Ben Peterson fell in love with Africa in 2001 when he moved to Ghana to work with the Ghanaian Ministry of Justice. Since then, he has spent nearly two decades investing in, founding, and scaling businesses and non-profits across the continent.
As the Founder and CEO of Purple Elephant Ventures, Ben is focused on building and backing innovative companies that transform Africa’s travel and tourism industry. Before this, he was a Senior Partner at AHL Venture Partners, where he led the firm’s Nairobi office and managed investments across East and Southern Africa. Notably, he spearheaded an investment in Twiga Foods, which won the 2019 Exit of the Year Award from the East Africa Private Equity and Venture Capital Association.
Ben also founded and led Journalists for Human Rights, now Canada’s largest media development NGO, and Newsana Incorporated, a news aggregation platform. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal (MSM), a Top 40 Under 40 Award, and the Queen’s University Alumni Humanitarian Award. He holds an MSc from the London School of Economics.
Sessions
March 13, Thursday
Venue: Innovation City Cape Town
Investing In The Next Generation of Startups
How are investors thinking about the travel startup space? What calculated bets are they taking? And where are the opportunities they see that ought to be grabbed by the new wave of startups?
Speakers:
Zachariah George, Managing Partner, Launch Africa Ventures
Ben Peterson, CEO, Purple Elephant Ventures
Moderator:
State of Africa’s Travel Startup Scene
Purple Elephant Ventures recently received $4.5 million in seed funding to push forward its mission to transform Africa’s tourism industry. It aims to make Africa a leading player in regenerative tourism, focused on creating a travel sector that is sustainable and inclusive through “cutting-edge” technology. Let’s find out how.
Ben Peterson, CEO, Purple Elephant Ventures