Directors
Mokena Makeka
Mokena Makeka is an internationally recognized architect, strategist, and thought leader at the intersection of Planet-smart urbanism, design, and civic engagement. Born to diplomat parents and raised between the United States and Lesotho, he embodies a global perspective rooted in African identity. He earned national distinction in architecture at the University of Cape Town, later advancing his leadership training at Harvard, Oxford, and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University).
Over a career spanning more than two decades, Mokena has founded and led multiple ventures, including the award-winning Makeka DesignLab, the Afrocentric consultancy Axum, and FLOW (Future of Living for One World), a planet smart institute advancing bioeconomy innovation, public-private partnerships, and inclusive growth. His work has influenced global policy and practice through collaborations with the Rockefeller Foundation, FAO, and the World Economic Forum, to name a few.
He is a former President of the South African Institute of Architects, Aspen Global Leadership Fellow, and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. CNN has profiled his projects and ideas, showcased at the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial, London Design Festival and honored by the Museum of Art and Design, and others. He served as the Director of the Civic Projects Lab at The Cooper Union, and advocated for the role of higher level education as a catalyst for transdisciplinary civic agency, “beyond the classroom.”
Areas of expertise: Cities, urban planning, sustainable infrastructure, agroforestry, architecture, design.
CJ Fonzi
CJ is a Director of SITU, where he drives the organization’s strategy and partnerships to unlock innovative financing and shape investible opportunities across Africa’s climate and development landscape. He specializes in systems-level strategy, venture design, and mobilizing capital toward solutions that deliver both environmental and socio-economic returns.
CJ is also a Co-Founder and the COO at Africa Climate Ventures (ACV). in this role, he oversees ACV’s activities related to shaping pipeline opportunities, venture building, and general operations. He previously served as a Partner at Dalberg Advisors, where he spent over a decade shaping strategies and financing models in impact investing, agriculture, and climate change. As Dalberg’s first Director of Innovation, CJ founded and grew the firm’s Kigali office, building one of its most dynamic African practices. Prior to that, he was part of the founding team at the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), helping establish global standards for the impact investing sector.
CJ began his career in technology start-ups in the United States and holds a BS in Information Technology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Cornell University.
Steve Kisakye
Steve is a Director of SITU, where he leads efforts to translate bold African ideas into large-scale, investible programs that deliver measurable impact. Known for his depth in program design and delivery, Steve brings over 20 years of experience implementing complex, multi-country initiatives across agriculture, health, technology for development, and youth employment.
Steve is also a Co-Founder and Partner at Axum based in Tanzania. He previously served as Partner and Global Managing Director at Dalberg Implement, a firm he co-founded to bridge the gap between strategy and execution. In that role, he built one of Africa’s leading implementation practices, growing operations across seven countries and leading teams that turned strategy into tangible results for governments, funders, and enterprises.
Earlier in his career, Steve worked with the Clinton Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, and in the mining sector, where he led community health and safety programs across Africa. He also serves on the boards of the Mkapa Foundation and One Acre Fund in Tanzania.