The VC4A Team

Meet Our Team

Are you looking for more information about the VC4A organization and the work we do?

Abu Cassim

Abu Cassim

Acceleration Lead – Netherlands: Abu has dedicated over a decade to building out key components of the South African startup ecosystem. He gains inspiration from the energy and passion that founders put in to every day. Abu heads up the team responsible for startup support initiatives. He has 20+ years of professional experience and an MBA from IE Business School.

Alejandra Paniagua

Alejandra Paniagua

Project Manager LatAm – Mexico: Alejandra started her career in the Tech and Impact industry 3 years ago, working in Strategic Partnerships with Development Organizations and Programs Management for tech entrepreneurs in Latam. She has had the opportunity to meet and work with game changers with a mission similar to hers: improve Latin America’s economy through the creation of jobs and innovative solutions for the most relevant social challenges in the Latam region.

Ben White

Ben White

Founder & Community Evangelist
Netherlands, United States
: Ben has been venturing in the African technology and media space since 2003. Involved in multiple startups, Ben is also the founder of AfriLabs, a pan-African network of innovation hubs, and the African Business Angel Network (ABAN). Ben is on the board of ActivSpaces and in 2007 he founded VC4A.

Bertil van Vugt

Bertil van Vugt

Director of Operations – Netherlands: Bertil is managing different teams within VC4A that are focused on the online platform services and entrepreneurship program implementation. Bertil studied journalism (Ba) and Political Science (Ma) and gained content and technical experience while working in the African startup and media space since 2003 in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and other countries across the continent.

Boyewa Abiodun-Adepoju

Boyewa Abiodun-Adepoju

Marketing Lead – Nigeria: Boye is the gear that connects marketing efforts to the community, programs, and communications at VC4A. For nearly a decade, she’s worked with several startups ranging from adtech, food & beverage to fintech, growing their message and brand at scale in SSA. She is excited to use this insight to support an ecosystem that is suitable for startups to succeed.

Gideon Schoonbee

Gideon Schoonbee

Senior Software Developer – South Africa: With a passion for technology and helping people, Gideon is privileged enough to have spent two decades in the software development, marketing and technology leadership space. Gideon also founded several humble ventures of his own and believes that the world, especially Africa, can use more entrepreneurs. It is his hope to make a positive contribution at VC4A and bring its users new innovative tools which they can use to be successful.

Hendrik Admiraal

Hendrik Admiraal

Lead Developer – Netherlands: Hendrik is a web developer, designer, former label manager, and event organizer from The Netherlands. Previously he launched event organizations and has worked for 10+ years as a freelance web developer. After exiting his own company he joined several tech start-ups where he gained valuable insights into their growth and the problems they can encounter.

Picture of Julie Mackey

Julie Mackey

Investor Relations Associate – Netherlands: Julie is a recent graduate with a Master’s in Sustainable Finance from Utrecht University. Her academic journey began at the University of Galway, and she brings diverse experience from roles such as retail assistant, accounting intern, and sports coach. Now, she’s focused on fostering a global network for investors, facilitating capital for entrepreneurs, and highlighting exciting investment opportunities worldwide.

Kevin Schoucair

Kevin Schoucair

Technical Program Lead – Lebanon: Since 2016, and as part of his roles within various startup support organizations, Kevin has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs in MENA and Africa make progress on their growth and fundraising journeys. He currently supports investment activities within the develoPPP Ventures program, implemented by VC4A. Kevin has previously spent 10 years in the Boston area where he earned his MBA, and currently resides in Beirut, Lebanon.

Tegan George

Tegan George

Project Manager – Netherlands: Tegan works on VC4A’s platform and programs, combining a background in nonprofit management, education administration, and CMS systems with a passion for community engagement. Previously, she served as the deputy director of a regional nonprofit, guided grassroots organizations through the grant-writing and fundraising process, and wrote content for a fast-scaling ed-tech startup.

Thomas van Halen

Thomas van Halen

Pro Services – Netherlands: Entrepreneurship, being part of an inspiring community and driven to make a difference: this explains the match between VC4A and Thomas best. Linking people with the right opportunities is where Thomas gets his energy from. His focus has always been on entrepreneurship and Africa. As a member of the board, he manages the Twiga Foundation supporting bright students in Kenya. On a commercial level, he invented, established, and managed two companies.

Vincent Hoogduijn

Vincent Hoogduijn

CEO – Netherlands: Vincent has 20+ years experience starting and growing a diverse collection of international ecommerce businesses, in both developing and more mature markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He has a keen interest in high potential startups in developing markets. A linguist by education, Vincent also holds an MBA from RSM Erasmus University and is a co-founder of Dayrize, a climate-tech startup.

Yaw Peprah

Yaw Peprah

Head of Special Projects – Netherlands:Yaw Peprah is a Ghana-born, South Africa-raised, Amsterdam-based wanderer who somehow made numbers fun. A chartered accountant turned investment matchmaker, he’s spent two decades juggling capital, causes, and tea across Africa and Europe. Whether raising funds, promoting exports, or just trying to improve his Dutch beyond “lekker,” Yaw is all about connecting good people with great opportunities—preferably over a strong Rooibos.