The Emerging Leaders Initiative brought together the next generation of social entrepreneurs from around the world. Selected and supported in partnership by the Skoll Foundation and The Mastercard Foundation, the Emerging Leaders represent the great potential and passion existing in social entrepreneurship’s future leaders, addressing a wide range of issues like energy access in sub-Saharan Africa and the links between corruption and natural resource exploitation.
Cohorts were selected from those already demonstrating leadership qualities and making significant efforts to bring social change in their communities. The primary goal of the Emerging Leaders Initiative was to create a tailored learning experience to develop relationships and resources that extend well beyond the Forum that will help grow their impact on the communities they serve.
Currently, the nomination process is closed. We continually evaluate new partnership opportunities and content ideas. If you have any questions about the Emerging Leaders Initiative, please submit your inquiry to emergingleaders@skoll.org .
Co-Founder and CEO, Urban Refugees
Sonia Ben Ali is the Director and Founder of the non-profit URBAN REFUGEES, (www.urban-refugees.org) and a recent Ashoka Fellow. She holds a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Affairs from the French Institute of Political Sciences of Bordeaux, and started working with refugees and IDPs in 2007. DSonia started working with refugees and IDPs in 2007 in Bogota (Colombia) with a local NGO. She then worked on refugee protection programs in Casamance (Senegal), in a refugee camp of the Palestinian Territories and in Beirut (Lebanon) with both NGOs and UN agencies. Sonia holds a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Affairs from the French Institute of Political Sciences of Bordeaux. She is a Ted X speaker, a finalist of the Echoing Green Fellowship 2016, was awarded the prize of social innovator by Deloitte Australia and social entrepreneur of the year 2014 by ShoeString.
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Melissa Bime is a 22 year old licensed Nurse from Cameroon. Being of the medical background, Melissa got to experience first hand the challenges patients in Cameroon faced at the hands of
the health care system. She is passionate about addressing these problems and she believes that by leveraging on simple technologies, we can go a long way to provide solutions to this problems.
At the age of 20 after completing Nursing school, Melissa decided to start INFIUSS, which is an online blood bak that connects hospitals with blood banks to those without blood banks.
Through her work with INFIUSS, and her passion for entrepreneurship, Melissa hope to be able to continuously propose and provide solutions to Africa;s ever growing health care concerns.
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'm a Computer Scientist with successful experience in using technology to innovate and distribute high-impact, scalable solutions.
My most recent work is at the intersection of finance, technology and agriculture. I co-founded FarmDrive - a data analytics company using the power of alternative credit scoring to increase sustainable lending from banks to smallholder farmers (SHFs) and small businesses (SMEs) in the agriculture sector.
My career aspiration is to build meaningful technology platforms that improve lives.
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Deputy Executive Director, Talent Beyond Boundaries
Madeline is the Deputy Executive Director at Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB). Madeline joined TBB as an early team member in 2016 and has been an integral part of developing the organization’s goals, processes, strategy, and story. She is based in TBB’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. and spends significant time in TBB’s offices in the MIddle East. She joined TBB after serving as Manager of Development and Communications at the Cisneros Center for New Americans in Northwest Arkansas and working with the
Economic Empowerment Team for resettled refugees at the International Rescue Committee in Silver Spring, Maryland. She graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in American History and Literature. Her thesis research focused on the role of storytelling in the application process for asylum, and was published in the Fall 2018 issue of Refuge: Canada's Journal on Refugees.
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I was 15 when I first got introduced to environmental issues through the GLOBE program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment), through which I discovered how one could be useful to their community. With my peers, we would observe and identify clouds in the sky, manage our local weather station and share our experiences weekly with other students. On hearing about my involvement in 2004, the Director of LC2 TV offered me a position as a TV host, on a show to bring awareness to the youth. From the University of Benin, I hold a master’s degree in the Environment and graduate as a journalist after I trained in journalism, video shooting, and editing skills in France.
In 2015, at the National Fund for Environment and Climate (FNEC), I Contributed to design communication plan and campaign; organized conferences and workshops on Environment and Climate. As Director of Communication at the Ministry of Digital Economy and Communications of Benin in 2016, I designed and implemented communication strategies for the Minister and the Ministry. Since COP22, I am a member of EJN, an American journalist network, and run the first environmental communications startup in Benin since 2017 with three main areas of intervention: Terre à Terre Bénin: www.planeteterreaterre.com
1- Communication (CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility and Planet Terre a Terre TV, the first environmental Web TV in Benin)
2- Environment: our social component, by trainings, workshops, conferences, debates, environmental events, environmental communication campaigns, environmental alerts.
3- Technical assistance for companies, Institutions, Organizations : Coordination of communication services; Adaptation of existing communication tools to new audiences; Press relation.
At COP 24 in Katowice, Poland in December 2018, I launched the first environmental Web Tv “Planete Terre a Terre TV” www.planeteterreaterre.tv Today, I have fifteen years’ experience as a journalist.
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COO, CATO Foods and Agro Allied Global Concepts
ATINUKE LEBILE, a vibrant lady with utmost interest in Agriculture and its value chain, and her passion for agriculture and feeding the nation and ensuring Food security has made her the Strategist Officer for Ogunmod Farms and Farmers' Academy and the Co-founder of Cato Foods and Agro-allied Global Concepts, that is committed to addressing Malnutrition especially in children under 5 and pregnant women using staple foods
A graduate of Agricultural Science from University of Ilorin, who also works with rural communities to mentor young out-of-school girls on various entrepreneurial leadership skills through her initiative called MAGIC (mentor A Girl Child) and SheAgric Initiative where she raises intending female farmers, empower and motivate women and youth into Agriculture and its value chain to ensure Food security, Poverty reduction and curbing unemployment in Africa.
Atinuke also earn a certificate in Business and Entrepreneurship from Purdue University, Indiana USA. Certificate in Enterprise Management from Enterprise Development Centre at the Lagos Business School and she is also an Alumni of FATE Foundation.
She is a global ambassador for A world at School, 2015 Global Alliance for youth Leadership Fellow, 2016 YALI(RLC)West Africa Fellow and 2017 Mandela Washington fellow under the flagship of Young African Leaders initiative of former USA president, Barrack Obama, 2017/2018 Leap Africa fellow.
Atinuke who love to be called a Cutefarmer, is presently the Program and Membership Mobilization Officer for Youths Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), Nigeria.
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Co-Founder & Director of Football, Monrovia Football Academy
I am Sekou Dgeorges Manubah, borne unto the union of Mr. and Mrs. Musu Sekou Manubah at the St. Joseph catholic Hospital, old road, Congo Town, Monrovia, Liberia.
I am a former professional soccer player (Liberia National Lonestar). I began my soccer career in Liberia at a very young age where I played in the top flight of Liberia's soccer league with invincible eleven, the former club of the current President of the republic of Liberia and former Ballon D'or winner,H.E. Pres George M. Weah
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Founder and CEO, Vetsark Limited
Blessing Mene is a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for agriculture, finance and technology. He is currently the CEO of Vetsark Limited, an agritech startup based in Nigeria, where he has been working full-time. Vetsark's vision is to transform agri-financing in Africa and to build with our partners in agriculture the opportunity to manage and finance their farms and agribusinesses, using the right tech tools, guiding them to best performance and increased profitability for a sustainable growth.
