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​During my 20+ year career I've overseen the turnaround of an international nonprofit organization (one of only four Nelson Mandela-endorsed organizations in the world); founded and run my own international boutique consulting firm; excelled in various corporate roles; been an invited member of the U.S. Speaker Program at the U.S. Department of State; taught and guest lectured at top academic institutions in the US and abroad; and delivered training that has transformed lives and organizations worldwide.

Throughout my career, I've learned a lot about the importance of support systems, access to timely information, managing success, learning from setbacks, navigating transitions, managing relationships, overcoming fear, developing an internal GPS, and having the perseverance necessary to realize the fruits of one’s labor.

This phase of my career is dedicated to helping other leaders and entrepreneurs to shape successful and fulfilling organizations (both  for-profit and not-for-profit) and lives that will positively impact their communities and create economic prosperity.  With the proper guidance, I believe we can all identify our unique purpose and develop a roadmap for bringing that purpose to fruition. I know that my background, experience, interests, extensive network and hard-earned wisdom equip me to provide transformative guidance and education.  

One way I am doing so is through The International Social Impact Institute that I recently founded to develop nimble, focused, creative and well-networked change makers to help guide the global social sector forward; to enhance the access of nonprofit organizations and social enterprises to the kinds of resources, knowledge and networks that will enable them to rebound from the setbacks they have recently experienced; and to facilitate collaboration across sectors and geographies and with participants whose voices have previously been missing from the sector.  Click HERE to learn about the Institute's first partnership with Hunter College, City University of New York.

A member of the U.S. Speaker Program at the U.S. Department of State, I am also an international public speaker who frequently addresses audiences about entrepreneurship, leadership, philanthropy, and digital innovations facilitating social impact.  Venues in which I have spoken, include the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Annual Fundraising Day; Harvard Africa Business Conference and Harvard African Development Conference; McCann WorldGroup The Truth About Africa Report Launch; McGraw-Hill Financial Women’s Initiative for Networking and Success (WINS) National Women's Month Celebration; SXSW; TEDxCornellU; UNICEF; WeWork All-Team Meeting; WIE Africa Symposium; and the Woodrow Wilson Center. 

I also teach online courses for and provide coaching to women entrepreneurs and nonprofit founders on their venture creation journey through the Bank of America Institute for Women's Entrepreneurship Online Certificate Program at Cornell University.  As an Adjunct Assistant Professor in The Center for Global Affairs at New York University (where I have taught for 11 years), I develop courses for nonprofit leaders that enable them to leverage digital storytelling and platforms to more effectively engage with their stakeholders.

As a trainer, I have developed seminars, webinars and masterclasses for organizations such as America Needs You; Bank of New York Mellon; Business Women Association of South Africa; Candid (formerly The Foundation Center); Cornell Black Entrepreneurs in Training; ISOBRO (Danish NGO Association); Kenya Association of Fundraising Professionals; McGraw-Hill Financial; Southern Africa Institute for Fundraising; Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association, Ltd.; Vital Voices Global Partnerships; UNICEF; WeWork; and Women in Business Nigeria (WIMBIZ).

Between 2018 and 2019, I participated as a Prospective CEO in the 10.10.10 startup accelerator program—aiming to develop market-based solutions to the world's “Wicked Problems”.  While in the program, she developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for a monitoring and alert mobile application to enable parents to provide timely mental health interventions to their children.

Until 2018, I served as the turnaround CEO of Afrika Tikkun USA – one of only four Nelson Mandela-endorsed nonprofits worldwide – which I developed into an in-demand organization by drawing on my entrepreneurial approach to social impact, leveraging digital storytelling, diversifying fundraising, developing three boards, professionalizing operations and creating cross-sector partnerships. 

Prior to that, I founded and spent 12 years leading a boutique consulting firm that facilitated cross-sector partnerships; developed or re-branded fundraising events; and created digital marketing campaigns. My firm’s clients included AMREF Health USA; Communities in Schools of New Jersey; Cornell University Office of Diversity Alumni Programs and School of Hotel Administration; National Eating Disorders Association; The North Jersey Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure; United Nations; and United Nations Development Programme. 

As a 2011-2013 Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Cornell University, I helped aspiring entrepreneurs identify and demonstrate their unique value propositions to prospective funders. I have served as Communications Chair of the invitation-only President’s Council of Cornell Women; a member of the Advisory Board to the Cornell Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship; a member of the Advisory Board to the Dean of Syracuse University's iSchool; and was a founding member of the United Nations International School Alumni Council.

I have been quoted and/or featured by Black Enterprise Magazine, CCTV America, CNBC, Crain’s NY Business, Forbes Woman, MarketWatch, NPR, South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) News, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The NonProfit Times and The Washington Post.

I am a 2019 cohort member of the “Most Influential People of African Descent” (MIPAD 100); a 2017 recipient of the African Diaspora Awards “Advocate of the Year” Award; was featured in 2016 by WeWork’s Creator Magazine as one of its “40 Over 40” Leaders; and listed in 2015 by BRANDfog as one of the “25 Smartest Women on Twitter.”

Previously I worked in high-tech marketing, B2B sales and management consulting with Digital Equipment Corporation, MICROS Systems, Inc. and Arthur Andersen, respectively.  

I hold a Master of Management in Hospitality (Services Marketing focus) from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems (Telecommunications Systems focus) from Syracuse University.

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