Ashish Thakkar

Ashish J. Thakkar is the Executive Chairman of Mara Sokoni, an African e-commerce platform, and the Founder of Mara Group and Mara Foundation. Starting his first business in 1996 at the age of 15 with a $5,000 loan, Thakkar and his family have driven the growth of the company from a small IT business in Uganda to a globally recognized multi-sector investment group. Today, Mara Group employs over 11,000 people across 25 African countries in diverse sectors such as technology, banking, real estate, and infrastructure.

Thakkar is deeply committed to fostering entrepreneurship, particularly among youth and women. In 2009, he launched the Mara Foundation to support emerging entrepreneurs through mentorship and initiatives like Mara Mentor, a free online global platform that connects emerging entrepreneurs with business leaders and industry experts. His leadership in driving social and economic change in Africa has been recognized on several occasions; he was appointed a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2012, and in 2015, he was appointed Chair of the United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council.

Besides his business achievements, Thakkar is the author of "The Lion Awakes: Adventures in Africa’s Economic Miracle," published in 2015, which details Africa's economic growth and transformation. He advises several heads of state in Sub-Saharan Africa and sits on the Board of The Africa Center in New York. His accolades include the MTV Base Leadership Award in 2014, Fortune’s 40 under 40 list the same year, and the Financial Times’ Boldness in Business Award in 2015.