In terms of education, Blessing holds a Masters in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Rome Business School Nigeria. He is also an Ashoka Fellow, Goalkeeper Rebuilder, among others.
Overall, Blessing is a driven and accomplished professional with a wealth of experience in agriculture, economic development, and entrepreneurship. He is committed to making a positive impact in the world through his work in the private and non-profit sectors, and his pursuit of advanced education.
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Co-Founder & President, AgriSan
Edith Violet Naisubi is a Ugandan studying MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Edinburgh. She did a Bachelors’ degree in Business Administration at Ashesi University, Ghana as a MasterCard Foundation scholar at both institutions. Edith is interested in social entrepreneurship, the open-source movement, and transformative leadership. Edith co-founded AgriSan which focuses on helping women in Eastern Uganda who are sole breadwinners to collectively grow a farming business and develop financial literacy, among other skills.
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Founder & Team Leader, Collage
Ritah Namwiza is a youth advocate with a special interest in how young people can harness technology to create and sustain livelihoods, improving their lives, and those they care about. She is a co-founder of Collage and Development Connection, both e-based platforms that bring development opportunities closer to young people. Ritah has supported various initiatives that equip youth with the skills they need to meaningfully contribute to development processes, including the implementation of Agenda 2030 and has worked with the Restless Development BIG IDEA programme, the UNAIDS Special Youth Programme and the Global Campaign to End Child Labour.
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CEO, Enda Athletic Limited
Navalayo Osembo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Enda Athletic, Inc. Osembo is a graduate of the London School of Economics and has worked internationally, including in the US, UK, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya where she utilizes her diverse skills as an accountant, a lawyer, risk manager, and in international development.
She is from a town near Eldoret, Kenya, that has produced generations of the world’s greatest distance runners. Prior to creating Enda Athletic Inc., Osembo started a sports academy in Bungoma, Western Kenya, to provide sports proteges from disadvantaged backgrounds access to much-needed professional training without compromising their education.
In order to maximize social impact in Kenya through sports, Osembo teamed up with her Co-Founder to create Enda Athletic Inc., a made-in-Kenya running shoe brand that creates jobs, invests in local communities, and spurs economic development through exports.
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Co-Founder and CEO, CareNx Innovations
Shantanu is creating an ecosystem for quality pregnancy care in low resource settings of India. His initiative CareNX with the team of 20 people is ensuring sustainable approach and efficient healthcare delivery model. 'CareMother' the flagship product of CareNX is a platform for doorstep care and management of high-risk pregnancies. CareMother is recognised by Her Majesty ‘The Queen of England’, UN-Women, Botnar Foundation and Grand Challenges Canada etc. Shantanu is awarded by “The President of India’s Innovation Scholar Award in 2015”, Google SMB Hero Award in 2017 and Top 10 Innovator by MIT, DST and Lockheed Martin in 2018.
He also plays key role in R&D for Women’s Reproductive Health at NanoBios Lab, IIT Bombay. As a PhD scholar from IIT Bombay he has developed cervical cancer screening device for self-screening. Recently, OECD published his article in “Development Cooperation Report 2018” titled -Bringing affordable and accessible maternal healthcare to the poorest districts of India.
He is keen on sustainable partnerships for enabling quality pregnancy care in India.
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Founder & CEO, Ishtar Handmade Soap
i was born and raised in Iraq all of my life, after a long journey to continue my studies during war and worst situation in Iraq i was successful to graduate from business administration at the age of 22 , i started after that working and volunteering in humanitarian organization (Alrawdh) where i focused to help women in need, i found my passion in life which is empowering and helping women in Iraq specially widowed and refugee and displaced women and ending child marriage and help girls go to schools, in 2014 i started my own business (Ishtar) which is a small business to support women by training them and hiring them inside the company , we faced many difficulties as it was the first women business that was self funded , but we were very successful to hire 12 women full time and over 25 women part time all around Iraq , we hired widowed women , women who live in poverty, and young women who want to finish their study , we are working now to increase the number of our shops and hire more women and start the next project which is about supporting the girls in poor families to go to schools and not be married at a young age .
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Project Manager, Our Voices Array
Angela Code is a member of the Sayisi Dene First Nation. She was born in Churchill, Manitoba (the polar bear capital of the world). Angela spent her childhood in her home Indian reserve at Tadoule Lake, Manitoba. There, she was surrounded by denesuline (Chipewyan Dene language), culture, family and community of her people. The Sayisi Dene are caribou people - much of their identity is directly linked to their traditional territory and living off the land. At age 10, Angela’s parents Allan and Mary Code moved her and brother Mike to Whitehorse, Yukon in order to receive higher quality western education, recreation and general opportunities to "succeed" within Canadian society. The move also proved to assist with Allan and Mary's careers as documentary film makers. After finishing high-school, Angela pursued her Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in First Nation Studies, a Minor in First Nation Languages and Linguistics at the University of British Columbia - she graduated in 2012. Angela has worked various jobs - largely with youth and film making. Angela has also travelled the world. She believes in social justice and the empowerment of the oppressed. Angela is a strong advocate for indigenous peoples’ rights - particularly for indigenous women. Angela has served as a delegate for various summits including The Indigenous Circumpolar Women's Gathering and The Sustainable Goals Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
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Buvana has 12 years of working experience with in Indian and Bangladesh microfinance industry. She started her career in DHAN Foundation, a leading not for profit in India that focuses on community banking program. She supported 8000 affected families by Tsunami to restore the lives and livelihood of poor communities through Microcredit. Later, She joined in a leading Microfinance Institution (which is a small finance bank) where she built and managed microcredit portfolio of INR 50 million. In 2009, She worked as a microfinance consultant for an urban Not-for-profit based at Dhaka, Bangladesh to set up savings and credit program supported by Development Innovations Group (DIG). While supporting Dhaka project, Buvana has set up the micro-housing pilot project of DIG in Chennai, India. Buvana has been with Water.org for 4+ years bringing changes in the lives of household by creating access to water and sanitation facility. Buvana joined as a Program Manager and got elevated to Senior Program Manager last year. She leads a team of program managers who manages the smart subsidy program implemented by Microfinance Institutions, Banks and WASH supply chain institutions across India. She guides and supports the programs team on the program technical aspects and budget management. Buvana has been instrumental in organizing annual events for Water.org partners and other stakeholders. She holds Masters in Agriculture from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, India and also a certificate course on Certified Microfinance Expert from the Frankfurt school of management and Finance, Germany.
