Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi, African Center for Economic Transformation

Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi is the Executive Vice President of the African Center for Economic Transformation. Mavis has built a distinguished career over 25 years in international development. Born in Ghana, she is a political economist by training and a private sector development specialist. She previously worked in senior roles at the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Save the Children. In 2016, she joined a newly established NGO, the Power of Nutrition, as its Director of Investments, overseeing rapid growth across a dozen African and Asian countries. She holds an MPhil from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, and an MPhil in Development Studies (Economics and Political Economy Analysis). Mavis is a member of the Board of Directors for Results for Development and Sightsavers International and an Independent Member of the Strategic Coherence of ODA Funded Research (SCOR) Board.

Hon. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo (former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Government of Ghana)

Hon. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo is a lawyer by profession and formerly served as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection in Ghana between 2013 and 2017. She is a barrister with over 30 years experience, and a renowned human rights advocate. She directed the Human Rights Advocacy Centre, advising the International Consortium on Reproductive Rights, on the steering committee of the International Consortium on Abortion, in the International Network of Freedom of Information Advocates, in the secretariat of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, as a drafter of the NEPAD report on Ghana. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo has a Bachelor of Law (BL) from the University of Ghana and a Masters in Law, Human Rights and Democratization in Africa (LLM) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Hon. Williametta Saydee-Tarr (former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Government of Liberia)

Hon. Williametta Saydee-Tarr served as Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection of Liberia between February 2018 and January 2024, in the government formed by then President of Liberia, George Weah. In this role she advised the President on gender, children and social protection issues, provided executive oversight and overall policy and strategic direction for the Ministry and established a cross-cutting Anti-SGBV Roadmap. During her tenure she pushed for and saw the passage of Liberia’s Domestic Violence Bill; her intentional work with traditional elders produced significant success in the fight against FGM, including a moratorium and a ban on the practice. Before then, she was the Founding Executive Director of Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee's Peace Foundation, a Program Coordinator repatriating refugees and asylees to the USA, and a Director of Administration for a broadcasting network and served as  a Diaspora Advisory Committee member for the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation process. She holds an Associate in Science in Business Management, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of St. Thomas, and a Masters degree in Advocacy and Political Leadership from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan (Yale Economic Growth Center)

Aishwarya serves as the Deputy Director of the Economic Growth Center since March 2022. Prior to the EGC, Aishwarya managed research and evaluation investments for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Women’s Economic Empowerment strategy, and for the Foundation’s Financial Services for the Poor team. Her previous experience includes running a financial inclusion research initiative at the EGC from 2011-2014 in partnership with Innovations for Poverty Action, leading the Monitoring, Research and Evaluation unit at Women for Women International and working as an Associate Researcher at Microsoft Research India. Aishwarya earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and women’s studies from Wellesley College and a master’s degree in public administration and international development from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Elvis Korku Avenyo (University of Johannesburg)

Elvis Avenyo is a Visiting Associate Professor at the SARChI Industrial Development and a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa. Prior to joining UJ, he served as a Research Officer at the Technology and Management Centre for Development (TMCD) within the Oxford Department of International Development (ODID) at the University of Oxford. Additionally, he held positions as a Global Excellence and Stature (GES) Fellow and Open AIR’s Queen Elizabeth’s Scholar (QES) at the SARChI Industrial Development, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

He holds a Ph.D. in Economics of Innovation, Policy Studies of Technical Change and Governance from the United Nations University (UNU-MERIT)/Maastricht University, and a collaborative Master of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Cape Coast and the African Economic Research Consortium’s Joint Facility for Electives: Collaborative Masters Programme (CMAP) in Economics.

Dr. Maria José Moreno Ruiz (African Development Bank Group)

Maria José Moreno Ruiz is a senior development professional working to advance gender justice and to reduce inequalities, and has two decades of experience in management and technical positions in major development organizations. She currently serves as the Chief Gender Officer, Nigeria Country Department, African Development Bank Group (AfDB) after a stint as Chief Country Economist in AfDB in Gabon and other senior gender roles in the institution. She was previously Director for Gender Justice at Oxfam International in Kenya. She also worked for GIZ, UNDP and UNFPA. Thanks to this experience she has a deep and nuanced understanding about “what works” to foster women’s agency and progressive masculinities in different economic, social or political contexts. She holds a PhD from University of Essex, focusing on gender and socio-economic inequality in paid domestic work and the care economy.

