Mandy Nyarko
Managing Partner at Sahara Impact Ventures
London, England
Overview
Work Experience
Chairwoman of the Advisory Board
2025 - Current
As Chair of the Advisory Board for the Centre for Joined Up Sustainability Transformations (JUST), I am honoured to guide a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing equitable, low-carbon living across the UK. Funded by an £8 million investment from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), JUST is a collaborative effort that bridges research and action to ensure no community is left behind in the transition to a sustainable future. JUST operates in five key regions—West Yorkshire, West Cumbria, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and Tyneside—while also conducting comparative research in other areas. The Centre employs a unique blend of data science and participatory methods to map existing low-carbon initiatives, providing evidence on what works, where, and for whom. This approach supports informed decision-making and demonstrates the tangible benefits of linking decarbonisation with regeneration. The Centre brings together interdisciplinary social scientists from the Universities of Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Lancaster, and Newcastle, with core support from The Young Foundation’s Institute for Community Studies. Additional partners include Citizens UK, the Local Government Associations for England and Wales, the Scottish Sustainability Network, the British Chambers of Commerce, the NHS Confederation, the Runnymede Trust, and the Institute for Government. In my role, I provide strategic oversight and guidance to ensure that JUST's initiatives align with its mission to create people-centred, joined-up, and socially just sustainability transformations. I am committed to fostering collaborations that empower communities and policymakers to co-produce solutions that meet climate goals while enhancing citizens' quality of life.
Co founder and Managing Partner
2023
Co-Founder
2020
ESG Innovation consultancy working with public and private sector organisations to design innovation programmes that help them tackle their environmental and social sustainability objectives. We do this by collaborating with diverse entrepreneurs solving these problems with a view to improve equality within issues such as climate change leading to a more just net zero society.
Chairwoman
2022
We’re building a community of women founders and investors in climate, using gender lens investing principles to increase the amount of capital being deployed in women building climate solutions.
Expert Advisory panel
2023
Head of UK delegation & Co chair Sustainability task force
2023
Angel Investor
2023 - 2024
Ada Ventures is the inclusive venture firm. Ada Ventures finds and funds extraordinary talent building breakthrough ideas for the hardest problems we face. We are investing out of our second fund and we invest £250,000 - £1m in UK technology companies across climate, economic empowerment and healthcare & ageing. Ada Ventures has chosen a second cohort of 20 Ada's Angels who are seed-series A specialist operators & founders in their sectors.
SME advisory board member
2021 - 2024
Monthly roundtables with the Minister for Small Business to advise them on issues and opportunities relating to entrepreneurship and small business.
Non Executive Director
2022 - 2022
Managing Director
2018 - 2021
Innovation programme focused on accelerating zero carbon goals in cities and organisations through collaborating with SME’s tackling climate change! Currently seeking sustainability leads to work with on their carbon reduction action plan. If you’re interested in learning more contact me @ mandy.nyarko@globalcityfutures.co.uk