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Director of Digital Research and Development Department, Fundacion Capital
Maria Antonia holds an MA degree in Finance, Government, and International Relations and has six years of experience in Social Entrepreneurship, field work and Information and Communications Technology for Development. She is the current Director of the Digital Research and Development Department of Fundación Capital. Before this position, she co-founded LittleBigMoney, the first social-crowdfunding platform in Colombia promoted by Fundación Capital and developed the expansion strategy of one of the largest Peer to Peer MarketPlace of Latin America Afluenta (Fintech Platform). She is an active Global Shaper and outgoing curator of the Global Shapers Mexico’s Hub. She currently teaches the "Alternative Fundraising and Negotiation" module at the Masters program of Management for Development at (Externado University Colombia) and the "Financial Innovation" module at the Postgraduate Programe - Economy and Management for Inclusion at (UDELAR Uruguay).
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Faith is a Zambian Youth Activist who believes that young people are the future of today.She’s a member of the MasterCard Foundation Youth ThinkTank,a project implemented by Restless Development Uganda & is leading research on innovations and technology and how they affect young farmers at different stages of the agricultural value chain.She’s also working with other Youth ThinkTank Researchers in East,West & Southern Africa,developing &adapting tools &guidelines that can support development stakeholders improve &increase engagement with young people in their programs.Furthermore,Faith is very passionate about Sexual Reproductive Health.Because of her passion,she co-found COPPER ROSE,a youth-led organization in Zambia that’s committed to educating adolescents &young people about their bodies,sexual rights & menstrual hygiene.She travels to remote areas of Zambia,managing projects focusing on girls in underprivileged communities.In the last 2years,she’s reached out to 12000+ girls teaching them about puberty &menstrual hygiene practices &intends to reach out to 1million women & girls by 2021.Faith has years of experience in Youth Engagement & Grassroots Organizing in low income countries in Africa.She’s a founding member of Project Forward an innovative,self-sustaining ecosystem that allows NGOs to indirectly incentivize volunteers.At its core,Project Forward facilitates the monetization of volunteer hours through a proprietary digital currency called Forward Coins.Faith is currently a National Youth Consultant with Swiss TPH evaluating the ACT!2030 Initiative,youth-led social action initiative which engages young people with advocacy &accountability around the SDGs.She has a BA in Business Administration &is working towards an Msc in Public Health/Public Policy &Global Affairs.In the next 5years,she intends to set up an industry manufacturing disposable &washable sanitary napkins which will provide jobs for thousands of young people in Africa.
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Priyanka majored in English from Delhi University and started her career at a buying house. In the last decade she has worked in sales, accounts, customer service, media, production and as a travel writer across India, New Zealand and the United States. She believes that the diversity in her career and the experience accumulated has helped build her communication, adaptability, management and interpersonal skills extensively. Priyanka joined the development sector two years ago as part of the media team at Breakthrough. Starting out as Manager for campaigns, she now heads the Media Hub for the organisation, a role she moved into a year and a half ago. As part of the current role, Priyanka along with her team is responsible for all the Mass Media and Digital work that is produced by the Breakthrough across various programs. This includes all media products such as films, radio, graphics design, IVRS in addition to all digital content. As part of the Senior team for the organisation, Priyanka's role also includes being part of and giving input on organisational strategy and other processes when requiredAn avid reader, she is a traveler at heart and when not working can be found curled up on the couch planning her next trip.
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Project Manager & Co-Founder., Ukulima Halisi
Kevin is the Co-founder and Project Manager for Ukulima Halisi- A social venture Project that has revolutionised tea farming in Kenya by adopting notifications and schedule planning between the tea farmers and the different tea factories via mobile phone. Prior to moving to South Africa, He worked for Equity Group Foundation under the Wings to Fly Program, a project that provides full scholarship funding for needy bright students in Kenya.
As the Project Manager for Ukulima Halisi project, Kevin’s mission is to create innovative Information Technology systems that will help streamline agricultural processes in Kenya and enable farmers to make a better living. Kevin is a Research Fellow for Foundation for Innovation and Technology -Africa, an organization that provides consultancy on Innovation Policies and Technology Management in Pretoria.
Kevin is also a MasterCard Foundation Postgraduate Scholar at the University of Pretoria, an Alumni of USAID scholarship in Kenya and alumni of The Common Purpose Future Leader's Experience in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Driven by an interest to witness meaningful and sustainable change in underserved communities, Bvudzai leads the regional research and advocacy agenda for VillageReach’s work in improving immunization supply chains. Some of her current work is focussed on understanding processes and outcomes of transitioning social innovations (funding and management) from non-profit organizations to governments in low-resource settings. Bvudzai studied Public Health in Zimbabwe and South Africa and earned her PhD from the University of the Western Cape in 2017. All of her work experience has been in public health research with a goal to inform policy and practice. She has received multiple awards and fellowships including the Emerging Voices for Global Health, Social Innovation in Public Health Fellowship, South African Research Chair Initiative in Health Systems & Social Change.
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Rwanda Chief of Staff & Head of Government Relations, One Acre Fund
Doreen is the Chief of Staff and Director of Government Relations for One Acre Fund in Rwanda. One Acre Fund serves smallholder farmers in East and Southern Africa, providing farm inputs, financing, and training that helps farmers to increase their yields and become more prosperous. Globally, One Acre Fund has 8,500 staff who serve more than 1 million farm families each year, with an additional 1 million households reached through private and public partnerships.
Doreen oversees One Acre Fund’s country-scale engagements and partnerships with the Government of Rwanda, as well the program’s policy, communications, and legal and compliance portfolios. She coordinates strategy setting for the Rwanda leadership team and leads key strategic initiatives, organizational campaigns, and external partnerships that improve organizational culture, policy and impact alignment, and program efficiency.
Doreen holds a B.A in International Relations from Tufts University and is a 2018 Skoll Foundation and Mastercard Foundation Emerging Leaders Fellow and an Opportunity Collaboration Global Skoll Foundation Fellow. Prior to joining One Acre Fund, Doreen worked on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) in Belize with the United States Peace Corps and has previously worked with the World Justice Project, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Rwanda, and Youth Action Africa.
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Co-Founder, Strong Woman Strong Love
Alpha Ngwenya is a student at Arizona State University majoring in Economics and Business Data Analytics. He currently works for Changemaker Central as a marketing chairperson. Changemaker provides over $250,000 in start-up funding. Alpha interned with Steward Bank and Public Accountant and Auditors Board were he developed interpersonal skills. By the age of 14 his grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother had passed away and he had to assume responsibility for his two siblings. That was when he started a vegetable garden business that enabled him to generate funds for his education and the education of siblings. His background was his introduction to the world of social innovation. Alpha has pursued his passion for social entrepreneurship by founding African Data Company, a unique startup that trains rural community members in Lupinyu, Zimbabwe on ways to save, accumulate and invest their money. With the aim of disrupting the cycle of poverty which is dominant in rural Africa. He also co-founded Strong Women Strong Love, a non-profit that provides feminine hygiene products to women facing homelessness. They teach women in Uganda the skills of designing a reusable sanity pad that can be sold for a 5500 Ugandan shillings profit per pack. This is unique because it provides entrepreneurship skills and financial benefit to women who are less privileged. Also, Strong Women Strong Love partners with a safe house with an aim to keep a girl child in school all month long, by training them to make reusable feminine hygiene products for personal use. Strong Women Strong Love has impacted over 2400+ women since its inception.
