Founder, Social Entrepreneur, Female Leadership Advocate [Ghana]

Yawa is a visionary leader, speaker, and author dedicated to empowering emerging leaders and advancing African development. She is a serving member of the Board of Directors at both Ashesi University College and Pencils of Promise, and the founder of the Leading Ladies’ Network, an organization committed to nurturing women leaders. Additionally, she is a co-founder of Impact Hub Accra, a vibrant space for innovation and entrepreneurship in Ghana.

Yawa has an extensive background in leadership development and global advocacy. She served for three years on the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community and worked as a leadership consultant to UN Women, where she developed leadership curricula to strengthen the capacity of women leaders in East and Southern Africa. She was also a member of the Advisory Board of the Women’s Institute for Global Leadership at Benedictine University.

Recognized as one of Africa’s Rising Leaders at the 2012 World Economic Forum on Africa, Yawa continues to inspire through her groundbreaking work. In 2016, she was honored with an Eisenhower Fellowship for her efforts in developing future women leaders.

As the former Executive Director of Emerging Public Leaders (EPL), Yawa focused on accelerating African development and economic growth by strengthening civil service and expanding EPL’s organizational capacity and country-led programs.

Yawa holds a BSc in Business Administration from Ashesi University in Ghana, with honors studies completed at The American University of Rome, Italy. She earned an MA in Gender, Peace, and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre and is certified as an International Protocol Consultant from the Protocol School of Washington.

Through her work, Yawa remains deeply committed to fostering leadership, driving systemic change, and inspiring the next generation of changemakers across Africa and beyond.