Eleanya Urum Eke, Founder and CEO of Risevest, has been unveiled as one of the virtual interview judges and leading faces of the South-East Venture Capital Programme Pitch Competition, a flagship initiative of the South-East Development Commission focused on accelerating entrepreneurship, innovation, and venture creation across Nigeria’s South-east region.
The programme, organised under the SEDC’s broader economic development agenda, was created to identify high-potential startups and emerging founders from the South-east while connecting them to funding opportunities, mentorship, investor networks, and long-term venture support.
Eke joins a distinguished lineup of entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders involved in the initiative, including Ndubisi Ekekwe, Lead Faculty Tekedia Institute, Eliezer Ajah, Head of Job Creation, 3MTT; Yemisi Ajeoo, Ideas to Funded; Nkem Nweke, Growth Advancement Partner, Lagos Business School/PAU, among others.
The pitch competition comes at a time when conversations around decentralising Africa’s startup ecosystem and expanding access to venture capital outside traditional commercial hubs are gaining momentum.
As Founder of Risevest, Eke has become increasingly associated with initiatives centred on opportunity creation, youth development, and long-term economic participation through technology and innovation.
Speaking on the importance of the programme, Eke highlighted the urgent need to build systems that identify and support entrepreneurial talent early enough.
“One of the most expensive things a society can do is allow brilliant people to remain undiscovered. Across the South-east, there is no shortage of intelligence or ambition. What has often been missing is access: access to capital, mentorship, networks, and the kind of visibility that allows great ideas to move beyond survival mode. If people can build despite constant limitations, imagine what happens when they finally have access to the right environment,” Eke said.
He added that supporting founders at an early stage remains essential to building sustainable economic growth across the continent.
“The future of Africa’s economy will be shaped by people building practical solutions to real problems. Programmes like this matter because they create room for innovation to be taken seriously before it is forced to leave the continent to survive.”
Beyond venture capital and technology, Eke has also supported several education and youth-focused initiatives in recent years, including contributions to Chess in Slums Africa, the South-East Olympiad, and academic infrastructure projects targeted at improving learning and research environments in Nigeria.
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