“social entrepreneurship is a universal language that can make poverty deaf” – Alpha Ngwenya
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Postgraduate studying Africa and International Development, Edinburgh University
Dorcas Amoh-Mensah
Curious about why Africa is still wallowing in poverty and under-development, I decided to pursue a Masters’ degree in Africa and International Development to uncover the puzzle and figure out how I can contribute to the change I want to see on the continent as a child of the land. I am a Ghanaian with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration obtained from Ashesi University College. My time at Ashesi, liberal arts college, unlocked unparalleled opportunities for me which helped me build enormous passion for Africa and its development as well as heightened my interest in social impact.
Over the past four years, I have been involved in innovative activities aimed at improving rural education (Starfish Aid) and eradicating child poverty and streetism in Ghana (Future of Africa). With exposure to the business and impact worlds through internships with Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Camfed Ghana respectively, I seek a career which would combine business with impact to create sustainable solutions for societal problems. I am also very interested in the economic transformation of Africa, transformational education as well as creating integrity-driven and gender-equal societies. Additionally, I would love a career that provides an opportunity for traveling all over the world as a medium of learning how various societies are internally solving global challenges.
My time here in Edinburgh has made me realize I am a foodie and has exposed me to the essence of celebrating diversity in the midst of the world’s uproar against immigration and migration. Here, I co-run a mini food-tasting and fund-raising event aimed at introducing the university community to foods from different cultures and various countries each month. It’s my dream that this would enhance collaboration, mutual-respect and love across all cultures and nations. I love arts and craft and have a special attraction to origami.
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Founder & Executive Director, Sani Foundation
Through the Sani Foundation, Michelle seeks to facilitate the full inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities into Zambian society. A cornerstone of its work is the Sunshine Zambia Project, which provides holistic, relevant training to prepare adolescents and young adults with intellectual disabilities for employment and independence within their community. While employment training services in Zambia typically segregate individuals with disabilities, with few trainees ever graduating to mainstream jobs with fair wages, Michelle pursues a person-centered model that assists those with disabilities in securing and maintaining jobs in the open labor market. Michelle was motivated to research international best practices for addressing the needs of the people with intellectual disabilities as a result of having a brother with Down Syndrome. Through the Sani Foundation, she also advocates for the adoption of more inclusive job market policies, while promoting to employers the commercial benefits of a diverse and inclusive labour market.
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Sam leads Global Witness’s work on data-driven investigative journalism and digital storytelling. His work focuses on the use of data to fight corruption and how to turn this information into change making stories.
He is currently working with a coalition of data scientists, academics and investigative journalists to build analytical models and tools that enable anti-corruption campaigners to understand and identify corporate networks used for nefarious and corrupt practices.
While at Global Witness he has developed a number of innovative web applications and visualizations for a range of campaigns including The Great Rip Off Map, Cambodia Corporates and the DRC Timber Tracker. During the last year he has been working with the Sundance Institute and MIT Media Lab to build an immersive storytelling tool specifically tailored for human rights organizations that need to publish to audiences without access to broadband connections.
He previously worked at the Open Knowledge Foundation leading the organization’s work on data literacy for human rights groups and journalists. He has an undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Cambridge University and a Masters in the History of Ideas from University College London.
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Chairman, Advisory Board, Tanzania Renewable Energy Association
Name: Godwin David Msigwa
Age: 32
Country: Tanzania
Organisation: Tanzania Renewable Energy Association
Title: Chairman, Advisory Board
Email: godwinsolar@gmail.com
I am a co-founder of BLISS UNIVERSAL, a renewable energy company as well as a renewable energy enthusiast and entrepreneur serving as the chairman of the Tanzania Renewable Energy Association advisory board for the last 6 years. In my career in the renewable energy sector, I developed the first solar PV manual for solar technicians in Tanzania which is available in the local language, Kiswahili.
I am also a national solar trainer for upcoming solar technicians, solar dealers and trainer of trainers in Tanzania. So far, I trained more than 700 young solar technicians nationwide including youth under OYE project, (funded by the MasterCard foundation) in Tanzania, SIDA, GiZ, Maxx Solar Academy, Commission for Science and Technology, BFZ.
I am an advocator for environment and renewable energy locally and internationally whereas through radio and TV programs, he advocated and was successful in lobbying for tax waiver of renewable energy components in Tanzania.
Currently, I am in the process of establishing a renewable energy technical school where young underprivileged Tanzanians skills will be developed through technical secondary education biased in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
My efforts in the renewable energy sector include waste management from slaughter houses as a means of income generation where waste from slaughter houses will be used to produce gas that will be stored in containers as a cooking energy.
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Executive Director, B Lab East Africa
Olivia is the Executive Director and founder of B Lab East Africa. In her role, Olivia is working on building a community of people using business as a force for good in the region; from recruiting B Corps to capacity building for organisations in the region. Prior to this role, Olivia was the Global Partner Manager at B Lab supporting its network of regional partners. She also worked as a Standards Analyst helping companies going through the B Corp Certification process, and supporting impact investors to measure and report their social and environmental impact.
Prior to joining B Lab, she worked at Microfinanza Rating (MFR) as a Social Rating Analyst in their African Regional office. During her time with MFR, she worked with Microfinance Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa in rating their social impact and running target client focus group discussions.
Olivia was recognised in 2017 as an Emerging Leader by Skoll and Mastercard Foundation and 2018 Top 40 Under 40 Women in Business in Kenya. She serves in the B Lab East Africa Board and is part of the Sustainable Inclusive Business, an arm of Kenya Private Sector Alliance Foundation, Circle of Influencers.
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After receiving her bachelor’s degree from University of California-Los Angeles and her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University, Yamin returned to her home country to lead Proximity School, a corporate university that provides technical and soft skill trainings to hundreds of staff across rural Myanmar. Yamin has prior experience providing mental health services to individuals, couples, and families in California and in Myanmar. Whether it’s providing mental health counseling, or conducting trainings on a larger scale, Yamin’s passion lies in making a personal impact on people’s minds and paths, and helping maximize individuals’ potentials.
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Postgraduate studying Environment & Development, Edinburgh University
“The surest way to keep people down is to educate the men and neglect the women. If you educate a man you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation" James Emman Kwegyir Aggrey - Ghana
Delilah Anita Owiti, Kenyan, is a young professional and enthusiastic leader passionate about the environment and its sustainability. She holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from Egerton University, Kenya, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Environment and Development at the University of Edinburgh as a MasterCard Foundation Scholar; the first of its kind in the UK. She is also a registered Environmental Impact Assessment expert, carrying out feasibility studies prior to project developments in environmentally sensitive areas to measure the potential environmental damage and where possible, provide mitigation measures.
Growing up as a member of the Girl Guide society, courage and assertion were her pillars in inculcating responsibility. Her passion is being at the fore front in environmental protection and conservation in all spheres. Embarking on tree planting and solid waste management activities in her community, she was awarded the “most environmentally sensitive student during her undergraduate studies. This developed her interest to further investigate why the environment is usually neglected and find ways to move communities towards sustainable development.