Priscilla Twumasi Baffour (University of Ghana)

Dr. Priscilla Twumasi Baffour is currently a senior lecturer at the Department of Economics, University of Ghana, Priscilla has been affiliated with the Centre for Research in Economic Development and International Trade (CREDIT), School of Economics, University of Nottingham, since September 2010 and African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) since 2005. She holds a BA in Economics and a Master of Philosophy from the University of Ghana and a PhD in Economics from the School of Economics, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Her research focus is on education and labour markets, gender and inequality, international trade and development economics, she has subsequently authored over 20 articles and working papers in a wide range of academic journals. Priscilla has gained a vast experience in research dissemination and advocacy through her engagement with a number of international organisations such as Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, African Economic Research Consortium, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Brookings Institution.
 

Bolalade O Akanji (Quinnipiac University and African Center for Economic Transformation)

Dr Bola Akanji is Adjunct Professor of gender studies at University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac University. She was previously a Research Professor and headed the rural development division at Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, where she served for 25 years. She has written on gender and poverty, gender and globalization, and agricultural commercialization, and developed gender and policy frameworks for Nigeria and Africa, including gender mainstreaming tools, gender and budgeting tools, gender-aware monitoring, evaluation and benchmarking, and, more recently, gender statistics and indicators. She holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan, a Postgraduate Certificate in International Development from University of British Columbia, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Gender and Macroeconomics from the University of Utah, USA.

Orazio Attanasio (Yale University)

Orazio Attanasio is the Cowles Professor of Economics at Yale University and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a Senior Fellow at the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic and Policy Research. He has had a long and distinguished career, with positions at Stanford University, the University of Bologna, University of Chicago, University of Oxford, University College London, and others. He served as President of the Econometric Society in 2020 and of the European Economic Association in 2014. He holds a PhD at the London School of Economics.

As part of his substantial body of academic work, Orazio has conducted substantial policy-focused research and evaluations in Mexico, Colombia, India, Chile and Ghana. This includes directing the evaluations of the conditional cash transfer programme, a training programme for unemployed youth, a workfare programme and several child stimulations programmes in Colombia; the evaluation of a large early childhood development intervention in India; and the evaluation of Lively Minds, a child care intervention currently being scaled up in Ghana.

Odile Mackett (University of South Africa)

Odile Mackett is an associate professor in the University of South Africa’s Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL). Her research interests revolve around the division, quality, and definition of both paid and unpaid work, as well as the dynamics of households and families shaped by these types of work. Her work also delves into the interaction between the state, households, and the market in perpetuating gendered and racial divisions of work. Mackett's publications span topics such as social security, poverty, inequality, and the relationship between time allocation in paid and unpaid work.

She holds a Ph.D. and a MCom in Applied Development Economics from the University of the Witwatersrand, a BA in International Studies (majoring in Politics & Economics) and a BCom (Hons) in International Trade and Finance from the University of Johannesburg.

Gifty Volimkarime (Centre for Entrepreneurship and Evaluation Development)

Gifty Volimkarime is the founder and Executive Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Evaluation Development (CEED). CEED is a Business Accelerator, Management Consulting, Research, and Impact Measurement Platform that is committed to the holistic development of youth, advancing and supporting the spirit of youth and women entrepreneurship and growing businesses to become sustainable, scalable and investment ready.

Fayudatu Yakubu (Lively Minds)

Fayudatu Yakubu holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). Since 2019, Fayudatu has served as Regional Manager for Lively Minds managing three regions Northern, North East and Oti Regions, where she significantly contributes to national strategies and ensures program success across multiple regions in Ghana. Before this Fayudatu was the Training Coordinator for Youth Challenge International's EQWIP HUBS Project, coordinating youth outreach, training, and facilitation activities. Notably, she successfully coordinated the Campaign for Fistula Free Northern Ghana Project as the Health Programmes Officer for the Net Organization for Youth Empowerment and Development (NOYED-Ghana).

Fayudatu is pursuing an MSc in International Relations and Development at East London University. She holds a Bachelor of Art in Public Administration and Information Studies from the University of Ghana and a Graduate Diploma in Management Studies from the Institute of Commercial Management (ICM–UK).

Fayudatu is a dedicated mentor to many young women and has inspired countless others through her annual CelebrateHER Empowering Women Summit. She has been featured in the Top 30 Under 30 magazine by the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation in Canada.

