Pato Kelesitse is a Programme Associate for Adɔyɛ at the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), Wits Business School, where she supports research, knowledge production, strategic partnerships, and programme implementation. Pato brings her passion for climate justice, youth leadership, and African feminism to her work, with a strong focus on advancing women in African philanthropy and amplifying African-led solutions to development challenges. Beyond CAPSI, Pato is also the host of the Sustain267 Podcast, a platform advancing climate justice across Africa through advocacy, dialogue, storytelling, and community engagement.
Dr. Tesfaye Zeleke, an associate professor of development sociology at Addis Ababa University, has extensive experience working with higher education institutions, government sectors, and development partners. Since his recruitment, Dr. Tesfaye Zeleke has served Addis Ababa University in various administrative capacities, ranging from academic unit-level coordination to a deanship position. Dr. Tesfaye is currently the Director for Research Capacity Building and Management at Addis Ababa University.
Dr. Tesfaye also mentored more than 50 postgraduate students (at the MA and Ph.D. levels) over a decade in Ethiopia and East African Communities. Dr. Tesfaye also coordinated several projects that positively impacted the lives of rural and urban communities across several localities of Ethiopia. Dr. Tesfaye Zeleke also served in advisory positions with various organizations, including the former Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy (MoWIE), and on projects funded by the World Bank. Dr Tesfaye is the Ethiopia counterpart for the research on the contribution of NPOs to Youth Employment in Africa.
Dr. Tesfaye has also served as a member and board member of think tanks and organizations such as Forum for Social Studies (FSS), Ethiopian Society of Sociologists, Social Workers and Social Anthropologists (ESSWA), Organization for Social Sciences Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA), Education for Development Association (EFDA) – Local NGO, and Catering Tourism and Training Institute (CTTI).
Dr. Tesfaye’s research expertise spans livelihood restoration and the socio-economic impact of development projects; youth focused programs; the Environment-Society Nexus; Women’s Economic Empowerment; and eco-tourism governance. Dr. Tesfaye has published and co-published several peer-reviewed articles on development-related topics and presented conference papers at national and international levels. Recently, Dr. Tesafye played a pivotal role in establishing and coordinating the Environmental and Social Standards Learning Center at Addis Ababa University.
Dr Tsele Moloi is an interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersection of Business and Society, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, and Social Investment. He holds a PhD in Management from Wits Business School and previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Convenor of the PhD Seminar Series at the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI).
Dr Moloi has extensive experience in postgraduate supervision, academic teaching, research facilitation, curriculum development, and early-career researcher development. His academic work is grounded in a commitment to developing responsible and socially responsive graduates and advancing scholarship that connects business, society, and sustainable development.
His interdisciplinary research interests include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Creating Shared Value (CSV), Base of the Pyramid (BoP), Social Entrepreneurship, Social Impact Investing, Climate Philanthropy, Climate Adaptation Finance, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). His work is underpinned by a broader commitment to sustainable and inclusive development in Africa and the Global South.
Currently, Dr Moloi focuses on climate philanthropy and the role of social impact investing in mobilising climate adaptation finance in South Africa. His work seeks to contribute to African philanthropy and sustainable development through critical scholarship, inclusive pedagogy, and impactful research that bridges academia, policy, and practice