She has developed her skills over internship periods at National Environment Management Authority and Kenya Marine Fisheries Institute, where she was actively involved in community awareness programmes and compliance related issues. As a volunteer events’ organiser at Food sharing Edinburgh, she has managed to interact with the wider Edinburgh community. These events have also taught her money saving skills through planned food shopping and storage. Being in the spotlight has enabled her gain valuable leadership and communication skills over time as she strives to be a transformative leader.
Her time in Edinburgh has enabled her realize multifaceted approaches towards life in general. The number of friends she has made through social events have greatly exposed her to a diversity of cultures while appreciating and embracing them. Especially at a time when the whole world seems to be unstable politically. Nonetheless, she believes that if change is to happen, then it would start with/ by her. You will always catch her doing what she knows best, playing lawn tennis, during her free time. She also has a great affinity to music and hopes to be a professional pianist in future.
Her greatest desire is to create an impact wherever her foot steps on. Making Kenya and Africa as a whole develop sustainably are part of her plan by helping her peers, tomorrow’s leaders, rise above her and make lasting impressions amongst generations to come in all spheres of life.
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A descendant of refugees that survived genocide, Antranik Krikor Ozanian, 27, Switzerland, was born to Armenian parents in Bulgaria, as the cold war was ending in 1989. Blessed with new opportunities, Antranik grew up in U.K. with a strong desire to pursue a career helping to prevent future violations of human rights. He completed a Bachelors and Masters in Laws at the University of Manchester, followed by both working in Atlanta, USA protecting prisoners’ rights on death row and working in The Hague assisting the prosecution of war crimes at the UN ICTY. In 2014, Antranik was called to the Bar of England and Wales at Middle Temple, receiving the Dean’s List Award for highest score in advocacy. Drawing on his advocacy skills and armed with creative ideas for justice reform, Antranik immediately began working at International Bridges to Justice where, in addition to fundraising, events management and programme monitoring and evaluation, he is currently spearheading the IBJ JusticeHub, an innovative technology platform that supercharges networks of justice stakeholders around the world.
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Director of Innovation, iLab Liberia
Kpetermeni is a native of Liberia but spent his formative years between Liberia and Ghana during the civil wars in his home country. Whilst a MasterCard Foundation scholar at Ashesi University, Kpetermeni helped combat the Ebola outbreak by drastically shortening the time it took health officials to get actionable data from the field.
Additionally, his contributions to developing his university’s cashless cafeteria and an electronic library and social platform to connect students and teachers with educational resources without Internet connection, among others, helped earn him the President's Award, the highest honour at Ashesi.
Upon graduation, Kpetermeni returned to iLab Liberia where he supports the training of medical residents and has developed numerous tools, including a platform for tracking child labour in Liberia, robust payrolls for social cash transfers to low-income and Ebola-affected households, and an anti-corruption platform for the government of Sierra Leone.
He is also currently helping set up an innovation campus in Liberia (iCampus). Kpetermeni also volunteers to manage the infrastructure at the Liberia Internet Exchange Point Association (LIXPA).
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Head of Community Impact, United Way of India
I am a development sector professional with over seventeen years of experience of working with various stakeholders and beneficiaries in the areas of Education, Life-Skills, Gender Equity. I constantly upgrade myself through studying and reading which enables me to bring in newer ideas and approaches to my work. I also have a zeal for volunteering, training and public speaking which keeps the passion for 'making a difference' alive in me.
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Managing Director, Disa Energy Management Ltd
Fhazhil is a passionate educator and a budding social entrepreneur in Information Technology and energy systems. He is currently the partnership director of M-Soma Institute, a social venture preparing young people in East Africa for successful careers in Information Technology and entrepreneurship. M-Soma Institute offers pre-university training in computer programming and software development and general technical entrepreneurial training to high school graduates through boot camps as well as through its online and mobile platforms.
Fhazhil is also the founder and managing director of Disa Energy Management (DEM), a start-up in renewable energy systems. The current work of DEM is design and installation of renewable energy systems (majorly solar and wind) and offering consumer education on energy efficiency with a focus on efficient technologies, efficient energy system operations and energy behaviour change. The objective of DEM is to promote access to clean energy in rural Africa and spur economic growth.
Besides his professional engagements, Fhazhil is also a passionate youth mentor with a focus on education and holistic development. He is an Equity Leaders Programme (EPL) alumnus and currently mentoring with Wings to Fly programme (an education and leadership programme run by the joint partnership of Equity Group and MasterCard Foundations) in Kenya, Mamelodi Initiative in the Mamelodi township of South Africa and Stars EBIT mentors at the University of Pretoria. Fhazhil is a MasterCard Foundation Scholar at the University of Pretoria; currently writing a thesis on optimal control of renewable energy systems.
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Chief Program Officer, Medic
Amanda Yembrick joined Medic in 2012 and currently serves as interim Chief Program Officer, based remotely in Washington, D.C. USA. In this role, Amanda leads the organization’s global team that designs and delivers impactful digital health tools, provides capacity building services, and implements technology solutions leveraging the Community Health Toolkit. Amanda most recently served as Medic’s Director of Research and Learning, overseeing a portfolio of data science and design research initiatives. Prior to joining Medic, Amanda worked in international and domestic emergency response with organizations including Partners in Health and MIT. Amanda holds a BSc in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University.
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Development Manager, Kiva
Valerie is originally from Haiti and responsible for managing corporate and foundation partnerships for Kiva. Prior to joining Kiva, Valerie managed corporate partnerships for the Pan American Development Foundation in Latin America for three years where she developed regional multi-sector alliances. In 2008, Valerie was a Kennedy Fellow with the Haitian American Organization for Women where she focused on youth entrepreneurship and arts education. Valerie holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Stanford and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.
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Mastercard Foundation Scholar in Food Science, Michigan State University
Makafui Borbi is from Ghana, and is pursuing a Master's degree in Food Science. Growing up in Ghana, she realized how much agricultural produce is wasted during bumper harvests. This realization spurred her to seek solutions to this problem. Currently, Makafui is pursuing the feasibility of setting up a food processing factory in her community to process and preserve fresh agricultural produce in order to minimize post-harvest waste. Before coming to MSU in 2014, she was a teaching and research assistant at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Together with other teaching assistants, she helped to found Dynamic Research Access Media (DRE-AM) in 2013. DreAM is a registered NGO based in Ghana with the mission of communicating science and technology, and health-related research findings to local communities. DReAM’s major goals are to promote primary prevention of diseases; provide a vehicle through which to communicate science and local research findings to communities; support and promote science and research in Ghana; and to educate local communities on science and technology.
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Advocacy & Campaigns Manager, Crisis Action
Eye-opening experiences in her young days in Thailand and a strong sense of empathy led Anouck to engage in humanitarian work from a young age. In her work with the UN and grassroots NGOs across continents, she's had diverse roles from monitoring and evaluating social developments programmes in rural India, to advocating for the rights of refugees vis-à-vis governments and international donors in Iran and Rwanda.
