Thelma Ekiyor

Global CEO Women for Women International:

Investing in the Power of Women

Thelma Ekiyor is an award-winning global leader in women’s economic empowerment, philanthropy, impact investing, and international development, with over 27 years of experience across Africa, Europe, and the UK. She is currently the Global CEO of Women for Women International, the first Black woman and African to hold the position.

Thelma has pioneered and led multiple institutions, including founding CEO SME.NG, Afrigrants, TY Danjuma Foundation and the West African Civil Society Institute (WACSI). She is a co-Founder of Women in Philanthropy & Impact Africa (WIPIA).

Ms. Ekiyor is a Doctoral Researcher on women’s entrepreneurship at Cranfield University UK and was recently named the first Patron of the University’s Africa Impact

Society. She holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Imperial College London and an LLB from the University of Buckingham, UK and is a Fellow of Stanford University. She has served

on numerous boards and investment committees in Africa and Europe.

In 2020, Ms. Ekiyor was recognised as one of the 50 most influential women in the development sector in Africa, and has since won numerous other awards for her work in philanthropy and women’s empowerment.

Links

https://womenforwomen.org.uk/

COMING SOON! MONDAY 4 MAY

Ep 57. Thelma Ekiyor, Global CEO Women for Women International:

Investing in the Power of Women

Thelma Ekiyor is an award-winning global leader in women’s economic empowerment, philanthropy, impact investing, and international development. She is currently the Global CEO of Women for Women International - the first African woman to hold the role.

Since 1993, Women for Women International has invested in the power of women in conflict-affected countries, supporting survivors of war to rebuild their lives, find their voice, and drive change in their communities: thus creating a more equal, peaceful, and prosperous world.

And yet, more than three decades on, women remain excluded from peace-keeping frameworks and post-conflict power structures. In today’s volatile geopolitical context, Thelma argues that excluding women from decision-making doesn’t just limit progress, it actively undermines peace, development, and economic growth.

In this conversation, we explore women’s rights, the role of women as agents of change, and why engaging both governments and the private sector is critical to driving true ecosystem change. As a leader, Thelma underscores the importance of political intelligence alongside emotional intelligence, and the critical need to bring a business mindset to social sector work.

Recorded March 2026.

Chartable 2021: Reached #1 in Non-profit Podcast Charts GB, Ireland, Belgium & NZ. Top 5 in Denmark, Australia, India. US & Canada Top 20.

Follow me on: