Michael Sudarkasa is the CEO of Africa Business Group (ABG) (www.abghq.com), a South Africa based continentally active, African economic development company.  Founded in 2005, ABG focuses on three key areas: 1) economic and business development consulting, 2) agriculture, tourism and renewable energy projects, and 3) capacity development.  The Group specializes in the areas of private sector development, trade and investment within Africa and between Africa and the global business community.  ABG is a strategic advisor to the African World Heritage Fund, an African Union and UNESCO supported body that supports 145 world heritage sites across Africa. In January 2020, ABG was also appointed to serve as the Country Coordinator – South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho for the Private Financing Advisory Network (a global network of climate and clean energy financing experts) established by UNIDO and REEEP; and in April 2020 ABG was appointed to serve as the Southern Africa Regional Coordinator of the UNDRR’s private sector network, ARISE. For young agripreneurs, ABG also has designed and manages the Global African Agribusiness Accelerator Platform (www.gaaap.biz).

A U.S. commercial attorney by training, Michael has lived, travelled, and worked in 50 countries around the world (including 35 in Africa), and is the author of several publications, including: The African Union Commission’s Africa Business Directory: Toward the Facilitation of Growth, Partnership and Global Inclusion (African Union, 2014), A Field Guide to Inclusive Business Finance (UNDP 2012) and Investing in Africa: An Insider’s Guide to the Ultimate Emerging Market (John Wiley & Sons, August 2000).  Michael currently serves as the Chair of Impact@Africa, a continentally focused impact investment ecosystem development platform, as the sole sub-Saharan Africa representative on the global board of the UNDRR’s Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies (ARISE), as an Advisory Committee Member of the ASPEN Network SA Gender Equality Initiative Action Lab, as a  member of the University of Michigan Provost’s Advisory Committee, and as Chair of the Advisory Board of the African Studies Center of the University of Michigan. He holds a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (High Honors in History), a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.