Since she joined Crisis Action in 2012, Anouck has contributed to impactful campaigns involving diverse coalitions of 100+ NGOs and civil society members to protect civilians from conflict in the Central African Republic, Mali, and Israel- Palestine. She currently co-leads Crisis Action's international campaign on Syria. In this role she helps broker collaboration between Syrian civil society and humanitarian, human rights & conflict prevention organisations to foster conditions to bring the 5-year conflict to an end.
Anouck joins the Forum as part of the Skoll Foundation's Young Leaders' Programme. She is fluent in French and English, and dabbles in Swahili while trying to learn the ukulele.
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Antonio Fonseca joined Imazon as a trainee in 2008. In 2010 he graduated in environmental engineering and was hired as an assistant researcher to work at Imazon's deforestation monitoring program. In this program, I have quickly gained remote sensing end Geographic Information System (GIS) skills that led me to assume a technical coordinator of Deforestation Alert System (SAD). As current attributions, I am responsible to run SAD every month, coordinate the team and prepare the reports that are evaluated by the program supervisors. I have also gained experience in communicating SAD results to the general media in Brazil. In 2016, I will be seeking for graduate program in US Universities to strength my academic skills and expect to return to work in the Amazon region in the field of forest monitoring.
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Diana N-Peline Kombui is a member of CAMA (Camfed Association) – the pan-African network of educated young women. She is a graduate from Central University, where she studied B.Sc in Banking and Finance. She was supported by Camfed in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation during her tertiary education. Diana was the President of the University’s CAMA Campus Club and the Secretary for the Camfed Ghana-MasterCard Foundation Scholars Leadership Program. Diana has worked as an intern with Camfed Ghana to help organize leadership and enrichment activities for senior high school and tertiary students.
Diana is passionate about helping others. She is a role model, motivating and inspiring those who have little or no hope of pursuing their dreams. Building on her own experience and her passion for education, she provides vital community services in the Upper West Region of Ghana, where she organized voluntary vacation classes for junior high school students in her community. Diana also visited a number of senior high schools to encourage girls to study hard in spite of the challenges faced, and carried out a two-day advocacy program on teenage pregnancy and school drop outs for junior high school pupils in Lambussie – directly addressing some of these challenges. She currently serves as a member of an advisory group called, the Transition Advisory Group (TAG). Where she provides vital support to young girls to transit from High School to the Tertiary. Diana aspires to be an Auditor and eventually a Chief Executive of a financial institution. Education is her uppermost priority in life, and she hopes to pursue it to the highest level possible.
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Co-Founder, COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa
A 25-year-old from the D.R. Congo fled from his home country to Uganda at the age of six due to conflict. With his friends, Munyambanza co-founded the organization COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa (CIYOTA) at age 14 to educate refugee youth from Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, and Sudan. Munyambanza excelled in his studies in the refugee camp in Uganda and graduated from the African Leadership Academy in 2010. He is a member of the British Council Global Changemaker network and a fellow at the African Leadership Network. Munyambanza is one of 15 young people chosen to serve as advisors on international education to the UN Secretary General. He graduated in biochemistry at Westminster College a MasterCard Foundation Scholar. He is the force behind different new initiatives in innovative education to empower young leaders in the Congo and Uganda. He was recognized along with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia as one of four Global Citizen Award winners of 2013. He was recognized named one of The 99 most influential Foreign Policy Leaders under the age of 33 by the Diplomatic Courier magazine. Munyambanza also awarded the Trailblazer Award by the African Leadership Academy in 2014
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Founder & CEO, Habona Ltd.
Jean Bosco is the Founder and CEO of HABONA Ltd, a company that provides integrated waste management services and further processes the waste into affordable and environmentally friendly fuels such as biogas and biomass briquettes. Jean Bosco oversees the overall company management, public relations and fundraising. Upon founding HABONA, he was crowned as the 2014 Top Young Entrepreneur of Rwanda and he received the 2015 young achiever award by the First Lady of Rwanda. He has also won a number of other prizes, including the African Innovation and the India-Africa Young Visionary prizes. Jean Bosco holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Rwanda and is completing his final papers of CPA. He was selected as the 2015 Mandela Washington Fellow through the flagship program of the President Obama for Young African Leaders. Public speaking appearances include at the 2014 Pan-African Youth Conference and the 2014 Rwanda Day Celebration in Atlanta. He has also been invited by HRH Prince Andrew to pitch his business in Buckingham Palace, UK.
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Co-Founder & Country Manager, Pluspeople Kenya Limited
"Angela has a background in business and information technology from Strathmore University in Kenya. She is currently the Co-founder and Country Manager of Pluspeople Kenya/ Uhasibu, an IT company that has been recognized and awarded for its focus on empowering SMEs in East Africa by offering them IT solutions to manage their businesses more professionally.
Prior to Pluspeople, Angela co-founded Metro-Mobile a software development company that gave students a detailed summary of their university’s e-learning systems and co-curricular activities on their mobile phones. She is passionate about technology, small businesses in East Africa and the start-up scene in Sub- Saharan Africa. Angela is a strong advocate for mentorship, a champion for women in technology and volunteers in various mentoring programs in Kenya; one that focuses on mentoring young under-served girls, another for mid-level career women and another for older less privileged micro-business women owners.
For her leadership and social entrepreneurship work with Pluspeople Kenya and as an individual, Angela has been recognized as a Zambezi Prize Finalist presented by the Legatum Center at MIT and the MasterCard Foundation; She is a 2016 Skoll World Forum Young Leader; a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow as part of President Barack Obama's Young Leaders Initiative (YALI); and a finalist of the McKinsey Next Generation Women Leaders award."
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iFIGHT Coordinator, Voice Of The Free
Nica Santiago currently oversees the iFIGHT program at Visayan Forum Foundation, which seeks to empower youth as a driving force in fighting human trafficking and other forms of exploitation. As iFIGHT Coordinator, she works to develop partnerships with schools, colleges and local government units and is primarily responsible for leading major events, delivering speeches and seminars on human trafficking, and developing iFIGHT chapters. Nica is also a filmmaker, having been recognized at various festivals both domestically and internationally. Her short film, “Sa Wakas,” which discusses the right to reproductive health, won prizes at Cinemalaya 2013 and the Active Vista Film Festival 2013 and received selections at festivals in Poland and Australia as well. She is also an Artist-Teacher at the Philippine Educational Theater Association, where she conducts workshops regarding children empowerment and community resilience. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Mass Communication from Far Eastern University, Philippines.
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Founder & CEO, Acacias for All
Sarah was born in France to a Tunisian father and a French mother. Influenced by her father who worked for years in the nonprofit sector, Sarah got involved in social causes at a young age to build youth centers, computer labs and public libraries in Tunisia’s marginalized communities. During her time at the Sorbonne, Sarah founded DREAM, an incubator for social and environmental students projects in Paris. In 2011, following the Tunisian revolution, Sarah, who had been leading a very comfortable life in Paris, decided to go back to her homeland of Tunisia. In Tunisia, Sarah saw that the levels of rural poverty, resulting from land desertification, were rapidly increasing. This eye opening experience led Sarah to her conviction that desertification and environmental degradation, leading to rural poverty, was the most pressing issue facing her community. She started by organizing a program called "Castle of Knowledge" in her grand-parents village (Bir Salah), offering women and youth the opportunité to get access to cultural and educational activities. Then she started planting trees with this community and created Acacias for all. Sarah is an Ashoka Fellow and Echoing Green #Climate Fellow.
