognized for his “pioneer” leadership approach, having served as the inaugural Director of Finance, Strategy, and Planning at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), where he played a central role in establishing foundational systems and driving early institutional strategy.

His career is distinguished by the delivery of high-impact, large-scale capital projects, including the successful development of KUTRRH’s Kshs 2.5 Billion Integrated Molecular Imaging Centre, a transformative regional hub for cancer diagnostics and treatment. Beyond healthcare finance, Samuel contributes to national governance through his roles as an Independent Member of the Audit & Risk Management Committee at the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) and as Chairperson of the Audit & Risk Management Committee for the County Assembly of Kiambu. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Starehe Ninety Limited, a private investment company. He is deeply passionate about wildlife conservation and advancing the principle of animal sentience, reflecting a broader commitment to ethical stewardship, sustainability, and the protection of natural ecosystems alongside his professional mandate in public value governance.

Loice Apiyo Abungu, LLB, is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, estate administration, commercial transactions, and emerging technology law. She has advised and supported clients on company registration and restructuring, statutory compliance, cross-border asset administration, contract drafting, conveyancing, and regulatory licensing.

She also has a strong interest in digital governance, data protection, and artificial intelligence policy, having contributed to continental AI policy discussions through the Lawyers Hub Africa AI Policy Lab. Her professional qualifications are complemented by specialized certifications in Data Protection, Copyright Law, Executive Leadership, and Legal Empowerment.

Loice combines legal precision, strong research and analytical skills, and a forward-looking understanding of technology and regulatory developments. She is committed to advancing sound governance, compliance, and responsible innovation within corporate, public, and nonprofit sectors.

Natasha Dolezal is an accomplished attorney, nonprofit executive, and international conservation leader with over two decades of experience advancing wildlife conservation, animal law, public policy, and legislative advocacy. Her distinguished career spans executive leadership, legal reform, philanthropy, governance, and cross-cultural partnerships across Africa, Asia, and the United States.

Natasha brings exceptional expertise in nonprofit governance and strategic leadership. As Executive Director – U.S. of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Fund, she led governance, financial stewardship, fundraising, compliance, and board relations for a community-led conservation organization operating across Kenya’s Amboseli–Tsavo ecosystem. Under her leadership, annual contributed revenue nearly doubled, while governance systems and donor partnerships with leading organizations, including Apple, Patagonia, and Rivian, were significantly strengthened.

A globally recognized pioneer in animal law education, Natasha directed the world’s first advanced degree (LL.M.) in Animal Law and established the International Animal Law Program at Lewis & Clark Law School. She secured more than US$1.5 million in philanthropic support and expanded animal law education and legal capacity-building across more than fifteen countries in Africa and Asia. She also initiated the Kenya Legal Project, helped establish the first animal law course taught in Africa, and contributed to convening the first Africa Animal Law Convention.

Throughout her career, Natasha has successfully led high-impact advocacy initiatives that have shaped policy and corporate practice worldwide. She directed the international campaign that persuaded major global brands, including Nike and Puma, to eliminate kangaroo leather from their supply chains, and served as a campaign leader and official spokesperson for Oregon’s successful Ballot Measure 100, which prohibited the trade in products from twelve endangered species, including elephants.

Her legal career includes service as a Deputy District Attorney prosecuting animal cruelty cases, legislative leadership within the Oregon State Legislature, and public policy advocacy for Oregon Health & Science University. She has trained judges, prosecutors, lawyers, veterinarians, and law enforcement professionals throughout Africa and Asia on animal law, legislative drafting, wildlife protection, and enforcement.

Natasha is also the Founder of ROAM (Rangers on a Mission), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting wildlife rangers and their communities across Africa. She is a sought-after international speaker on animal law, wildlife conservation, and environmental governance, having addressed audiences across Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America.

Natasha provides strategic guidance on governance, legal and policy development, international partnerships, institutional strengthening, and resource mobilization.

Josphat Ngonyo is the Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Center for Animal Sentience (ACAS).

Prior to his current role, Ngonyo was the Founder and Executive Director of the Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW), which he served for 18 years. Under his visionary leadership, ANAW grew from a grassroots initiative into one of Africa's leading animal welfare organizations, with operations and partnerships spanning 33 African countries. During his tenure, ANAW attained accreditation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), significantly elevating African civil society engagement in global animal welfare, conservation, and sustainable development discussions.

With more than three decades of experience in animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and environmental protection, Ngonyo is recognized as one of Africa's leading voices at the intersection of animal welfare, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable development. His work has focused on strengthening policy frameworks, building institutional partnerships, advancing humane and sustainable livelihoods, and promoting the integration of animal welfare into national, regional, and global development agendas.

Ngonyo holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Conservation Leadership from the African Leadership University School of Business, a Bachelor of Education (Arts) degree, and a Postgraduate Diploma in the Management of Non-Profit Organizations. Throughout his career, he has served on the boards of several prominent animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and environmental organizations. He founded and continues to champion the Africa Animal Welfare Conference (AAWC), Africa's premier platform for animal welfare dialogue and collaboration, bringing together governments, the African Union, intergovernmental agencies, academia, civil society, and development partners.

His leadership has also been instrumental in fostering multi-sectoral collaboration to combat wildlife and environmental crime. Notably, he spearheaded the establishment of National Judicial Dialogues in Kenya, bringing together judges, prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, conservation authorities, and civil society organizations to strengthen enforcement of wildlife and environmental laws. He was also appointed to advise on Government’s vision 2030.

Recognizing his expertise and contribution to public policy, the Government of Kenya appointed Ngonyo on two occasions to national steering committees tasked with reviewing and strengthening key conservation and animal welfare legislation, including the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act and animal welfare laws.

At the continental and global levels, Ngonyo has been a strong advocate for the meaningful engagement of civil society organizations in policy processes and has championed collaboration between governments, international institutions, and non-state actors to advance the animal welfare, environment, and sustainable development nexus. His work continues to influence policy, inspire partnerships, and drive transformative change for animals, people, and the environment across Africa and beyond.