ATHARI is an integrated and experienced team of professionals dedicated to creating a positive impact and improving the outcome of minority-oriented capital, projects and global development activities. We take a holistic approach to improving the success rate of disadvantaged business in the United States and Sub-Saharan Africa. ATHARI provides advisory services, technical assistance, and deep market knowledge to guide minority-focused capital, private and public supplier diversity programs and global development agencies.
Minority-owned businesses faces challenges getting financing as well as access to customers and network. On the other end, minority-oriented capital, customers and global development agencies need to be maintain costly vetting process to vet capital/fund recipients. Investors, donors, entrepreneurs have cited lack of information, poor organizational structure, and corruption as some challenges hindering access to capital and markets.
ATHARI provides advisory services such as due diligence, market assessment, technical assistance, procurement analysis, feasibility studies, monitoring & evaluation to development funds, finance entities, and public and private organizations seeking to invest in minority-led and Sub-Saharan companies. We also de-risks funds directed at minority and SSA businesses by bringing training, financial preparedness advisory and market strategies to these targeted businesses.
Our pedigree is Management Consulting, Corporate Finance, M&A advisory, and Business Management experience in North America, Europe, & Africa.
Our Vision is to drastically improve the success rate of smart capital by reaching the most promising entrepreneurs and business owners. We are passionate about businesses led by people of African descent and are super-fans of the hard working entrepreneurs driving change in these communities. Our goal is to see them succeed, thrive and be established for generations and ages.
Pelumi Adeleke is passionate about entrepreneurship and international business. Her 15-year commercial career has spanned new business ventures for multinationals in West Africa, major marketing campaigns in Southeast Asia, M&A, and Advisory. She began her advisory career as a CPA and Auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers where she advised clients across various industries from heavy manufacturing, industrial intermediaries, packaging, and consumer goods. She also worked as a management consultant at Bain & Company South Africa and Executive Advisor to GreenBriar Private Equity Operating companies, crafting and implementing an acquisition strategy for medium-sized companies. Furthermore, Pelumi is very skilled in marketing strategies and growing brands. She was a founding member of the Royal Philips West Africa, launching new business divisions and products in SSA and leading global marketing strategy for Dow Oil and Gas Chemicals.
Pelumi is an advocate for social entrepreneurship and international development; providing pro-bono consulting services to budding entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa on how to scale and engage in international trade. In addition, she served as implementing partner for international development donors, providing business solutions to water scarcity challenges in Northern Nigeria Pelumi earned her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Gbenga Akanmu is passionate about Capital Markets, Business Development, and Sub Saharan Africa. His 11-year business experience spans Entrepreneurship, Technology, Sales, Marketing and Finance across both local and multinational companies in America, Europe, and Africa. He started his career as an Application Developer at Skye Bank Nigeria Plc in Lagos, Nigeria where he was part of an in-house team that developed the first online banking platform in West Africa. After Skye Bank, Gbenga worked in various International Banks deploying and managing FinTech applications and Strategies. Most recently, Gbenga works in one of the biggest chemical multinational companies in the world helping develop and execute on an African market development strategy for one of the company’s business segments.
In addition, Gbenga does pro-bono management consulting for West African SMEs with a strong focus on utilizing people, product, process, and profit to drive going concerns from SMEs to Institutions that will create dignified jobs and tackle poverty for generations to come.
Gbenga earned his Bachelors and Master's degree in Computer Information Systems from Babcock University and Georgia State University respectively. He also earned an MBA in Finance and Strategic Management from Indiana University Kelley School of Business and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Organizational Behavior from St. Gallen University, Switzerland.