Our Founders
Co-founders Valerie Kabov and Marcus Gora have more than three decades of hands experience of building up cultural ecosystem, CCI institutions and advising corporate, governmental, parastatals and NGO on effective and sustainable implementation of cultural policy initiatives, projects and institutions. Based in Zimbabwe and operating internaitonally they are both deeply committed to seeing African cultural sectors thrive on their own terms and for African creatives to achieve success at home and abroad.
Valerie Kabov Co-Founder & Director Strategy |
Marcus Tawanda Gora Co-Founder & Director Partnerships |
Valerie Kabov
Art Entrepreneur, Author, Advisor, Speaker and Educator expert in: Cultural Economics | Intellectual Property Strategy | Contemporary Art Markets | Cultural Policy | Arts Education
Selected papers and publications:
Economics of national liberation in Venice and Basel (global market dynamics)
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Global Market? (impact of globalization)
Why Africa needs art museums? (infrastructure gaps)
Identity Politics and Contemporary African Art (critical discourse).
Strategic Legal & Commercial Acumen: Former General Counsel (Travelex Asia Pacific) and Senior Lawyer (MBF Australia) specializing in tech transactions, risk management, and capital raising.
Pioneering Institution Builder: Co-Founder/Executive Director of First Floor Gallery Harare (15+ years), Zimbabwe’s first independent emerging artist-led space, overseeing international exhibitions, residencies, and multi-level education programs,
co-founder African Art Galleries Association and Emerging Painting Invitational, the first pan-African emerging painting prize.
Policy & Sector Influence: Advisory Board Member for EAMAN (Nairobi), Zimbabwe Fashion Week, and The Multarity Project; Former Editor-at-Large for ART AFRICA.
Marcus Gora
Expertise: Music Industry Ecosystems | Cultural Policy Implementation | Supranational Governance (AU/SADC) | Stakeholder Engagement
Music Industry Authority: International Manager for Mokoomba (14+ years), steering one of Africa’s most successful global touring bands. Board Chairperson, Music in Africa Foundation (continent’s premier music resource platform).
Policy Implementation Credibility: Vice Chairman, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) (4+ years), directly shaping national arts funding, regulation, and AU/SADC-aligned policy execution.
Festival & Ecosystem Leadership: Creative Director, Oliver Mukudzi International Festival of the Arts (OMIFA); Key management role for Jacaranda Music Festival.
Grassroots Advocacy: Co-Founder/Director, First Floor Gallery Harare, developing Zimbabwe’s visual arts sector. Proven connector of local creatives with regional/international platforms.
Art Entrepreneur, Author, Advisor, Speaker and Educator expert in: Cultural Economics | Intellectual Property Strategy | Contemporary Art Markets | Cultural Policy | Arts Education
Selected papers and publications:
Economics of national liberation in Venice and Basel (global market dynamics)
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Global Market? (impact of globalization)
Why Africa needs art museums? (infrastructure gaps)
Identity Politics and Contemporary African Art (critical discourse).
Strategic Legal & Commercial Acumen: Former General Counsel (Travelex Asia Pacific) and Senior Lawyer (MBF Australia) specializing in tech transactions, risk management, and capital raising.
Pioneering Institution Builder: Co-Founder/Executive Director of First Floor Gallery Harare (15+ years), Zimbabwe’s first independent emerging artist-led space, overseeing international exhibitions, residencies, and multi-level education programs,
co-founder African Art Galleries Association and Emerging Painting Invitational, the first pan-African emerging painting prize.
Policy & Sector Influence: Advisory Board Member for EAMAN (Nairobi), Zimbabwe Fashion Week, and The Multarity Project; Former Editor-at-Large for ART AFRICA.
Marcus Gora
Expertise: Music Industry Ecosystems | Cultural Policy Implementation | Supranational Governance (AU/SADC) | Stakeholder Engagement
Music Industry Authority: International Manager for Mokoomba (14+ years), steering one of Africa’s most successful global touring bands. Board Chairperson, Music in Africa Foundation (continent’s premier music resource platform).
Policy Implementation Credibility: Vice Chairman, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) (4+ years), directly shaping national arts funding, regulation, and AU/SADC-aligned policy execution.
Festival & Ecosystem Leadership: Creative Director, Oliver Mukudzi International Festival of the Arts (OMIFA); Key management role for Jacaranda Music Festival.
Grassroots Advocacy: Co-Founder/Director, First Floor Gallery Harare, developing Zimbabwe’s visual arts sector. Proven connector of local creatives with regional/international platforms.