Furthermore, Fayudatu has volunteered in the Create Change Ghana for Our Daughters tour in Vancouver, Canada, raising funds to support high school girls in need under the Create Change sponsorship program. She embodies a true passion for positive change, visionary leadership, and advocacy for sustainable development, serving as an inspiration and catalyst for transformative initiatives.

Akosua Darkwah (University of Ghana)

Akosua Darkwah is the Dean of the School of Information and Communication Studies at the University of Ghana. She is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Ghana and has expertise in qualitative research methods including innovative approaches such as the river of life approach. Her research interests focus on both the ways in which global economic policies and practices reconfigure women’s work in Ghana as well as the gendered ways in which migration reconfigures households. She was a member of the second and third phase of the Migrating out of Poverty (MOOP) research project which was run by the University of Sussex. She is currently one of the editors of the African Studies Review. She is a member of the International Sociological Association, Sociologists for Women in Society, the African Studies Association (USA), the Ghana Studies Association, and the Ghana Sociological and Anthropological Association.

Iyabo Olanrele (Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research)

Iyabo Olanrele is a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER). She obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Iyabo is currently the head of the NISER policy response team.  Her research interests include Public Policy Analysis, Public Finance, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Macroeconometric Modelling, Energy Economics, Climate Change and Gender economics. She has participated in research projects funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria and international organizations like the International Food Policy Research Institute, Partnership for Economic Policy, the MacArthur Foundation, and the African Center for Economic Transformation.  She has also participated in international fellowship programs, including the Agora EnerTrack Fellowship on Climate and Energy Transformation in Berlin, Germany. Iyabo has published articles in reputable journal outlets.

Gaurav Chiplunkar (Darden School of Business, University of Virginia)

Gaurav Chiplunkar is an Assistant Professor in the Global Economies and Markets group at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia.

His research interests lie at the intersection of Organizational, Labor, and Development Economics, focusing on the causes and consequences of labor market frictions in low-income countries. Chiplunkar particularly emphasizes the barriers faced by women and youth in these contexts. He is intrigued by the potential of digital technologies and industrial policy reforms in alleviating these barriers and their broader implications for aggregate productivity and economic growth. Chiplunkar holds affiliations as a Research Affiliate at J-PAL, Y-RISE, and the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

Chris Ssali (MTN)

Chris Ssali has been a part of the telecommunications industry since 2008, starting at MTN Uganda. Currently serving as General Manager at MTN FinTech in Liberia, he has played a key role in launching various mobile money solutions, including international remittances and mobile loans, aimed at driving business growth. With a focus on financial management, Chris oversees budgeting and expense optimization. He prioritizes employee development and maintains productive relationships with stakeholders both within and outside the organization. Beyond his professional responsibilities, Chris is actively involved in community initiatives, particularly through his membership in Rotary International, where he contributes to projects promoting community welfare and sustainable development.

Maty Konte (International Finance Corporation, World Bank)

Maty Konte is a Senegalese national, currently Senior Economist in the Center of Economic Research at IFC/World Bank Group in Washington DC. She has over 15 years of professional experience working for various academic institutions, international organizations, governments, non-profit organizations, and the private sector in Africa, Europe, and North and Latin America. Her current research agenda addresses cutting-edge development issues at the intersection of private sector development, growth/productivity, and political economy. Her research has been published in a range of high-impact economics and policy journals. She has led and co-edited two policy-relevant books on sustainable development, gender, remittances, and migration.

She earned Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in economics and a Bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Aix-Marseille University in France. Her continuing education includes a certificate in project management from Georgetown University, Washington DC, and an executive education certificate from Harvard Kennedy School, Boston.

Roselyn Adadzewa Otoo (ReFinD, ISSER, University of Ghana)

Adadzewa Otoo Kottoh has been appointed Project Director of Retail Finance Distribution (ReFinD), a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded research initiative that focuses on deepening digital financial inclusion for women, poor households, SMEs, and other retail businesses in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Prior to joining ReFinD, she worked at the Alliance for Financial Inclusion's global headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she was a Policy Specialist providing technical support to central banks and financial sector regulators to make financial systems more inclusive. She has over 15 years of experience in the development sector in Africa, Asia, and the UK – in diverse multi-country program management, international partnerships engagement, policy advisory, strategy consulting, research, and team leadership roles. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work (with Psychology) and a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Ghana.

