Rosa is a former U.S. government policy leader, career diplomat, and trade negotiator with a distinguished record of shaping trade, investment flows, and economic partnerships between the United States and Africa.

She served as the first-ever Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, where she is credited for elevating Africa’s role in U.S. economic and trade policy during a defining period of global market integration.

As a principal architect of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Whitaker helped design the landmark U.S.– Africa trade framework enacted in 2000. AGOA has since catalyzed billions in duty-free exports, expanded industrial capacity across African economies, and supported job creation and cross-border investment — laying important foundations for today’s accelerating digital and financial transformation across the continent.

Founded in 2003 and operating in Northern Virginia, Accra, and Dubai, The Whitaker Group is a corporate strategy and investment mobilization firm supporting global corporations and institutional investors expand in African markets. Under Whitaker’s leadership, TWG has expanded beyond advisory services into direct investment and equity partnerships, with a growing portfolio in fintech, digital infrastructure, and media — positioning her at the intersection of policy, capital, and Africa’s rapidly scaling digital economy. Her work increasingly centers on enabling Africa’s payments ecosystem, including mobile money, digital banking, and cross-border payment infrastructure driving financial inclusion and market access.

Whitaker serves on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa, and the WTO Business Advisory Board. She is a former President and 13-year member of the Executive Board of Mercy Ships and has been recognized among Foreign Policy magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers and as a recipient of the Women in International Trade Business Legacy Award. A frequent global commentator on Africa’s economic transformation, she is widely regarded as a leading voice on trade, investment, and economic trends.

A native of Washington, D.C., Whitaker holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The American University and completed further studies in Europe and at the U.S. Foreign Service Institute.

Dr. Josephine Wapakabulo is a globally recognized executive at the forefront of artificial intelligence, energy transition, and financial innovation, with over 25 years of leadership spanning engineering, data science, and investment across Africa, Europe, and beyond.

She currently serves as Chief Future Officer at The Whitaker Group, where she architects forward-looking strategies that leverage AI, digital infrastructure, and capital deployment to unlock transformative opportunities across Africa’s energy, climate, and financial ecosystems.

An accomplished electrical engineer and data scientist, Dr. Wapakabulo has founded and scaled ventures, including TIG Africa, that integrate advanced analytics, machine learning, and innovative financing models to accelerate energy access and climate solutions. She works closely with governments, investors, and multilateral institutions to structure and launch high-impact platforms across Energy, ClimateTech, and FinTech, including solar, bioenergy, and digital financial services ecosystems.

Previously, she made history as the first woman to be the founding Chief Executive Officer of a national oil company. As CEO of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), she built the institution from inception and led the execution of strategic partnerships exceeding USD 20 billion. She played a pivotal role in structuring landmark infrastructure projects, including the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline and Uganda Refinery, while establishing governance and commercial frameworks that positioned the sector for long-term value creation.

Her earlier career includes senior leadership roles at Rolls-Royce in the UK and Germany, where she led global engineering transformation programs and complex international joint ventures, including the USD 1.5 billion V2500 aircraft engine equity transaction. She has also served as Chief Operating Officer at the Walk Free Foundation, influencing global policy, and as CEO of Downforce Technologies, where she advanced AI-driven climate data platforms and carbon market infrastructure.

She serves on multiple boards and advisory platforms, including the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, and is a published author, award-winning innovator, and chartered engineer. She holds a PhD in Information Science, a Global Executive MBA from INSEAD, and executive training from Oxford University.

She served as Chief Financial Officer of two publicly traded business development funds totaling $1B in assets on the NASDAQ at the Gladstone Companies before landing at The Whitaker Group, Inc. as VP Finance and Compliance. She also serves as VP Finance of the NDW Ministries, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit. She is experienced in mergers and acquisitions, financial analysis and reporting, investor relations, treasury management, budgeting and forecasting, bookkeeping (receivable, payable and payroll management), HR and contract management, and auditing and tax matters.

She is an active volunteer at her church and in her community – serving on the boards of her local school PTA and also on her homeowner association. She is a member of the Virginia Society of CPA’s and the American Institute of CPA’s for over two decades. She enjoys exercising and traveling with her family.

David leads multiple initiatives in sectors including automotive battery distribution, private protection services, LED lighting, and sustainable agriculture—building scalable systems that enhance efficiency and unlock new market opportunities.

He holds an MBA in Maritime Management from the University of Greenwich, a certification in Data Science and Machine Learning from MIT-IDSS, and is pursuing an MA in Law at the University of Law, London. His affiliations include the Kingdom Business and Professional Forum and the Do mu Kiyoku Shotokan Karate Association. He is married with children and enjoys adventure motorcycling and being up to date on global affairs.