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Executive Director, Opportunity Youth United
Lashon Amado is the Project Director for Opportunity Youth United, a national grassroots movement of opportunity youth and their adult allies seeking to alleviate poverty in their community through civic engagement. After being “pushed out” of high school, Lashon received a second-chance to get back on track by attending his local YouthBuild program in Brockton, MA. After completing the program, Lashon went on to receive his master’s degree from Northeastern University. He is now an emerging social entrepreneur, with a vision to empower young people across the globe to be change agents in their community.
Lashon is also the Founder and CEO of an international project, Mas Um Chance (One More Chance), an emerging social enterprise seeking to empower opportunity youth and individuals who have been deported in Cabo Verde (CV), an archipelago on the west coast of Africa. In the program, young people are prepared for pathways into education, employment, and entrepreneurship to be become th
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During my student days, I realized that my business degree needed to be used for something more, besides just making money. I ventured from Serbia all the way to Cambodia to explore how social enterprises really work. Now, I spend my days with the Friends-International teams that save lives and build better futures for children, youth and families around the globe, but mainly in Southeast Asia. Seeing our solutions really work for the people – that’s something worth being part of. My role is to make sure that we have the right people doing the right job, and that they supported with training and tools to make their work outcomes best possible.
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Co-Founder Executive Director , Impact Africa Trust
Isaac Jonas is the Co-Founder and Executive Director for Impact Africa Trust (IAT), a not for profit organization that was conceived by his inspiring participation at the Skoll World Forum of 2015. IAT is duly registered in Zimbabwe under protocol number MA913/2015. For more information about Impact Africa Trust work please visit our Website: www.impactafricatrust.org. He has also been working at the University of British Columbia(UBC) doing research on Marine ecosystems.In his spare time if nay is left, he reads and writes books. His first book publication is a biography called "The Serendipity of a Great Network", that traces his life journey from Zimbabwe to now Canada. The book is available online
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Head of Education & Events, CDI Apps for Good
Natalie Moore is the Head of Education & Events at Apps for Good. She joined the Apps for Good education team in January 2013, and since joining has grown the community of UK Education Partners from 100 to over 1000. Prior to this role Natalie worked for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games as the International Education Programme Coordinator for the Education Team. While in this role she managed an international school linking programme as well as supporting, developing and building relationships with schools that were part of the UK Get Set network. Natalie is particularly passionate about using education and new initiatives to create an environment that allows young people to be inspired and to achieve.
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Co-Founder, Asikana Network
Regina is co-founder of Asikana Network, an organisation that trains Zambian girls and young women in information and communications technology skills, so that they can find better jobs and realise their potential. Regina is planning to link Network members to mentors in order to develop their skills further in the future.
Alumnus, African Leadership Academy
Joseph is an alumnus of African Leadership Academy and a current MasterCard Foundation Scholar, studying Transnational Studies and Global Social Entrepreneurship at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Joseph is passionate about youth development and has begun using his skills to empower young people across Ghana through Youth Impact Workshop. In the past, he conducted research working with the MasterCard Foundation Youth Think Tank on effective youth engagement strategies for NGOs in Sub-Saharan Africa. He was also one of four Emerging Leaders to speak at the 2015 edition of Skoll World Forum. He has worked with the West Africa Civil Society Institute, Opportunity International and Simmons Foods. On campus, he serves as co-Organizer of TEDxWestminsterCollege and Founding President of the Westminster Debate Society. Joseph is a Resolution Fellow having won seed funding to implement the Nima Innovation Lab for Girls, a program that will nurture young women to start socially viable businesses in urban poor communities.
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Founder & CEO, Kito International
Wiclif Otieno is a former street boy in Nairobi with a deep passion for social justice and a drive to create economic opportunities for young people in Kawangware slums. After becoming an orphan at the age of 7, he joined the streets to fend for himself and survived on the streets of Nairobi for five years. He was rescued by an American couple who invested in him by helping get him to school and other training.
He started Kito to give back to his former colleagues who were still facing the challenges of street life. he has steered Kito to a path of growth and has so far impacted the lives of over 200 youths through skills training in entrepreneurship and job readiness. Close to 50% of these youths have secured jobs or started their own income generating initiatives.
Wiclif has received several awards in recognition for his work. He is a Cordes Fellow, Spark Change maker Fellow, and most recently Laureate Global fellow, an initiative of International youth foundation. he is also a TEDx speaker having spoke at TEDxSanJoaqouin in California and Kibera Nairobi.
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I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work and minor in Human Services at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, and joined Fundación Paraguaya in 2012. As Poverty Stoplight Coordinator, my responsibilities include the management of relationships with 18 organizations abroad replicating this methodology; communications with Hewlett Packard for software development; supervise methodology implementation at 35 private enterprises, governments and churches in Paraguay; lead team in charge of developing tools and solution strategies to the different Poverty Stoplight indicators. This team trains FP loan officers who in the past 3 years have helped 24000 families overcome income poverty, and 3200 families overcome poverty as measured by the 50 indicators in the Poverty Stoplight.
In addition, I am Project Manager for “Inclusive Microfinance Opportunities” implemented with USAID’s support which seeks to make a business case for financial inclusion of people with disabilities in microfinance institutions, and at the same time improve the living conditions of the participating families through the Poverty Stoplight.
Watch Poverty Stoplight video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVL92-0tVlc
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Operations Director- China, Half the Sky Foundation
I am an ordinary woman but lucky enough to start my career in an NGO I’m proud to join at 2010. We nurture those innocent children either orphaned or at risk to reach their full potentials, through affluent programs and caregiver trainings. After having my own baby last year, I devote more with a whole heart to protect those fragile angels.
I just started my fifth year on this adventurous path, and I’m excited that Skoll opens arms to me.
I studied business administration and media production in China and UK in sequence. I was hoping that I could use media as a media to advocate for the weak and the neglected parties, before I came across NGO and non-profit. Then I found a more solid way to help.
I love thinking and am curious as a new-born. I love listening and playing music, which to me is the best communication with all and with the world. I am happy but never content on where I am.
Here I am, Oxford.
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CAMA (CAMFED Alumnae Association) Member, CAMFED
Abigail is a remarkable young woman and a champion of social and economic change in her nation.
Abigail was born in 1988 in the rural district of Samfya, Zambia. She was orphaned at an early age and subsequently lived with her grandmother who encouraged her to study hard. However, as a result of poverty she struggled to pay the necessary school fees. Fortunately, Abigail was recommended by her school to receive bursary support from Camfed, an NGO that funds girls’ education.
Having lived through extreme poverty and realizing that education is the key to overcoming it, Abigail has acted tirelessly to extend similar opportunities to other young women. She is a leading member of the pan-African Cama network of young women (currently with 14,005 members). She was recently appointed to the position of Camfed Association Coordinator in charge of leadership.
