About Ungana-Afrika > Our Team

Toni Eliasz (Executive Director, Co-Founder)

As one of the co-founders of Ungana-Afrika, Toni was managing the original pilot project to its success. Before committing his life to a mission-driven lifestyle, Toni had six years career experience combining technology and business positions in software industry. This was a valuable period from which his objective driven-leadership and quality motivation originated. Toni's personal mission is to understand the opportunities and risks of future technologies (especially ICTs) and use this knowledge to contribute towards sustainable world and society. Toni holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Sciences from University of Helsinki where one of his teachers, and source of inspiration, was Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux Operating System. During his free time, Toni is continuing his studies focusing on the Global Information Society.
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Ryan Jacobs (Project Coordinator, eRider, Co-Founder)

Before entering the development community within Africa, Ryan was studying and working for many years in the technical and engineering sectors of the United States. By transitioning to Civil Society in 2002, Ryan's objective is to apply his technical background and management experience within a more socially-motivated context. As one of the co-founders, Ryan has been with Ungana-Afrika from the very beginning, and is now working to initiate and manage new eRiding consulting projects and help administer the core sustainable operations of the organization. Ryan graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree of engineering and a specialization in technical management. He has a diverse employment background in fields from Information Technology and Software Development to Mechanical Engineering. Furthermore, Ryan's background includes teacher/training positions in both the educational and professional sectors.
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Angel Kgokolo (eRider)

Angel Kgokolo has a diploma in Financial Information System from Technikon Northern Gauteng with extra certificates in A+ and N+. Currently Angel is doing Bcom Infomatics through the University of South Africa . Angel started her working career with SITA (State Information Technology Agency) as a LAN (Local Area Network) Support Technician and worked for a period of four years. She then moved to work for MTN (Mobile Telecommunication Network) as a Customer Service Consultant for a year. Thereafter relocated to Nelspruit due to family commitments, she then joined Standard Bank Provincial Office (Mpumalanga) as assistant PA of Provincial Director.

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Rudi von Staden (Project Coordinator, eRider, Co-founder)

Mr. von Staden graduated from Stellenbosch University in South Africa with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. Before joining Ungana-Afrika he has worked on a number of development projects, including network management for Erinview Guesthouse and database development for Glasstile, a Cape Town based tile manufacturing firm.
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Tshepo Thlaku (eRider)

Tshepo Thlaku has a diploma in Information Technology with Technikon Northern Gauteng (TNG) and is currently doing a B-Tech degree in Information Technology: Software development with Tshwane University of Technology (all in South Africa). Tshepo has worked with Johnnic Entertainment as a Analyst Programmer consulting with Numetro Home Entertainment for a year. He then worked in Cameroon with ADCOME as a project consultant implementing an ICT development program for disadvantaged Schools for six months. He also served as a major role player in AIESEC (AIESEC South Africa and AIESEC in Cameroon) and as a Director for Marketing with the United Nations Students and Youth Association of South Africa (UNSYA-SA). Tshepo's key interest is development for the disadvantaged and is already involved some small initiatives in his community.

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