Dr. Rose M. Mutiso is a Kenyan scientist, thought leader, and social entrepreneur. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the African Tech Futures Lab (ATFL), a new African-led institute focused on emerging technologies in energy, climate, and digital systems. Previously, she was Research Director at the global think tank Energy for Growth Hub, where she led work on energy transitions and emerging energy technologies in Africa and other energy-poor regions. She continues to serve as the Hub’s Science Advisor.
Rose is also the co-founder and former CEO of the Nairobi-based nonprofit Mawazo (“Ideas”) Institute, which supports early-career African women scientists through doctoral research funding and professional development. Prior to this, she served as a Senior Fellow on energy and innovation policy in the U.S. Department of Energy and Senate.
She holds a BA and BE in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Her TED talks on African energy and climate futures have been viewed over 3.6 million times, and she is a regular contributor on these issues across major media platforms. She also writes Kibao, a Substack focused on energy, climate, tech, and Africa.