Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli
“We must actively pull others along by making time to mentor, coach, partner and support causes which allow us to express our passion and more importantly, change lives”, Says Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, a Social Entrepreneur, Author and Founder of LEAP Africa; a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring, empowering and equipping the next generation of dynamic leaders across Africa.
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is the co-founder of Sahel Consulting, a private equity and investment advisory firm where she serves as Managing Partner. Passionate about unlocking the West African potential in agriculture, Ndidi also co-founded AACE Food Processing and Distribution Limited, an indigenous agro-processing company.
Working with Sahel Consulting, Ndidi’s work has shaped agriculture strategy and policy in West Africa for a wide range of clients in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. With over 25 years of international development experience, she has led the design and execution of high-impact initiatives focused on policy, strategy, organizational design, ecosystem solutions, and growth.
Ndidi completed a bachelor’s degree in Multinational and Strategic Management from the Wharton School and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, where she received both the Harvey Fellowship and the National Black MBA Association Graduate Scholarship, both acknowledging her academic excellence.
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Ndidi started her career as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, working in their Chicago, New York, and Johannesburg Offices.
Committed to transforming the African continent, she founded LEAP Africa (Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism) in 2002. LEAP Africa champions a new generation of responsible, dynamic and visionary leaders with a passion to transform the continent. Through LEAP Africa, Ndidi has been invited to speak at the United Nation’s Commission for Social Development, the World Economic Forum and the Clinton Global Initiative.
Ndidi serves on the board of various organizations including LEAP Africa, AACE Foods, Fairfax Africa Fund, Sahel Capital, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Breweries, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. India, Royal DSM Sustainability Board, Netherlands, and the African Philanthropy Forum.
In recognition of her impacts, she has received several awards and recognitions including being Honoree of the Global Fund for Women in 2013, winner of the Harvard Business School Nigeria Business Club: 2013 Leading Social Entrepreneur Award, and the Forbes 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa, 2011. She was recognized as a Young Global Leader and Schwab Social Innovator by the World Economic Forum and received a National Honour from the Nigerian Government.
Ndidi is the author of several books including Social Innovation in Africa: A Practical Guide for Scaling Impact,” published by Routledge in 2016, and most recently Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses, also published by Routledge in 2021. The book is available on www.routledge.com
She is also a TED Global speaker. Her work has been featured on BBC, CNN, Bloomberg and other international and local media outlets.