Hellena Sailas

Visionary Director General of Arena Recycling Industry, a pioneering Tanzanian enterprise transforming plastic waste into eco-bricks and promoting circular economy solutions. With a background in Medical Laboratory Science and extensive experience in social entrepreneurship, Hellena has successfully bridged science, business, and environmental activism. Business leader prepared for advancing organizational objectives and fostering high-performance culture. Proven record of driving strategic growth and enhancing operational efficiencies.Recognized with multiple awards, including the prestigious Wangari Maathai Legacy Prize, she has led strategic initiatives that have forged partnerships with leading institutions and organizations locally and globally. Hellena is committed to scaling sustainable solutions and fostering a culture of innovation to combat plastic pollution.

• Leadership Short Course – Deakin University, Austria (2019-10 –2019-12)
• Business Management Course – King’s College University, London (2019-06 –2019-02)
• Startup Training – CEWAS (2019-08 –2019-09)
• Sustainable Development & Circular Economy (2022-06 –2022-12) (Prevent Waste Alliance)
• Climate Change Mitigation (2023-01 –2023-07) (Oxford University)
• Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation (2022-06 –2023-01) (Ocean Hub Africa)

• World Youth Forum2019 – Egypt
• Speaker – Presented innovative ideas on waste management and recycling.
• Annual Investment Meeting2020 – Dubai
• Representative & Speaker – Represented Tanzania as the National Champion for Social Innovation, presenting to investors.
• TEDx Speaker2020
• Speaker – Shared the journey from idea inception to execution in social entrepreneurship.
• World Water Week2020 – Sweden
• Speaker – Delivered a talk on the innovation space in waste management in Tanzania.
• World Ocean Day2020
• Speaker – Spoke on the theme: “Innovation for the Sustainable Blue Ocean: Are We There Yet?”
• Ndoto Hub Forum
• Speaker – Discussed the digital opportunities for women-led startups.
• EECO-Initiative2022
• Panelist – Participated in a panel on plastic pollution and climate change.
• Youth Digital Summit2022
• Speaker – Spoke on the topic: “Youth at the Center of Climate-Smart Solutions: Opportunities and Constraints”.
• Prevent Waste Alliance2022 – Germany
• Speaker – Presented on women-led initiatives in waste management.
• World Ocean Day2023 – Organized by MBRC Ocean
• Speaker – Participated in the Indian Ocean Symposium, promoting sustainable solutions for the blue planet.
• World Water Quality Alliance2023 – United Nations
• Panelist – Shared insights on innovations to safeguard water bodies from pollution.
• Africa-Europe Foundation2023 – South Africa
• Speaker – Engaged in a strategic dialogue on the Africa-Europe ocean economy.
• Jury Member for TotalEnergies Startupper of the Year2024
• Jury Member – Played a key role in selecting the top15 startups with innovations aimed at solving environmental crises.
• UN-Habitat2024 – Azerbaijan
• Speaker – Delivered a talk on “Climate Urban Infrastructure: Enhancing the Interlinkages Between Urbanization, Sustainable Development, and Climate Change Resilience”.
• StartHub Africa2024
• Judge – Served as a judge for the National Pitch Event under the Youth Ignite initiative, selecting the best innovative ideas solving global issues.
• UNDP2024
• Panelist – Participated in a panel on the topic: “Beyond Hurdles: How Women Can Balance Between Family and Business?”, sharing personal experiences, challenges, and success stories.

John Ambrose
PHEDES Tanzania
Email: john@phedes.or.tz
Phone: +255 713 555 729

Farhan Khan
Forsker II – Senior Researcher
Phone: +47 56 10 74 40

Email:fakh@norceresearch.no

Mr. Amos Ansigary Msambila
Lecturer – The Institute of Social Work (ISW)
M.A. in Community Economic Development
B.A. in Community Development
Email:amos.msambila@isw.ac.tz
Phone: +255 655 288 367