Vanessa Adams is Founder and CEO of a boutique consultancy, Level4International. She has over 25 years of experience working to drive economic impacts at the last mile and improve supply chains in over 40 countries. She works and partners with SMEs and multinational companies, governments, development partners, industry associations, and cooperatives. She has spent over 20 years working to improve livelihoods in 30 African countries with institutions, businesses, women and youth entrepreneurs and farmers to increase productivity, meet buyer specifications, access finance, and compete in international markets. She has facilitated and created hundreds of transformative strategic partnerships with governments, multilateral organizations and businesses to develop and implement strategies which increase productivity and international trade, expand investments, improve business environments, access financial services as well as reduce constraints to economic growth. She is an advocate and champion of women and youth entrepreneurs, and smallholder farmers. Vanessa is a frequent public advocate and speaker on leveraging partnerships and platforms to scale impact at the last mile, in particular driving sustainable trade and investment for economic and GDP growth while investing in women entrepreneurs, scaling sustainable trade for efficient supply chains, while using digitization for sustainable food systems, with a particular focus on investing in Africa.

Vanessa has significant leadership and management experience, including as VP of Strategic Partnerships and USAID Chief of Party, leading Digital Ag, championing Gender and Inclusion towards implementing a $500M strategy at AGRA under the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa. Previously, she led the USAID Southern Africa and West Africa Trade and Investment Hubs, including $70+ million USD projects with multi-cultural teams, facilitating over $300 million in exports from Africa, and catalyzed over $70 million in investments as well as over $140 million in credit. She contributed to founding several pan-African organizations including the African Cashew Alliance, Borderless Alliance, and Global Shea Alliance, as well as creating the Agribusiness Dealroom, and the Women in Agribusiness Leadership Network in Ethiopia, and scaling platforms including the Farm to Market Alliance and Value4Her.

Vanessa has an Executive MBA from INSEAD.Vanessa Adams is Founder and CEO of a boutique consultancy, Level4International. She has over 25 years of experience working to drive economic impacts at the last mile and improve supply chains in over 40 countries. She works and partners with SMEs and multinational companies, governments, development partners, industry associations, and cooperatives. She has spent over 20 years working to improve livelihoods in 30 African countries with institutions, businesses, women and youth entrepreneurs and farmers to increase productivity, meet buyer specifications, access finance, and compete in international markets. She has facilitated and created hundreds of transformative strategic partnerships with governments, multilateral organizations and businesses to develop and implement strategies which increase productivity and international trade, expand investments, improve business environments, access financial services as well as reduce constraints to economic growth. She is an advocate and champion of women and youth entrepreneurs, and smallholder farmers. Vanessa is a frequent public advocate and speaker on leveraging partnerships and platforms to scale impact at the last mile, in particular driving sustainable trade and investment for economic and GDP growth while investing in women entrepreneurs, scaling sustainable trade for efficient supply chains, while using digitization for sustainable food systems, with a particular focus on investing in Africa. Vanessa has significant leadership and management experience, including as VP of Strategic Partnerships and USAID Chief of Party, leading Digital Ag, championing Gender and Inclusion towards implementing a $500M strategy at AGRA under the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa. Previously, she led the USAID Southern Africa and West Africa Trade and Investment Hubs, including $70+ million USD projects with multi-cultural teams, facilitating over $300 million in exports from Africa, and catalyzed over $70 million in investments as well as over $140 million in credit. She contributed to founding several pan-African organizations including the African Cashew Alliance, Borderless Alliance, and Global Shea Alliance, as well as creating the Agribusiness Dealroom, and the Women in Agribusiness Leadership Network in Ethiopia, and scaling platforms including the Farm to Market Alliance and Value4Her. Vanessa has an Executive MBA from INSEAD.