Founder & Managing Director, LIfT (Lead Institute for Transformation) & PanAfrican Civic Leader
MADAGASCAR

Lalaina Randriarimanana is a Pan-African civic leader and storyteller shaping social change from Madagascar. She began her civic journey as a teenager, developing a strong commitment to youth development, democratic participation, and social justice.

She is the founder of Lead Institute for Transformation (LIfT) in Madagascar, advancing grassroots leadership through action research, civic innovation, capacity building, and mental health-informed approaches. Earlier in her career, she co-founded and led a Malagasy civic organisation dedicated to promoting youth leadership, citizen engagement, and participatory governance, with a particular focus on election integrity, electoral observation, and citizen participation in democratic processes. Her work focuses on fostering systemic change, mentoring emerging leaders, and driving initiatives that strengthen accountability and transparency at local, national, and global levels.

As a storyteller, she is committed to promoting hope, courage, self-empowerment, and citizen-driven political participation across Africa. She is currently an African Union Media Fellow, where her projects focus on promoting good governance and strengthening Africa’s public health systems under Agenda 2063. She is also an OpenAQ Ambassador, leading the project “Air Quality for Wellbeing”, which engages communities around environmental data and mental health.

She holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Antananarivo and has pursued further studies in women’s leadership in peacebuilding at the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London, as well as an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development from SOAS, University of London. She is an Obama Africa Leader, Archbishop Tutu Fellow, and Mo Ibrahim Scholar.