Bridges of Impact 2026
Ticket Price:
Final-Year Students/Pre & Post NYSC Members/Graduates but Unemployed - 2,500
Graduates and Employed/Business Owners - 5,000
agenda at a glance
She-EO’s 2026 Bridges of Impact:
Why Attend Bridges of Impact Africa 2026?
Your next opportunity may not come from another application, another email, or another qualification.
It may come from a conversation. Bridges of Impact Africa is designed to put you in the room with people, ideas, and opportunities that can help you move forward.
Come if you are looking for:
Career Opportunities
Connect with employers, recruiters, executives, and professionals who can help you navigate your next career move.Mentorship & Guidance
Meet experienced leaders who can share the lessons, perspectives, and connections that can help you make better decisions.Business Growth
If you're building a business, gain access to founders, investors, mentors, and potential collaborators who can help you move from surviving to scaling.Practical Career Support
Get your CV reviewed, participate in mock interviews, and receive practical guidance to help you present yourself with greater confidence.Meaningful Connections
Build relationships across industries, sectors, and generations. The person you meet could become your next mentor, employer, client, partner, or collaborator.Knowledge & Exposure
Engage in conversations around careers, leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, purpose, and the future of work.Access to Opportunity
This is not simply a room where people exchange business cards. It is a space intentionally designed to help connect people to possibilities.
What Can You Expect?
Our carefully curated agenda will include:
CV Reviews & Career Clinics
Mock Interviews
Career & Leadership Conversations
Mentorship & Networking
Entrepreneurship & Business Conversations
Founder/Investor Connections
Expert Panels & Fireside Conversations
Pitch & Business Support
Opportunities for Collaboration, Employment & Mentorship
See the full agenda below: 8AM - 4PM on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026 (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
08:00 – 09:00: Arrival
Registration
Networking
Sign-Ups Open for Village Square Sessions
08:45 – 09:00: Commencement
09:00 – 10:00: The Bridge Conversations
Intimate one-on-one interviews with special guests whose lives reflect resilience, purposeful choices, and the courage to grow beyond their beginnings. Through their stories, audiences will discover the lessons, turning points, and values that helped turn aspiration into meaningful impact.
09:00 – 09:30: The Bridge Conversations I
Against the Odds—A Journey to Global Health Leadership. Guests: To be announced on September 24
09:30 – 10:00: The Bridge Conversations II
From UNN to Wall Street—and Back to Build Africa. Guests: To be announced on September 24
10:00 – 11:00: Purpose Pays: Making a Career and a Living in Social Good—with founders, social-impact professionals, and a practical conversation about routes in, skills, money, setbacks, and building a sustainable career.
Guests: To be announced on September 24
11:00 – 13:00: Village Square Exploration & Lunch Break
Explore the Village Square’s four learning hubs (Career Compass, Career Accelerator, Business Builder and Money Matters), connect with mentors and sponsors, and discover practical ideas and opportunities designed to move you forward. Take time to learn, make meaningful connections, and recharge over lunch before the afternoon programme begins.
13:00 – 14:30: Empire Builders
Empire Builders brings together accomplished business leaders for an honest conversation about the decisions, discipline, resilience, and vision behind building enduring enterprises. The session then puts the spotlight on HERfrica mentees as they present their businesses in concise pitch presentations and receive constructive, real-world feedback from the panel. It closes with audience Q&A, offering practical insight for every aspiring builder in the room.
Guests: To be announced on September 24
14:30 – 15:50: Closing Ceremony: Ask a CE
Close the day with a candid conversation featuring leading Corporate Executives. Bring your boldest career questions and hear practical, honest insights on leadership, growth, navigating the workplace, and building a future you are proud of.
Guests: To be announced on September 24
15:50 – 16:00: Adjourn
Who Should Attend? Bridges of Impact is for:
Students & Final-Year Students
Preparing to make the transition from university to the world of work.Recent Graduates & NYSC Members
Looking for direction, employment, mentorship, or their next opportunity.Young & Mid-Career Professionals
Ready to grow, transition, reposition, or take their careers to the next level.Entrepreneurs & Founders
Looking for customers, mentors, investors, collaborators, or practical support.Executives & Industry Leaders
Looking to share knowledge, mentor emerging talent, discover new ideas, and give back.Investors & Partners
Looking to discover promising founders, ideas, and impact-driven opportunities.
Your Time Is an Investment. Make It Count.
You could spend another day applying for opportunities, searching for answers, and trying to figure it out alone. Or you could spend a day in a room designed to help you find the people, knowledge, and opportunities that move you forward.
One conversation could lead to a job.
One introduction could lead to a partnership.
One mentor could change your direction.
One connection could open a door you didn't know existed.