Chioma Agogo (M-KOPA)

Chioma is a seasoned commercial leader with almost two decades of experience across Fintech, Telco, Energy  & Banking sectors. Known for her results-driven approach, she excels in driving business growth, streamlining operations, and fostering high-performing teams. With a solid track record of translating strategic visions into tangible outcomes, Chioma has played a key role in establishing M-KOPA Ghana as a leading player in the Fintech landscape. 

Her academic qualifications include a postgraduate certificate in business administration, a master's degree in managerial psychology, and a bachelor’s degree in science. Chioma’s pragmatic expertise, strategic mindset, and passion for innovation continue to shape her success in navigating the complexities of the commercial world. .

John Asafu-Adjaye (African Center for Economic Transformation)

Dr. John Asafu-Adjaye is Senior Fellow at ACET tasked with leading research work under the economic management and governance program. Prior to joining ACET he was an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

John has an extensive track record in research and consultancy on agricultural, environmental and economic development issues in Australia, Africa, Asia and the Pacific region. His areas of expertise include natural resource economics, environmental economics (including climate change economics), agricultural economics, applied econometrics, economic modelling (including CGE modelling), impact analysis and policy analysis. His previous clients include the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, the Danish International Development Agency, the Government of Papua New Guinea, Queensland Treasury, Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the African Economic Research Consortium, ExxonMobil, KPMG Ltd, Nera Consulting and FTI Consulting. John holds a PhD in natural resource economics from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; an MSc in operations research from the University of Aston, Birmingham, UK and a BSc in agricultural economics from the University of Ghana, Legon.

Adelina Mensah (University of Ghana)

Dr. Adelina Mensah is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS), University of Ghana. Her work addresses a broad spectrum of climate change, environmental, and sustainability issues, employing transdisciplinary approaches in collaborating with various sectors and stakeholders. Dr. Mensah's research focuses on understanding the socio-economic parameters influencing national climate change and environmental management agendas, aiming to transform knowledge into practical applications and sustainable solutions at both local and national levels. She has played a key role in the development of key national policies in Ghana, including the National Climate Change Policy (2014) and its Implementation Plan (2015-2020), the National Biodiversity Policy and its Implementation Plan, the Environmental Management Plan for the Oil and Gas Industry, and the Policy for One Health in Ghana.  Dr. Mensah holds a PhD in Natural Sciences from the University of Bonn, in collaboration with the United Nations University - Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), and an MPhil in Tropical Coastal Zone Management from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  With a multidisciplinary background in environmental sciences, she works extensively as a consultant and researcher with numerous national and international institutions, agencies, and universities. She also has over 15 years of teaching experience with undergraduate and graduate students and currently serves as the graduate students coordinator for about 150 students, demonstrating her commitment to academic leadership and student development. 

Theophiline Bose-Duker (African Center for Economic Transformation)

Theophiline Bose-Duker is a researcher in development economics working as a Transformation Fellow in the Gender unit of the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET). Her work applies micro-econometric techniques, empirical and quantitative methods in investigating the gender dimensions of development topics such as intra-household resource allocation, poverty measurement, labor force participation, health, and social protection. Prior to this, she was a World Bank Africa Fellow and consultant in the Gender Unit, and a Teaching Associate at the University of Birmingham. She holds a Bachelors degree in Economics and French from University of Ghana, a Master of Science in Development Economics from University of Birmingham, and a PhD from University of Birmingham focused on intra-household resource allocation in developing countries.

Monica Lambon-Quayefio (University of Ghana)

Monica Lambon-Quayefio is an applied micro economist whose research focuses on health and demographic economic issues including health, women’s empowerment and its implications, as well as poverty and inequality. Her current work involves the impact evaluation of various interventions in the broad areas of agriculture, gender empowerment labour market efficiency and SME growth in Ghana. Particularly, her recent work has focused on unpaid care work, inequality of opportunity, digital finance and informal pensions, digital skills training and its impact on SMEs as well as evaluating the impact on climate smart agriculture in Libera. She is a senior lecturer at the Department of Economics, at the University of Ghana and a Research Fellow at the Africa Centre of Excellence in Inequality Research. She teachers Economics courses both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. She holds a doctorate degree in Economics from Clark University in Massachusetts, USA where she also obtained her Master’s degree in Economics. Her Bachelor of Arts degree was obtained in Economics with Mathematics from the University of Ghana.