‘Tokunboh Ishmael is a leading voice in impact investing, championing the power of business to drive wealth creation, inclusion, and shared prosperity. For over two decades, she has focused on investing in enterprises that address accessibility, affordability, and inclusion in underserved markets.
As Co-Founder and Managing Director of Alitheia Capital, a female-led private equity firm, she has pioneered impact investing in Africa through a philosophy of profit with purpose. She also co-founded Alitheia IDF, raising over USD 100 million to invest in women-led and gender-diverse businesses across the continent, many of which are redefining their sectors.
An early advocate of socially responsible and gender-lens investing, ‘Tokunboh has played a formative role in advancing financial inclusion through fintech investment and embedding diversity into investment decision-making. She is also a mentor to entrepreneurs and a former panelist on Dragons’ Den Nigeria.
Beyond investing, ‘Tokunboh is the founder of Yellow Cowries, a financial literacy platform that uses gamification to equip children and entrepreneurs with practical money skills. She is a Yale World Fellow and a member of the Aspen Institute’s Finance Leaders Fellowship, and serves on several boards across fintech, FMCG, and global environmental initiatives, including The Earthshot Prize.