Rosie Afia-Ford

Senior Programme Manager, Nesta Challenges

Rosie is Senior Programme Manager at Nesta Challenges and oversees the Ofwat Innovation Fund.

Ofwat set up the £200m Fund to grow the UK's water sector's capacity to innovate, enabling it to better meet the evolving needs of customers, society and the environment.

Before joining Nesta, Rosie led the philanthropic investment portfolio for the Virgin Unite Foundation. She funded and worked alongside other major charitable donors such as BMGF and CIFF on a wide range of global programmes from human rights to climate issues, and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) to humanitarian data mapping. Rosie previously spent six years at GSMA Mobile for Development, where she led the development of various Innovation Funds (for FCDO and DFAT). Rosie has visited and invested in over 60 programmes across Africa, Asia, MENA & Latin America, particularly initiatives that drive the digital inclusion of disabled people, refugees, IDPs and those affected by complex emergencies.

Rosie has been a digital advisor on several start-up accelerators across East Africa and previously lived and worked on a range of programmes in Zambia, Kenya, South Africa and Morocco. Additionally, she has served on the board of the Kuma Foundation (a US education charity).

Rosie holds an MSc in Development Management from LSE and a BA in Economics & Politics from Leeds University, UK.