Toni Eliasz

Toni Eliasz is a highly experienced manager, consultant, and entrepreneur with a strong background in the mobile, Internet, and ICT industries. He has over 20 years of expertise in global entrepreneurship programs and has been prominently featured in prestigious media outlets such as BBC, CNN, The Economist, and Time Magazine.

Currently, Toni is actively involved in spearheading initiatives to drive the commercialization of digital startups and foster entrepreneurship ecosystems across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. He plays a key role in establishing technology hubs worldwide, executing startup acceleration programs, and organizing global innovation contests. Additionally, Toni serves as a respected member of the Slush Global Impact Accelerator Advisory Board since 2015.

Prior to his current role at the World Bank focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship, Toni co-founded and led successful ventures in South Africa, including Ungana-Afrika, a catalyst for ICT business models, and MoMoJoburg, the first African chapter of the global networking platform Mobile Monday. He also gained valuable management experience in the Finnish software industry before his tenure in Africa.

Toni Eliasz offers a unique blend of international development, business, and technology expertise, combined with a proactive 'getting things done' approach. He specializes in areas such as digital entrepreneurship, innovation and startup acceleration, new venture development, public-private partnerships, and program management. With a strong foundation in business models, feasibility analysis, and sustainability evaluation for advanced technology concepts, Toni is a significant contributor to the mobile applications landscape in emerging markets.

Education-wise, Toni studied Digital Economy at Aalto University and pursued a Master of Science in Computer Science, Strategy, and International Business at the University of Helsinki.

Notable organizations where Toni has made impactful contributions include The World Bank, where he currently leads the Digital Entrepreneurship Program, and MobileMonday South Africa, which he co-founded. His past roles encompass prestigious positions such as Co-Lead of the Digital Entrepreneurship Program at The World Bank, Task Manager for Mobile Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The World Bank, Executive Director at Ungana-Afrika, Product Manager at Iocore, Technology Strategy Analysis at CRF Box, Software Engineering Manager at Smilehouse Oy, and various software development positions at leading companies like Stonesoft Ltd, Sonera Ltd, and Trantex Ltd.