Come ready to connect.
Come ready to learn.
Come ready to be seen.
Come ready to build your bridge.
MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Dr. Aishah Adams, MPH is a Global Health and Human Flourishing Strategist, social-impact entrepreneur, and leadership expert with 18+ years of experience spanning public health, humanitarian action, leadership, learning, and organizational development.
Founder of A-Adams Primo Limited and Siddiqah Foundation, she has led initiatives reaching 700,000+ people across Nigeria and in international contexts. Her work connects African field experience with global thinking, integrating public health, psychology, trauma-informed practice, human flourishing, and leadership to strengthen people, organizations, and communities.
With an MPH from the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, and a PhD in Human & Social Development from Prowess University, USA, she is also completing advanced training in Global Health Leadership at the University of Washington. Dr Aishah is building a body of work around one defining question: how do we create the human and institutional conditions in which people and societies can truly flourish?
Dr. Bilikis Oladimeji is an internationally trained physician-Informaticist and women’s health advocate. A Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association, with a career spanning clinical medicine, genomics, life sciences, pharma, and digital health. She is the Founder of SheriBell Global LLC, a hub for her portfolio career as a consultant, speaker, author, and general thought leadership.
Her past employers include Progyny, Optum/UHG, GSK, Duke Health, a Personalized Medicine Startup, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital. She has been recognized as an inventor and for leading innovation in clinical research, clinical decision-making, healthcare models, AI/ML adoption & governance, and digital health.
She obtained her medical degree (MBBS equivalent of a US MD) from the University of Lagos and her Master of Management in Clinical Informatics degree from Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. She also completed an executive education certificate course in health care strategy at Stanford and Harvard Medical School, and was a medical exchange student at the University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division.
She has spoken on various stages, including at ESSENCE Festival of Culture and at MIT Hacking Medicine. She loves traveling, chess, poetry, and writing.
Abiodun Aina, based in Lagos, Nigeria, is currently a Principal Investment Officer at IFC (International Finance Corporation). Abiodun Aina brings experience from previous roles at IFC (International Finance Corporation), General Electric Energy Financial Services, and the UN Millennium Project.
Abiodun Aina holds a 2004 - 2006 Master of Business Administration in Management and Finance @ Yale University.
Patrick O. Okigbo III, Founding Partner at Nextier, has 28 years of experience providing policy, strategic, and financial advisory services. Earlier in his career, he was a Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria, Chief Financial Officer at Transcorp Plc., Vice President at Citigroup in New York and Washington DC, and a Consultant with Accenture.
Patrick has a Bachelor of Agriculture degree from the University of Nigeria, a Master of Business Administration degree from Emory University (Atlanta), and an Executive Master of Public Administration from the London School of Economics and Public Policy. He was a Senior Fellow of the Mossavar-Rahmani Centre for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Patrick sits on several boards, including technology and real estate development firms. He is a Global Adviser to Energy for Growth Hub, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, and a member of several committees of the federal and state governments in Nigeria. He was recently appointed a Member of Nigeria's Presidential Economic Coordination Council.
Wasiu Abolaji Balogun is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Prior to establishing the company, he had over 12 years of vast experience in the banking industry, including Domestic Operations, Treasury Operations, Funds Transfer, foreign, local, and Global Trade. He worked with CSL Stockbrokers, Standard Trust Bank, UBA Plc, Access Bank Plc, and Access UK; He rose to the level of Manager and Head of Global Trade in Access Bank Plc before resigning in 2013 to promote Polysmart Packaging Ltd.
He is an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ACA), May 2001, holds a Masters in Business Administration from Manchester Business School UK, and a graduate of Accounting from the University of Lagos Akoka (Graduated 1998).
He attended different highly prized trainings both in Nigeria and abroad, including but not limited to Insead Executive Education (Singapore), International Banking Operation training (Milan Italy), Trade finance for Africa (Cairo, Egypt). He is a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist (CDCS).
Dr. Aday E. Adetosoye is a former U.S. diplomat, executive advisor, leadership strategist, and Founder and CEO of 1099 Impact Street. Over more than 20 years, she has led complex organizations, global health initiatives, and transformation efforts across the United States and nearly 40 countries.
Her career includes executive leadership roles overseeing large, multicultural teams and programs valued at more than $150 million annually. Today, she advises leaders and organizations on human-centered leadership, responsible AI adoption, organizational transformation, and sound judgment in high-stakes environments.
A committed mentor and advocate for women’s leadership, Dr. Adetosoye is passionate about helping emerging leaders recognize their power, navigate pivotal transitions, and build careers and enterprises that create lasting impact.
