Our Team
Team 1MTN Group
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
With a proven track record as a leader, founder, and impact investor, Kristjan is an experienced serial entrepreneur who brings valuable entrepreneurial experience to his leadership role. He is an esteemed alumnus of the Cambridge Sustainable Finance program and a strong advocate of the triple bottom line principle — People- Planet-Profit.
Kristjan has invested in a total of 30 startups, with two successful exits as an investor and two as a founder. As the previous president of the Estonian Business Angels Network, Kristjan also offered mentorship and guidance to numerous early-stage companies. He is a sought-after speaker on climate finance, with recent speaking engagements at events like Africa Climate Summit23, COP28 and WEF. Kristjan is a member of the global impact network Top Tier Impact, reaffirming his commitment to making a positive difference.
Anete Garoza
Co-Founder & Chief Climate Officer
Anete is a distinguished international climate lawyer and Forbes 30 Under 30 awardee. She excels in corporate carbon reduction strategies, carbon offset project development, and certification standards like Verra and Gold Standard. She has been advising on projects from afforestation to nature restoration and guiding governments on the implementation of the Paris Agreement Article 6. Anete is also a member of the Kenya Nairobi Climate Network and the Top Tier Network. Passionate about sustainable development and climate law, Anete focuses on catalysing carbon removal projects, promoting nature-based investments, and advocating for robust regulatory frameworks, emphasising social co-benefit accounting. Her insights have been shared on global platforms such as COP27, COP28, the WEF, Africa Climate Summit23, and New York Climate Week.
Kaspar Jõgeva
Chief Operating Officer
Kaspar is an accomplished business executive with a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of driving early-phase projects and businesses to success. With a comprehensive background in the startup sector, Kaspar previously worked as a growth consultant at Miltton New Nordics, an esteemed international business consultancy. During this time, he delivered invaluable assistance to startups by helping them develop robust communication, marketing, and sales strategies, enabling sustainable long-term growth. Kaspar's impressive portfolio includes notable clients such as Barking, Bolt, Funderbeam, La Muu, Respiray, Salv, Silen, Veriff, and many others. Before joining 1MTN, Kaspar served as the CEO of Reet Aus, a pioneering cleantech company converting clothing industry leftovers into fashionable products, where his strategic initiatives led to a five-fold increase in low-season quarterly revenue within two years.
Martin Raude
Chief Legal Officer
Martin is a renowned legal counsel with over a decade of extensive expertise in civil and administrative disputes. He has successfully represented numerous clients in complex corporate, defamation, construction, public procurement, and insolvency proceedings, and more. Before joining 1MTN, Martin served as a Senior Associate at Ellex, the most prestigious law firm in the Baltic States, for an impressive seven years. Furthermore, he held the esteemed position of being a member of the Admissions and Aptitude Assessment Committee, responsible for examining applicants for bar membership and professional certificates while assessing attorney aptitude. Notably, Martin is highly regarded as a frequent commentator and esteemed public speaker, recognised as a Star Associate by Chambers and Partners, and acclaimed as a Rising Star by The Legal 500.
.jpg)
Kalli Kulla
Chief Marketing Officer
Kalli is a versatile and accomplished professional in B2B marketing and communications with nearly a decade of experience in the dynamic technology and startup sectors. Coupled with a Master of Science in International Management from the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and expertise in various marketing disciplines, including brand and product marketing, event management, and PR & media relations, she brings a wealth of experience to the table. Before joining 1MTN, Kalli excelled as the Head of Marketing and Communications at Tuum, a leading next-generation core banking platform provider. During her nearly four-year tenure, she successfully established and developed the marketing function from scratch. As a member of the management team, she led the formulation and execution of a robust marketing strategy contributing to the company's business expansion in Europe.
Team 1MTN East Africa
Dativa Nabimanya
Director of Finance & Administration, 1MTN Uganda
Dativa is a seasoned financial management expert with a track record spanning over 25 years of hands-on experience. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Tax and Revenue Administration and an MBA from the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute, underscoring her extensive educational background. Additionally, Dativa is a holder of the prestigious FCCA qualification, the highest accolade awarded by the esteemed ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), and is a Certified Public Accountant in Uganda. She is the founder of "Dativa & Associates," an accounting and audit firm. Dativa brings a wealth of knowledge and regional expertise to enhance the success of 1MTN.
Thaddeus Businge
Director of Growth
Thaddeus is a seasoned expert in commercial forestry, boasting over 15 years of experience and a specialisation in Uganda's forestry sector. He's currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration and holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Makerere University, Kampala.
His versatile skill set spans procurement, logistics management, stakeholder engagement, forest management planning, plantation establishment, maintenance, inventory, and project management. Thaddeus actively participates in various professional associations, including the Commonwealth Forestry Association, Uganda National Forestry Standard Development Group, Uganda Forestry Association, and Uganda Forestry Working Group.
Alistair Amendi
Director of Forestry & Research
Alistair is an accomplished forester with nearly 15 years of experience. He specialises in bamboo, with a decade of extensive research on planting techniques, sustainable management, harvesting methods, and exploring bamboo's environmental and commercial applications. Alistair holds a BSc in Botany and an MPhil in Tropical Forest Biology and Silviculture, both earned from the University of Eldoret. In addition, he holds several certifications from the International Center for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) on sustainable development and management of bamboo resources.
Previously, as the Head of Forestry at GreenPot Enterprises Limited, Alistair gained extensive hands-on experience in managing and developing bamboo forests. His responsibilities included operations across sixteen counties in Kenya, covering bamboo forestry establishment and management.
Advisors
Emely de Andrade
Financial Advisor - Emerging markets
Emely is an accomplished finance professional specializing in Corporate and Investment banking. With Vice President roles at J.P. Morgan Chase and ING Bank, Emely has fostered strong relationships at the CFO and Treasury levels within EMEA corporates and financial institutions. Her expertise primarily centres around debt instruments, encompassing structured finance and various bond types such as Green, Hybrid, and Asset-backed bonds. Emely holds a Master's Degree in Finance with a background in Financial Economics from the University of Rotterdam. Her academic foundation, coupled with hands-on experience, underscores her proficiency in navigating complex financial landscapes.
Vijay Sharma
Global Growth and Scaling
Vijay is an early-stage startup advisor, mentor and investor who is experienced in working with founders with a focus on scaling operations, senior hire development, recruitment strategy, commercial strategy and preparation for fundraising. He is presently serving as Portfolio Director of the Annapurna Family Office. Formerly a management consultant and technology executive with over twenty years of experience within capital markets at BNP Paribas, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Deutsche Bank, he managed high-performance teams and global transformation projects. This has equipped him with skills in leadership development, establishing good governance and coaching. He has invested in a number of start-ups within the UK, Estonia, India and the US as an Angel investor. In recent years he has shown keen interest and commitment towards emerging markets and impact investing.
Margus Kohava
Forestry and Wood Industry Expert
Margus Kohava is a respected executive with over thirty years of experience in the forestry and wood industries. His career is marked by a commitment to forward-thinking guidance and innovation at the field, having held leadership positions at renowned organisations like United Loggers, Sylvester, Estonian Cell, and Stora Enso. Currently, Margus shares his expertise as a supervisory board member for Combiwood Group, a cluster of companies leading the way in promoting sustainable construction practices using wood.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Margus has been driving growth and sustainability in the Estonian forestry sector. He has twice chaired the Estonian Forest and Wood Industries Association and participated as a key member of the forestry advisory team at the President's Round Table. In recognition of his contributions, Margus was awarded the IV degree of the Order of the White Star by the Estonian government.