Sope Afolayan
Currently a fellow on the International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD)/FGN, Value Chain Development Programme, Ogun State, Nigeria. He will be working with his team to develop Digital Financial Inclusion and Agricultural Solutions for Underserved Smallholder Farmers in South-West, Nigeria.
Sope is a Circular Economy enthusiast, a creative intelligence and innovative solution consultant. He is a member of Chatham House UK, and the Chapter Organizer, OpenIDEO Lagos Chapter; a community of designers, innovators, and researchers passionate about applying design thinking to create social impact. He is an Ellen MacArthur Foundation From Linear to Circular (FLTC) alumni, and he is passionate about empowering smallholder farmers, and how Africa can transition to a circular economy. His interests span design thinking, food systems, renewable energy, intelligent waste management, policy advocacy, and turning ideas into phenomenal brands.
He was one of the winners of the 2021 Food Systems Game Changers Lab challenge for designing Rural Food Innovation Systems (RuFIS) for smallholder farmers, organised by The Rockefeller Foundation.
He is the author of the book ‘Stop-Thinking-Outside-The-Box’.
- “What I’ve learned since I joined theProgram is more than I learned in all my university studies. The program “is made for me,”. I’m doing research yet making practical recommendations and am involved in issues of concern to society as a whole.”
Adi Hachmon, class 2008-2010Currenlty,working at the Ministry of Finance, budegt department - "The Program selects young professionals with skyrocketing motivation and exceptional potential, places them in decision-making hubs and leads them through an intensive training process. The fellows program provides guidance, support and training that help integrate everyday challenges with research and theoretical knowledge. There is no other program in Israel that offers such a comprehensive and high-level opportunity.”Anat Arbel-Shamir, class 2008-2010Currently, working at the Ministry of Economy at the Foreign Trade Administration
- "The Fellows program equipped me with both high-level theoretical training as well as the skills necessary to apply and implement what I've learned. The best thing about the program is that it places you a critical decision-making environment at the Israeli government. Exposed to the inner workings of policy implementation, not only did I broaden my skills and knowledge, but I got to do it with an amazing group of people while meeting and working with extraordinary professionals. There is no doubt that in this kind of ecosystem, the program gives to its fellows a once in a lifetime experience that reverberates for many years to come."Omri Carmon, Class 2015Currently working at the Ministry of Environmental Protection
- "The Fellows Program opened for all of us a window into public service, a rare opportunity to explore, implement, expand our horizons, and perhaps most importantly do all this with an amazing group of people. The success of the program is actually our success, Fellows and alumni, take the knowledge gained and continue to have a positive effect on the Israeli public each and every one in his own respective fields. The alumni network which is developing and evolving is another important element indicating a further stage in the development of the center and will be the platform for further cooperation. "Noa Litmanovitz,class 2013-2014Currently, senior advisor to the director general,Ministry of Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources
- "During my participation at the Milken Fellows Program, I was exposed to a huge variety of social economic issues of national importance, usually by first source, and by the people that conduct these issues and have considerable expertise at it. This enabled me to bring with me during my fellowship at the Ministry of Education a wide angle perspective and provided me with many ideas to promote and contribute to the various office issues I handled. On a personal note, through the Fellows Program I was introduced to the education field and it brought me to this current job I work at, and also part of my dissertation that deals with the field of educational technology industry."Assaf Amit, Class 2012-2014Currenlty, Ph.D. Candidate and works at MOFET Institute