HERfrica Class of 2026
HERfrica Fellows, led by purpose, are continuously transforming challenges into opportunities and dreams into enterprises. With every bold step, they are breaking barriers and blazing trails—building a world where women are rising, leading, and leaving a legacy for generations to come.
MEET OUR FELLOWS
Utibe is the founder of Utytrends Global Ventures Limited, an agribusiness and food processing company transforming locally sourced maize and cassava into nutritious, affordable food products, including Unikmilky Custard and Garri Mix. By reducing post-harvest losses, creating value-added products, and partnering with smallholder farmers, she is improving food security while increasing rural incomes. Through her work, Utibe is building a business that proves locally grown crops can become accessible, healthy solutions for Nigerian households.
Ukpono is the founder of Danni Agro Limited, an agribusiness dedicated to sourcing, processing, packaging, and distributing premium, eco-friendly palm oil for households, industries, and export markets. Working directly with smallholder farmers, she ensures fair pricing, reliable market access, and sustainable agricultural practices that improve both productivity and livelihoods. Her vision extends beyond food production to building stronger farming communities through empowerment and long-term economic opportunity.
Dr. Maryam is the founder of The Empath Mind and Body Clinic, a holistic wellness center committed to caring for the whole person—mind, body, and emotional wellbeing. Through an integrated, patient-centered approach, she helps individuals achieve healthier, more balanced lives while advocating for accessible, compassionate healthcare. Her work reflects a belief that true wellness begins when every aspect of a person's health is intentionally nurtured.
Zaynab is the founder of Zaysparkle Hub, a company producing high-quality cleaning and personal care products that make hygiene affordable and accessible. Beyond manufacturing, she is passionate about empowering women and young people through skills development and entrepreneurship, equipping them with practical tools to build sustainable livelihoods. Her business combines social impact with quality products that improve everyday living.
Oluwatoyin is the founder of Royal Sapphire Foods Nig. Ltd., a food processing and packaging company producing healthy, natural, and premium-quality food products for Nigerian families. By promoting nutritious food choices while sourcing from local agricultural value chains, she is helping improve food quality, support local producers, and strengthen Nigeria's food system. Her mission is to make wholesome nutrition more accessible through locally produced foods.
Onyinyechi is the founder of Chizla Global Enterprises, a nutrition-focused food processing company dedicated to improving child and family nutrition through affordable, locally produced food solutions. By transforming grains, legumes, fruits, and nuts into nutritious shelf-stable products, she addresses malnutrition, reduces food waste, and creates sustainable income opportunities for smallholder farmers. Her work demonstrates how locally sourced nutrition can improve lives while strengthening agricultural communities.
MEET OUR MENTORS
She is an accomplished finance and commercial professional with extensive experience in the upstream oil and gas sector. She is deeply committed to personal growth, family, and making a meaningful impact through leadership and mentorship.
She is a Chartered Accountant, the Director of Corporate Partnership with the Muslim Public Affairs Center (MPAC), and a Trustee of Sakinah Medical Outreach.
She is an internationally trained physician, healthcare executive, and Senior Vice President for Clinical Programs at Progyny. She is also the Founder of SheriBell Global and is widely recognized for her work in women's health, digital health, leadership, and healthcare innovation.
She is an experienced corporate leader and strategic professional with a passion for mentoring women and helping them grow personally and professionally.
She is a life coach, nonprofit consultant, and leadership advocate. She is passionate about helping individuals discover purpose, build confidence, and maximize their potential.
She is an Evaluation Research Scientist with the California Department of Public Health. After successfully transitioning from the financial industry into public health, she brings a unique perspective on career growth, leadership, and balancing family and purpose as a mother of four.
She is a certified Project Manager, Data Analyst, Solutions Designer, and Deputy Director in the Information Technology Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria. She is passionate about innovation, lifelong learning, and creating supportive spaces where women can thrive.
She is a strategic communications professional with the City of Regina, Canada. She is passionate about continuous growth, leadership development, and helping others unlock their full potential.
She is an entrepreneur, business development advisor, and survivor whose life story is one of resilience and hope. After running a successful childcare business for nearly two decades, she now supports small business start-ups and individuals with additional needs, inspiring others to rebuild and thrive.
She is a Chartered Accountant and currently serves as the Head of Treasury Operations at Nigeria LNG (NLNG). She is a seasoned finance leader; she is passionate about excellence, leadership, and developing women.
MASTERCLASSES
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.
