Amara Diallo

Amara Diallo is the CEO and Founder of Sahel Ventures Capital, a Lagos-based investment firm backing the builders shaping Africa's next decade of growth. Her work sits at the intersection of capital, talent, and bold execution, with a portfolio that spans fintech, logistics, health, climate, and digital infrastructure across the continent.

Over the past decade, she has invested in more than forty African startups, partnering closely with founders from pre-seed through scale. Her reputation is built on disciplined strategy, deep market fluency, and a rare ability to help companies mature from local category leaders into regional platforms.

Before launching Sahel Ventures Capital, Amara advised multinational clients as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she worked on growth strategy, transformation, and market entry across Africa. That operating perspective still shapes her investment style: rigorous on fundamentals, but relentlessly optimistic about founders who understand the realities of emerging markets.

An MIT MBA graduate, she is also a committed advocate for youth entrepreneurship across West Africa. Through mentorship, accelerator partnerships, and university programs, she actively supports the next generation of ambitious builders who are creating jobs, modernizing industries, and expanding economic opportunity.