Angelou Ezeilo is a seasoned social entrepreneur and advocate for environmental justice, youth empowerment, and inclusive leadership. She is the Founder of the Greening Youth Foundation (GYF), an organization that engages underrepresented youth and young adults in environmental education, conservation, and career pathways across the U.S. and Africa.
Through GYF and its Africa arm, Angelou has mobilized thousands of young people to become changemakers in the green economy. In her role as Co-President of Ashoka Africa, she leads efforts to identify and support social innovators across the continent, championing a future where every young person sees themselves as a problem solver and leader.
Selected as an Ashoka Fellow in 2016, Angelou continues to inspire a generation through her work at the intersection of environment, education, and equity. She is also the founder of Engage, Connect, Protect LLC, a consulting firm helping organizations align diversity, equity, and sustainability goals with measurable impact. A published author and public speaker, Angelou holds a J.D. from the University of Florida and a B.A. from Spelman College.
Chikodili Spencer-Obiano is a senior finance, business transformation, and operations leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning professional services and the energy sector. Her expertise covers finance and accounting, business advisory, project services, operations, tax, risk and controls, organisational effectiveness, and large-scale transformation programmes.
At Seplat Energy, she leads the Business Transformation team within the Finance Directorate, driving initiatives that strengthen finance integration, operating effectiveness, organizational capability, governance, and change execution across the organization.
Before joining Seplat Energy, Chikodili spent 18 years with Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (an ExxonMobil affiliate), where she held progressively senior leadership positions across Finance, Project Services, Global Real Estate & Facilities, Process & Controls, and Tax. During this period, she managed an annual operating budget exceeding US$100 million, led organizations of more than 100 employees, and provided project services leadership supporting approximately US$1 billion in capital projects.
She has successfully led complex cross-functional initiatives, including the operationalization of Nigeria's Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, while delivering measurable improvements in cost performance, governance, controls, and operational effectiveness.
Earlier in her career, Chikodili worked with Arthur Andersen and KPMG, rising to Manager, Business Advisory Services at KPMG. In that role, she led financial process improvement, organizational redesign, and systems implementation engagements across diverse industries.
Chikodili holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Imperial College Business School, London, and a BSc in Accountancy from the University of Nigeria. Her career has been defined by a consistent ability to translate strategy into execution, improve organizational performance, and lead complex business transformation initiatives that deliver sustainable results.
Oreoluwa Lesi is a STEM & Gender Specialist with over twenty years of professional experience. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), a Nigerian nonprofit organisation committed to building a more inclusive technology ecosystem with the next generation of women technology creators, entrepreneurs, and leaders.
Since 2008, W.TEC has encouraged over 59,000 girls and women across Nigeria to pursue STEM careers and supported women to use technology confidently to increase their economic power and ability to speak about issues affecting their lives.
Oreoluwa’s work has also been showcased in the media, including BBC Africa, TIME Magazine, Channels TV, and NTA. Oreoluwa has been recognized as OkayAfrica 100 Women for 2020, One of the 5 Women Who Defined the Nigerian Tech Space in 2019 by Technext.ng, the Her Network Technology Woman of the Year 2018 award, and as one of Leading Ladies Africa’s 2018 100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria.
Oreoluwa has a Certificate in Social Sector Management from the Pan-Atlantic University’s Enterprise Development Centre, a Certificate in Applied Sciences from the Harvard University Extension School, a Master’s degree in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Essex University.
She is a Women Leaders for the World Fellow, Vital Voices Lead Fellow (awarded to emerging and established women leaders across the world), Ashoka fellow (a network of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs), and a recipient of the Anita Borg Change Agent Award (for her commitment to supporting women in computing in Nigeria). Oreoluwa serves on the board of the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC).
Dunni is the voice that keeps a room moving. As compère, master of ceremonies and panel moderator, she opens a programme with warmth, holds the energy through the flat stretches, and lands every handover on time — whether she is working a room of eight hundred guests or a webinar link with a few hundred more behind it.
She hosts corporate events, award nights, professional association programmes, conferences, training sessions and virtual panels. Her style is conversational rather than read-aloud: she reads a room quickly, matches its pace and tone, and can carry an unplanned five minutes as comfortably as a rehearsed opening. Panellists find her an easy interviewer — she has done the reading beforehand, asks the question the audience is actually thinking, and knows when to let an answer breathe and when to move things along.
That composure comes from the day job. Dunni is a Compliance & Quality Assurance Manager with Access Bank Plc., previously an Internal Auditor with GTCO, with 14 years in banking across West Africa and the United Kingdom. She holds a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Liverpool and a BSc in Industrial Chemistry from Bowen University, and is certified as a CIA, CAMS and ACIB. The technical grounding means she can host a specialist agenda — risk, compliance, financial crime, technology — and make it land with a general audience.