Olamide Bello is a finance professional with expertise in capital markets. Her industry experience spans more than 20 years, having previously worked at Macquarie, Voya and Accenture. Beyond her professional work, Olamide is passionate about giving back to her community through volunteer eAorts focused on education, children, women, and economic development. She currently serves as Treasurer on the board of Nana Grants. Olamide also plays tennis (quite badly) and hopes to one day revive her dying badminton and volleyball skills. She lives in Georgia with her family.
Adeola Balogun is a Chartered Accountant, agrifood entrepreneur, and Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Limlim Foods Production Company Ltd. She combines corporate finance leadership with the practical experience of building and operating a growing food manufacturing business.
Before founding Limlim Foods, Adeola held key roles at Unilever and Cadbury across treasury, management accounting, commercial finance, supply chain finance, and manufacturing operations, with responsibilities covering four factories across West Africa.
At Limlim Foods, she applies this experience to developing commercially viable food products from locally sourced agricultural produce using advanced processing technologies. Her work focuses on profitable pricing, cost management, operational resilience, food security, and reducing post-harvest losses while creating stronger opportunities for smallholder farmers.
Adeola is recognized for translating complex financial and operational issues into practical decisions that help entrepreneurs protect margins, manage growth and build businesses that can withstand changing market conditions. Through her work at Limlim Foods, Adeola has earned multiple awards and recognitions for advancing agrifood innovation, food processing and sustainable value creation in Nigeria.
Folabomi (Bomi) Salami is a marketing communications professional with over 25 years of experience working with individuals, businesses, corporate organizations and public-sector institutions. She began her career in Nigeria and spent over a decade with DKK & Associates, where she rose from Client Service Director to Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer and currently serves on the Board.
She has also served as a Senior Communications Strategist with the City of Regina, Canada. Bomi holds BSc and MSc degrees in Economics, a Diploma in Communication and a PMP certification.
She is passionate about helping individuals and organisations clarify their value, build strong brands and communicate in ways that earn trust and attract the right customers.
Osai Ojigho is a distinguished human rights expert, lawyer, and gender equality advocate with extensive experience in international development and advocacy. She has over 18 years of experience working with various organisations, including Amnesty International, Oxfam, and the African Union Mission in Mali and the Sahel. She is the Director of Policy, Public Affairs, and Campaigns at Christian Aid, a development, humanitarian relief and advocacy organization working to eradicate poverty.
She has successfully led initiatives on good governance, electoral observation, youth mobilization, policy and legislative change, law reform, and human rights protection. She has also promoted women’s inclusion in politics and decision-making. She has published widely and is well-travelled. She has played a key role in landmark legal cases, including leading a team to victory in a gender discrimination case, Dorothy Njemanze v Nigeria, before the ECOWAS court and submitting an amicus curiae brief to the International Court (ICC) arguing that forced marriage in war is an international crime in the case of Prosecutor v Ongwen. She received the University of Wolverhampton Alumni Global Impact Award in 2023. She was named one of Nigeria’s 100 Most Influential Civil Society Leaders in 2021. She was featured in the film Voices Uprising, which encapsulates her role in demanding justice for the voiceless. She was named one of 25 women in law who inspire in 2025 by the Institute for African Women in Law.
She holds an LLB from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, an LLM from the University of Wolverhampton, UK, and a practice diploma in International Human Rights from the College of Law, England and Wales, UK. Twitter/Instagram: @livingtruely; LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/osai-ojigho
Toyin Bashir is a Partner at Banwo & Ighodalo, a top- tier commercial law firm with offices in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. She heads the Firm’s corporate office in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Toyin Bashir is one of the pioneer members of the PEBEC Secretariat where she has provided pro bono services on the ease of doing business initiatives for about 6 years.
She has also acted for the last 9 months as the Chief of Staff to the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole. Toyin is the Founder of WeSupportHer, a non-governmental organisation advocating for menstrual rights of girls and women. We support Her also advocates for greater participation of women in governance and politics.
Funlayo Alabi is a speaker, thought leader, and co-founder of Shea Radiance — a clean beauty brand rooted in African tradition, women’s empowerment, and hydration-focused skincare for all stages of life. Known for her grounded wisdom and compassionate voice, Funlayo speaks candidly about the evolving journey of womanhood — from menopause and beauty to self-care, aging, entrepreneurship, faith, and family. Her reflections are shaped by personal experience, global impact, and a deep belief that aging is not something to fix — it’s something to live fully.
Through her talks, blog, and social media platforms, she invites women to embrace aging as evolution, build rituals that nourish body and spirit, and rise stronger in every season of life.
Funlayo has been featured in Essence, Oprah Daily, Forbes, and Whole Foods Magazine, and her products are carried by Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Mom’s Organic Market, and specialty retailers nationwide. She lives in Maryland with her husband and is a proud mom, mentor, faith-filled woman, and advocate for women rising.