Carisa Graf-Suleman 2024 Speaker

Co-Founder and Partner

The Continent Venture Partners

Biography

Carisa Graf-Suleman is an experienced international executive with significant investment, operations and marketing experience across ICT, technology, consumer goods, automobile, beverage, hotel and aviation sectors. Carisa built one of the largest internet services companies in Kenya, capturing 30% of the corporate market. As CEO of CallKey Networks, she drove growth and client satisfaction to earn multiple awards and a 97% client retention rate.

While a resident of Kenya, Carisa founded and established the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya, the largest professional business organization in the country, serving as the founding President. She cultivated and built relationships with CEOs representing top American companies as well as leading Kenyan companies with interests in fostering closer business ties with the US.
As Director of Strategic Planning for Lonrho Africa plc, an LSE/AIM listed conglomerate with operations across Africa, Carisa developed and implemented a broad strategic transformation plan that raised $ 150 M in 3 years and helped manage the transition to Alternative Investment Market listing in London. She counseled and advised executive management teams in the restructuring exercise and prepared companies for sale, in addition to coordinating due diligence, conducting commercial negotiations and finalizing transactions.

Carisa successfully completed exits for Lonrho Africa plc in 20 countries covering retail, fast-moving consumer goods, breweries, distribution, hotels, agriculture, auto dealerships, and aviation.

Most recently, Carisa has served as a Senior Advisor to the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) blended finance team where she designed the blended finance strategy to mobilize private and commercial finance in and around MCC compacts and projects with development impact,in addition to establishing the MCC Advisory Council.
Born and raised in South Dakota, Carisa is a graduate of the joint Coaching and Consulting for Change Executive Specialized Master’s (MSc) program at HEC and the University of Oxford. She holds an MA in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and BA (hons) in Economics from Hamline University.