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CAMA (CAMFED Alumnae Association) National Chairperson, CAMFED
Rafiatu Lawal is passionate about education and the development of disadvantaged and rural communities. She comes from a family of 11, from a small village called Daboya in the Northern Region of Ghana. She is teaches home economics and general science at Nahadah Islamic Junior High School in Tamale. She is also the past national chairperson of CAMA (Camfed's Alumnae) network in Ghana. Cama is one of a kind in Africa, bringing together young women change-makers. It seeks to break the cycle of poverty in their families. She is deeply interested in education and in working to ensure that every child gets the opportunity of going to school. She is an alumnus of The MasterCard Foundation Youth Think Tank.
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Jenna Wachtel is the Director of Early Learning at the New Teacher Center, a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders. After completing her graduate work at Stanford University, Jenna began teaching kindergarten and first grade in East Palo Alto, CA. Throughout her career, Jenna taught in early learning classrooms at regular public and charter schools in both high- and low-income communities. She has earned National Board Certification in Early and Middle Childhood Literacy, was named one of Splashlife’s 30 Under 30 Innovative Educators and participated in the Skoll World forum as an Emerging Young Leader.
In her role leading NTC’s Early Learning initiative, Jenna supports teachers, coaches, school leaders and district and community systems to provide high quality early learning opportunities to 3, 4 and 5 year olds through a comprehensive professional development structure. Her work has focused in California, Oklahoma, New York and Hawaii and continues to grow as NTC scales its support for Early Learning across the country.
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Executive Director, Sistema B Array
Marcel Fukayama is an Impact Entrepreneur, Cancer Survivor and Cathedral Builder. He has been involved with different initiatives in new economy.
Co-Founder of Din4mo with objectives to empower entrepreneurs that solve social problems and to develop innovative structures that drive capital to both low income families and social enterprises.
Co-Founder of Sistema B Brazil to strengthen the B Corp community and redefine success in business. He is currently the Executive Director of Sistema B International leading the B Corp Movement in 19 countries, 670 certified B Corps and 30,000 businesses using the Skoll Awardee B Lab’s BIA to manage their triple impact.
Major in Business, MBA and MA in Public Admin at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is committed to work with the social society and policy makers and inspire innovation and new public policies. He coordinated the Brazilian Presidency Campaign of Marina Silva and Eduardo Jorge (REDE/PV) in 2018. Currently, he sits in the Committee for the National Strategy of Impact Investing and Impact Business of the Brazilian Ministry of Economy.
Previously, he pioneered by creating one of the first internet cafés in Brazil at 17-year-old and served as CEO of Skoll Awardee CDI Global working with a network in 15 countries to use technology for social change.
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While studying Information Systems Management at Ecole Centrale Paris, Ghislain spent a few months travelling through Cambodia where he volunteered with several NGOs and social enterprises. He graduated in 2007 with a major in Entrepreneurship and decided to further get involved: he returned to Cambodia and started to work for Friends-International. During 5 years based in Phnom Penh he advised and trained local teams developing and running projects supporting unemployed young people and caretakers in accessing better economic opportunities to build their futures. His work took him to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Honduras. In 2013 he became Program Director for Indonesia, leading the development of a new program for Friends in Jakarta.
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Country Director, Malawi and Riders International Vice Board Chairman, Riders for Health
Born, raised and educated in Malawi, Mphatso Kachule is a growing leader in the NGO/social enterprise sector in Malawi. She has worked in various industries in her 6 year career as a development practitioner, gaining a unique management perspective.
Mphatso started her career as a secondary school teacher in a government institution right after completing her undergraduate degree in Education. She taught Home Economics, Geography, Social Studies and Life Skills Education for about a year and half before joining Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). Mphatso worked for VSO for close to three years before joining Riders for Health where she works as Programme Manager. She manages Riders Malawi portfolio and works with her team to grow Riders' footprint in Malawi and increase its impact.
Young Leader Initiative- INJAZ El Djazair, INJAZ El Djazair
Mahdi is the operations officer at INJAZ El Djazair, the Algerian branch of INJAZ Al-Arab, an affiliate of Junior Achievement. While he was in college, he created a [what kind of?] company called Zine Zmen with the support of INJAZ El Djazair. After a year, Zine went bankrupt and Mahdi worked in the foreign guarantees department of the ARAB BANK ALGERIA group. Ten months ago, he returned to his current role at INJAZ El Djazair.
He is an event planner and organizer, working on such events as an international Symposium focused on innovative management, and a recruitment forum with 6,000 attendees. As his final thesis for his Bachelor’s in 2012, he did research on angel investing—the first in the Maghreb region. He has a degree in Business from the Algerian Higher School of Commerce.
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Young Leader Initiative- Mastercard,
Ph.D, Telecommunication: Intelligent Mobile Health Monintoring Systems (mHealth).
Telecommunication Expert Engineer : ATB (Algérie Télécom Broadband).
Researcher & Service designer : STIC Laboratory. (2010-2012)
Research assistant: CIG Group –Northumbria University at Newcastle, UK. (2012)
Software Engineer & Consultant :Vitaltronix (the pioneer in mobile medical manufacturing in the MENA : Mobile Health apps and Tele-medecine ). (2011)
IEEE , ATA and PNR Member.
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Co-Founder, Oacsoft Technologies,
Joseph Ajao is the Founder of Travtail and is an alumnus of Silicon Valley's top technology community, Singularity University.
He co-founded Oacsoft Technologies at 17, a software company that develops low-cost software for schools, small businesses and government agencies in Nigeria.
Joseph graduated on top of his Engineering class and has an MBA from Michigan State University. He was an early employee at Jumia (NYSE: JMIA) where he sourced the first few merchants that sold on its ecommerce website.
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Executive Director, Action Network for the Disabled
Fredrick Ouko Alucheli is the Executive Director of Action Network for the Disabled (ANDY). ANDY is a national disabled people's organization that invests in enhancing life prospects of children and youth with disabilities through education and sustainable livelihoods. He has also founded a social enterprise that facilitates access to job opportunities for persons with disabilities in Kenya known as Riziki Source (rizikisource.org)
He served on the Disability Rights Fund Global Advisory Panel. Fredrick is a board member of Little Rock Inclusive Early Childhood Education Centre, an educational institution that caters for children with disabilities.
In 2012, he was elected an Ashoka Fellow for his commitment towards issues of disability and employment and Atlantic fellow in 2017.He has BA in political science and sociology from the University of Nairobi, a postgraduate certificate in social innovation management from Amani Institute and currently finishing an MBA in Social entrepreneurship.
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Young Leader Initiative- Mastercard, Ffene Ltd
Over 90% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa do not have any form of automation in their business processes. Storage, retrieval and processing are all done manually on paper. This slows down business and also prevents businesses from being able to capture the insights from their data that would enable them to make intelligent decisions. In June 2012, with a year left in college, Titus decided this was the problem he wanted to solve. He left school and has been building ffene.com, a low-cost business management platform for SMEs in the developing world, ever since.
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