For more than twenty-one years, Thelma Ekiyor has worked in the development sector as a philanthropist, a donor, and most recently as an impact investor. She's worked in 22 different African countries and has a wealth of knowledge about the continent. Impact investing and women's economic empowerment are some of the areas where she has pioneered and founded numerous organizations. Ekiyor was named one of Africa's 50 most powerful women in development in 2020. An American philanthropy institute named her one of the world's top 10 black women who give back in August 2021.
Nigerian impact investment platform SME.NG has set up two impact funds for women entrepreneurs in Ekiyor's current role as Managing Partner. Afrigrants Resources, the company she co-founded and chaired, was led by her as its first CEO. During her time at Afrigrants, she spearheaded the creation of a financial inclusion solution called "Market Women's Quick Cash," which provides micro-loans to disadvantaged women in Nigeria's northern and southern states.
The Ebi Fund, an impact fund for female entrepreneurs, was also created by her. For more than a year, The Funding Space, a mentoring and financing platform for social entrepreneurs in Africa, has been run by Thelma and her co-convener. TY Danjuma Foundation was founded by her before she founded Afrigrants, and she served as the foundation's first CEO. When she wasn't leading WACSI, she was serving as Executive Director of the George Soros Foundation's Open Society Institute for West Africa (OSIWA). Additionally, she served as WANEP's first female director, working in West Africa's war-torn countries to help with humanitarian and development aid.
For more information visit: https://bit.ly/397Gtvn