Ayanda Ntombela

Consulting with the CGIAR Group and ILRI, supporting the Impact@Scale Program wide initiative accross multiple initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America to develop a blueprint for Scaling Innovations and accelerating Impact in line with the SDG2030 goals. Key responsibilities and contributions:

- Multi-tiered stakeholder engagements and Scaling Readiness workshops

- Communication and Outreach campaigns

- 3 year roll out Business strategy

- Annual Report on Scaling and Innovation operational model blueprint

- Research publications on Scaling Readiness and Innovation in Agriculture ( Research Gate)

My role @WHH was to strengthen the Global Innovation function's capacity in its drive to meet the #ZeroHunger objectives in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). My focus areas: Business Development:

- Exploring and expanding the networks in the innovation ecosystem by identifying new partners and opportunities for collaboration with Universities ( Tilburg University; ESCP, Berlin), Startups (Katapult & Trendone), Big business, Donors ( USAID), and Social Innovators (Civil Society Academy) in Germany, Europe, Africa & South Asia

- Conceptualised and supported the securing of funds to support innovative projects, incl. finding new funding partners (KFW) and new donor funds ( USAID = $4 Million USD) Open Innovation:

- Curating open innovation events such as bootcamps, innovation challenges and hackhathons( 8 social innovators awarded grants and support equalling € 40 000 per team)

- Developed and managed the Startup support-program , incl. coaching and mentoring (1 year) social entrepreneurs in Africa and South Asia towards fighting social injustice and ending Hunger Agile Coaching:

- Advocating for Agile transformation through developing trainings, presentations to C-suite executives - Mobilising scrum certification trainings in our programme countries, and Piloting scrum adoption in 5 projects

- Steered a agile Remote-Work support program which built a Knowledge Platform on Sharepoint that received 8000 visits after only 1 month in operation ( developed after 2 short sprints)

- Curated trainings & facilitated workshops internally with departments piloting the application of Design Thinking and System Thinking; Agile, Lean Startups principles and OKRs. Research & Development (R&D)

- Extensive Innovation trends research and Publication collaborations ( esp.Industrial Revolution 4.0; Tech4good; Circular Economy & Sustainability; Open Innovation; Scaling and Agile/Lean processes and best practices)

I worked on a motley of projects with small and large companies in the private sector as well as civil society organisation and entrepreneurs at various stages of the business lifecycle in Europe and Africa. Main projects:

- Supported the launching of a e-commerce venture startup based in Berlin

- Conducted a process reengineering mapping for a medium/ large manufacturing company focusing on PVC development to strengthen operational efficiency and grow market share

- Conducted market and feasibility research and developed a business case for the establishing of Record Label based in Istanbul, Turkey and Berlin, Germany

- Facilitated a organisation-wide strategy workshop and development for a research institute in South Africa

- Developed a training manual for the adoption of Scrum and Agile practices to train field workers in civil society