Lisa Coppé

Lisa Coppé is the Senior Country Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at USTDA. She has over a decade of experience working on infrastructure projects across Africa and is currently responsible for business development, project preparation and evaluation, and supervision of USTDA activities in East Africa. She designs, implements, and monitors a multimillion-dollar portfolio of grants and contracts. She has worked on deals in over 20 African countries in telecommunications, oil and gas, trade facilitation, energy, environment, and transportation. She is also the cybersecurity sector lead on the Telecommunications Sector Team at USTDA. She is a French speaker and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Bucknell University.

Danielle Agress

Danielle Agress is the Country Manager for Southern Africa at USTDA. In this capacity, she is responsible for business development, project preparation and evaluation, and supervision of USTDA activities in Southern Africa. She is also a member of the agency’s Telecommunications Sector Team.

Before joining USTDA, She worked as a contractor providing research and analytical support to the agency’s Sub-Saharan Africa team. Her previous professional experience includes work in U.S. government, private sector, and trade association settings.

She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government and International Politics from George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government.

Elizabeth Rosa

Elizabeth Rosa is the Events Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at USTDA.

Prior to joining USTDA, she served as the Special Events Coordinator at the U.S. Capitol. While there, she was instrumental in executing over 1000 Congressional events, including the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, the 117th Congress New Member Orientation, and several House and Senate Committee Hearings.

Before her work at the Capitol, she was a senior project manager with a small business federal contractor, where she managed events, trainings and conferences for multiple agencies, including the Executive Office of the President. The events ranged in size from 25 to 5000 attendees and were held in different locations across the nation.

She speaks Spanish and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences from Florida State University. She also holds certificates in Events Management from George Washington University and in Data Analytics from Harvard Business School.

Mohammed Essay

Mohammed Essay is a Senior Business Development Specialist & Country representative for Southern Africa at USTDA based in Johannesburg, South Africa. In this capacity, he is responsible for business development, project preparation and evaluation of USTDA activities in Southern Africa.

Prior to his appointment at USTDA, he was a Commercial Specialist and Consultant at the U.S. Commercial Service advising clients in the agribusiness, ICT, finance and environmental sectors for more than 10 years. He also served as the Regional Agribusiness Team Leader and Country Manager for Liberia, Guinea and The Gambia.

He holds a Master of Science Degree in Economics and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Econometrics and International Trade and Development from the University of Johannesburg. He has vast government and private sector experience and is a trained economist by profession.

Michael Mugo

Michael Mugo is the Business Development Specialist for the East African region at USTDA, based in Nairobi, Kenya. In this role he provides program support and contributes to strategic planning and business development in the East Africa Region. He is a member of the Agency’s healthcare infrastructure and clean energy sector teams.

Prior to joining USTDA, he worked for the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa, fostering positive bilateral business relations between German and Eastern Africa companies. His prior professional experience includes serving as a Senior Account Manager in the advertising and corporate communications. He holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing Degree from the United States International University-Africa and a Finance Degree from the Strathmore Business School.

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