Team

Scott Walker

CEO of Systemic Innovation and lead author of Scaling in Africa. He leads the firm’s work on innovation ecosystems, scaling dynamics, and systemic reform across Sub-Saharan Africa.

He brings over 25 years’ experience delivering complex, multi-country programmes spanning strategy, entrepreneurship, public affairs, and sector reform, as well as evidence systems. He has led major FCDO-funded initiatives, including the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund, directing ecosystem diagnostics, national data collaboratives, and startup and scale-up strategies across Kenya, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. His work focuses on translating system-level analysis into operational policy, institutional reform, and scaling pathways for high-growth firms. Scott has led the development of more than 20 ecosystem and scaling research outputs under RISA, covering firm-level growth dynamics, capital systems, and data infrastructure.

Alongside this, he has advised governments, development partners, and corporates - including OECD, U.N bodies, Naspers, MTN Group, Nesta, and national government - on innovation strategy, ecosystem design, and institutional capability. He holds degrees in politics and law, a Master’s in International Affairs and Public Administration from Columbia University, and postgraduate qualifications in innovation and communications. He is a Fellow of The New Institute.

Dr. George Windsor

Dr. George Windsor leads research, data, and evidence development at Systemic Innovation and provided editorial and research support to this report.

He has over 15 years’ experience building and leading research and data functions across venture capital, policy, and innovation ecosystems. His work focuses on startup data systems, scaling metrics, and the development of evidence frameworks that support investment and policy decision-making. He was previously Director of Research and Intelligence at the VC Notion Capital, where he led research, data, and thought leadership across the firm and its portfolio. Prior to this, he founded and scaled the data, research, and insights functions at Tech Nation, building one of the UK’s most widely used ecosystem evidence platforms and leading major commissioned research programmes with global partners.

His earlier work at Nesta focused on policy research and the development of data-driven tools for governments and international institutions. He has also led and co-authored major research outputs across venture capital, diversity, and scaling, working with organisations including Google for Startups, national governments, and international partners. He holds a PhD in entrepreneurship from Loughborough University.

African Scalecraft draws on a multi-year programme of research, delivery, and institutional engagement developed through the EADC programme. This includes collaboration with government counterparts across East Africa, partnerships with multilateral organisations, development finance institutions, foundations, and bilateral donors, and ongoing engagement with ecosystem practitioners and academic researchers.

We are especially grateful to Ian Lorenzen and the team at GrowthAfrica for their partnership throughout the RISA Fund programme.

The analysis presented here reflects contributions from a wide network of actors who have provided data, insight, challenge, and practical perspective over four years of work. Many are acknowledged separately. Their input has materially shaped this report.