Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH), Alibaba Philanthropy’s flagship program on the continent, announced that Jerry Yang – Co-Founder of Yahoo!, Founding Partner of AME Cloud Ventures, and Board Director of Alibaba Group – will serve as a judge at the 7th ABH Summit & Grand Finale next week. His participation underscores ABH’s mission to connect African founders with global expertise and mentorship.

The summit and Grand Finale will take place on December 12-13 in Kigali, Rwanda. As a pioneering technology entrepreneur and long-time investor of early-stage companies, Yang brings decades of experience building and supporting transformative businesses. His guidance will help this year’s finalists refine their ideas and scale their impact.

“Africa’s entrepreneurs are shaping the future of innovation in ways that inspire the world,” said Jerry Yang. “I am honored to join the judging panel for this year’s Africa’s Business Heroes prize competition and look forward to learning from founders who are building bold, scalable solutions for the continent and beyond.”

Yang will join leading African business figures on the panel, including Diane Karusisi, CEO of Bank of Kigali, and Ibukun Awosika, Founder of The Chair Centre Group. Previous judges have included Alibaba Group Chairman Joe Tsai, who served on the panel several times.

Under the theme “Defining Africa’s Future Today,” this year’s two-day event will feature masterclasses, interactive sessions, live pitches from the 2025 Top 10 finalists, alongside networking opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem builders.

The ABH program – founded by The Jack Ma Foundation and supported by Alibaba Philanthropy – celebrates and empowers the next generation of African business leaders. Each year, ABH awards US$1.5 million in grant funding to entrepreneurs who are making meaningful contributions to their communities and driving inclusive economic growth.