Simon Okelo

Simon Javan Okelo is the founder of One Vibe Africa and the creator of Madaraka Festival. One Vibe Africa describes its mission as creating “a liberated African narrative” through collaboration among Africans at home and in the diaspora, with programs spanning cultural events, video content, education, music, and the arts.

Okelo grew up in Manyatta, Kisumu, Kenya. His personal site says he served as Field Director of Solace International and Co-Director of the Young Generation Centre from 2002 to 2010, directing humanitarian projects in Malawi, Kenya, Ghana, Liberia, and South Sudan. One Vibe Africa’s team page also notes that he worked as director at Young Generation Center, Field Director for Africa for Solace International, and Associate Director for MED25 International.

He moved to the United States in 2010 and has since organized events and digital campaigns celebrating African and African-diaspora communities. Since 2014, he has organized Madaraka Festival, which has featured artists including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Sauti Sol, Blitz the Ambassador, Rocky Dawuni, Meklit Hadero, Nik West, Naomi Wachira, and Karun.

Okelo’s own bio emphasizes nonprofit leadership, event production, media strategy, and cultural entrepreneurship rather than conventional venture investing. His LinkedIn profile lists Seattle University for 2025–2027 and describes him as an operations and media strategist focused on storytelling, cultural engagement, and community-building.

• No public source reviewed verified Simon Okelo as an angel investor making personal seed-stage startup investments. The “Angel Investors” and “Seed Round” stub data could not be independently confirmed.
• His public capital-allocation work appears to be mission-driven and programmatic: Madaraka Festival and One Vibe Africa use events, sponsorships, partnerships, and proceeds to fund youth arts, education, music, media, and community-development programs.
• One Vibe Africa’s stated mission is to generate a future for Africa through “cultural events, video content, education, music, and the arts.”
• Madaraka Festival’s partnership materials position sponsors as mission partners who help “unite diverse communities using arts and cultural strategies.”
• Okelo’s own writing frames digital media as an economic and narrative tool: “Digital media gives us all a unique opportunity” to share stories in more compelling and profitable ways.
• Best-fit opportunities are likely creative-economy, African diaspora, live events, music/media, youth mentorship, cultural exchange, and social-impact initiatives that can partner with or extend One Vibe Africa’s mission.