Individual

Rising Star of the Year Award

The Rising Star honours an individual who, despite being relatively new to their industry or area of expertise, has already made a significant impact by showcasing exceptional dedication, innovation, & skill.

Nominees

Afiya Chohollo
Co-founder of CloudFO
Junior Makame
Co-founder & CEO of SocialPro
Moagi Onkabeste
Group CEO of Aurora Media Group
Peter Monteza
CEO and Co-founder of MyArc
Sonia Kaurah
Founder & CEO of Tala Thrive
Afiya Chohollo

Afiya Chohollo

I co-founded CloudFO, introducing an AI Finance Colleague that revolutionizes business finance management, much like a GPS for success. My leadership secured pre-seed funding to empower SMEs by humanizing finance and helping them achieve their goals. As VP of Engineering at Onfido, I led engineering teams responsible for the platform's core infrastructure and scaled the AI platform to serve millions. This growth helped increase Onfido's revenue from £10 million to over £120 million ARR, showcasing my impact on the company's success.
LinkedIn
Close
Junior Makame

Junior Makame

At 14, I managed a record label and faced challenges getting our artists' music on the radio. This inspired me to found RAPVILLE in 2021, a platform to help musicians gain radio airtime. We launched within eight months, attracting a waitlist of 1,000 musicians through extensive outreach. Despite an initial revenue of just $200, we turned to TikTok for promotion, growing our following to 37,000 and expanding our user base to over 3,000 musicians and 100+ radio stations while balancing my A-level studies.
LinkedIn
Close
Moagi Onkabeste

Moagi Onkabeste

I serve the African diaspora and have addressed their underrepresentation in monetisation and multimedia. By engaging with the creative community, I developed a MEA-focused streaming service that showcases African content with Hollywood-level production values. Currently, we have over 50,000 monthly subscriptions and support over 1,500 creators and athletes, enhancing Africa's presence in media.
LinkedIn
Close
Peter Monteza

Peter Monteza

With a team of just four and under $300k in funding, MyARC has empowered creators to earn from minimum wage to six figures, aiming to create their first millionaires. The platform has positively impacted thousands globally, helping users overcome obesity and diabetes, and supporting a breast cancer survivor in gaining muscle after failing with other apps. MyARC was recognised as the Best SEIS company in the UK by the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association at the House of Lords.
LinkedIn
Close
Sonia Kaurah

Sonia Kaurah

Since founding Tala Thrive, I've built a waiting list of over 300 potential clients and onboarded 40 therapists dedicated to culturally sensitive mental health care. I exceeded our crowdfunding target, validating our mission and raising awareness for culturally competent services.
LinkedIn
Close

Other awards

Changemaker of the Year
Social Impact Leader
Consumer Brand of the Year
Good Investor of the Year
Businesswoman of the Year
Rising Star of the Year
Ally of the Year
Catalyst for Change
Platinum Sponsor
Want to learn more about the Future Awards?
Get in touch