Adesuwa Ladoja brings extensive experience in infrastructure development and strategic leadership. She has been a key player in developing the Lekki Deep Sea Port project, leading to its financial close in 2020, its construction in 2022, and commercial operation in 2023. Her leadership and strategic vision have been critical to the project’s success.
Adesuwa Ladoja, a lawyer, started her career in general commercial practice and litigation as an Associate at Ajumogobia & Okeke. This was followed by over a decade at KPMG Professional Services, where she specialized in Tax, Regulatory, and People Services. She holds a Bachelor of Law degree (LL. B Hons) from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master of Law (LL.M Hons) degree in International Business Law from King’s College, University of London. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and several other professional bodies and a notary public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Brenda Nwagwu is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of QVT Media and the first female President of the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), a milestone she achieved following her election at the association’s 2026 Annual General Meeting.
With more than two decades of experience spanning media, marketing communications, financial services, and technology, Brenda has built a distinguished career with leading global agencies, including Media Reach OMD and All Seasons Mediacom. She also serves as Managing Director of Leeds Production Nigeria and previously served as Vice President of MIPAN.
Brenda is a consultant and facilitator in audience measurement, communications strategy, and media planning, and serves as faculty at Alphabet Media Academy and Digify Africa. She is a Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) and serves on the boards of several companies, including Leeds Production Nigeria, Shuttabox Nigeria, Adcontinuum, and ICAP Technologies Limited.
A strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Brenda is also actively involved in community development and women’s empowerment initiatives. Through her leadership across media, business, and professional development, she continues to contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s media and communications industry.
Dr. Mariam Temitope Masha is the Senior Special Assistant to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Regional Development Programmes/Projects, where she supports initiatives focused on advancing regional development and inclusive growth.
Her work spans regional development, education, policy, poverty reduction, and infrastructure, with involvement in initiatives such as the Accelerated Senior Secondary School Education Programme (ASSEP). She also contributes to policy dialogues and programmes aimed at addressing development challenges and expanding opportunities across communities.
Through her role, Dr. Masha brings a focus on strengthening regional development efforts and supporting programmes that contribute to improved education outcomes, infrastructure, and socio-economic development.
MEET THE HOSTS
Tope Fajingbesi is a respected thought leader, transformative executive, and social impact entrepreneur. She serves as the Finance Director of a U.S.-headquartered global nonprofit organization, where she oversees financial operations across 3 continents and strengthens the organization’s financial sustainability. Driven by a passion for community empowerment and African development, Tope founded The She-EO (thesheeo.org), a global platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of women of African descent, and United for Kids Foundation (u4kids.org), which has transformed the lives of thousands of children in Nigeria.
Her commitment to African development was further amplified through Impact Africa, a podcast she hosted to inspire Africans in the diaspora to actively contribute to the continent’s growth. Tope’s professional journey includes roles at top firms such as Arthur Andersen and PwC and a tenure as a Lecturer at the University of Maryland, where she taught Agricultural Business Management courses and mentored future leaders in the field.
She and her husband, Niyi Balogun, co-own Dodo Farms, a certified naturally grown produce farm in Maryland, which they have grown into a thriving, mission-driven enterprise. An accomplished speaker and author, Tope has written several books, including Love in Cancun, Soulful Whispers, and A Mile in My Shoes—a deeply personal and inspiring memoir that takes readers on a journey through faith, love, heartbreak, and restoration.
Joy Okoronkwo is an Executive Assistant, Community Manager, and Operations Professional with over seven years of experience supporting executives, managing strategic projects, and building impact-driven communities. She has worked across the nonprofit, healthcare, and entrepreneurship sectors with organizations including Lakeshore Cancer Center, Dennis Ashley Medical Clinic, and WEVO.
Passionate about leadership, women's empowerment, and organizational excellence, Joy is committed to creating systems, fostering partnerships, and developing initiatives that drive sustainable social and economic impact across Africa. Her work is rooted in service and structure
Rianat Ayinla is a social media manager, graphic designer, soft skills trainer, and UI/UX enthusiast passionate about technology, female empowerment, and sustainable development. She volunteered as a Soft Skills Facilitator at Jobberman Nigeria, helping to train over 400,000 Nigerian youths and earning the 2020 Award of Exceptional Performance for her outstanding contributions.
As the Ogun State Champion of the Nigeria Youth SDGs Network, Rianat contributed to the development of the SDGs Playbook and the Nigeria Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP), supporting youth employment and entrepreneurship initiatives.
In 2020, she co-founded the GEAD Foundation, a nonprofit organization empowering girls and women through entrepreneurship, innovation, and digital, and soft skills development.