She-EO 19.0
Women, led by their stories and shared heritage, shape the fabric of a powerful tomorrow. With each word spoken and each truth revealed, they build bridges, breaking silence and stereotypes alike. Fueled by resilience, they chart paths that uplift, inspire, and illuminate—paving the way for future generations to stand tall and speak freely.
At African Voices, we honor this strength, celebrating the voices crafting a legacy of courage and unity for all.
HOST
She is the Chief Financial Officer of Ashoka. She is a social impact entrepreneur, a published author, and an educator. She is the founder and president of The She-EO – a global platform for women of African descent to have important conversations that matter. In addition to being the founder and coordinating trustee of United for Kids Foundation, Tope created and hosted the Impact Africa radio show, which inspired Africans and Africans in the diaspora to participate consciously and actively in African development from 2013 to 2015. Impact Africa earned Tope an invitation to a meeting with Senior White House officials during the planning stage of the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in 2014.
Tope frequently speaks to global audiences with a mission to inspire. She delivered a powerful address at Hillary Clinton’s final presidential campaign rally in Michigan in November 2016, the keynote speech at Grand Rapids City High School’s commencement ceremony in June 2017, and one of the two keynote speeches at the Future Harvest Conference in January 2021. Prior to becoming a full-time social impact entrepreneur, Tope worked for 2 of the “Big Accounting” Firms, a Fortune 100 energy company, and notable nonprofit organizations in Washington D.C. She also taught agricultural business courses at the University of Maryland, College Park until May 2022.
Tope is set to commence a Doctoral degree program in Human and Organizational Learning at The George Washington University in the Fall of 2022 where she plans to focus on lifelong learning and leadership issues and opportunities for women of African descent globally. She is an alumnus of the University of Lagos in Nigeria, Emory University, Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria, and the University of Oxford. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, and a United States of America Certified Public Accountant.
Tope is dedicated to serving her community. She served as the Treasurer of Future Harvest from 2020 to 2022, as the interim chairperson of the Women’s National Democratic Club’s Foreign Policy and National Security Task Force in 2021, and as a member of the Montgomery County Maryland County Executive’s Economic Recovery Advisory Group in 2020.
Tope is married to Niyi Balogun, who she co-owns Dodo Farms, a Certified Naturally Grown produce farm in Montgomery County (Maryland) with.
HOT SEAT GUESTS
As a seasoned Associate Director with over two decades of experience in Human Resources, Bunmi Ajagunna has established herself as a respected leader and expert in the field. With a diverse background that includes HR Technology & Analytics, Learning & Development, Business Partnership, and Portfolio planning, Bunmi brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to every role she takes on.
Bunmi’s passion for leadership is evident in everything she does. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to building and motivating high-performing teams, developing and implementing effective business strategies, and driving growth and profitability. Bunmi has held a variety of senior leadership roles, each of which has contributed to her deep understanding of the field. She has a proven track record of driving growth and profitability, and she is highly regarded for her ability to build and motivate high-performing teams. Bunmi serves as the Associate Director of Human Resources Technology & Analytics at MCAP, where she is responsible for MCAP’s HR Information Systems and People Analytics.
In this role, she develops and implements strategies that result in significant revenue growth and improved profitability. Bunmi holds a Master’s Degree from the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, where she graduated with a major in Management and a minor in Human Resources. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Ondo State University Ado-Ekiti (OSUA). Bunmi has also dedicated significant time and energy to serving on the boards of associations, most notably as the Director of Operations, at Redeemers Leadership Institute (RLI).
Along with her husband, Debola, they pastor the Redeemed Christian Church of God - Christ's Tribe, a multi-cultural and multi-generational Parish located in the heart of Toronto, Canada. She is an author and stemming from her love for kids, she has recently released a book "The Humble Shepherd", the first of 10 books in a "Christian Folktale series. She is blessed with three daughters (Twins + 1) and many non-biological children.
Yewande Daniel-Ayoade (Yay-wan-day Daniel Ah-yaw-ah-day) is a management consultant and children’s book author. She has a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Ibadan and a master's in business administration from Emory University. After two decades in various consulting roles, including writing communications for technology projects, she decided to pursue writing professionally and self-published her first children’s book in 2019.
Yewande immigrated to the United States in 2003 and then to Canada in 2010. Her writing focuses on introducing all children (including her own) to West African history and culture and draws heavily on her immigrant experience.
Yewande lives in Calgary, Alberta with her family. When she is not writing she cooks, bakes, teaches Sunday School, and coaches her kids for spelling bee, debate, and science fair competitions.
Learn more about her at www.ydaniel-ayoade.com, or connect with her on social media @ydayoade.
Bunmi Emenanjo is an attorney, speaker, and entrepreneur. Born in the United States and raised in Nigeria, her childhood and culture inspire her writing. In 2019, she founded Atlas Book Club, a company focused on curating diverse children's books in an intentional manner.
While Bunmi has had a vast legal career that includes nearly a decade-long service within the federal government from the FDA to the White House under the Biden administration, and now working in the private sector, writing is her passion. When she is not practicing law, Bunmi is reading, traveling, and writing stories that fill the heart and move the spirit.
Her debut picture book, I’ll See You in Ijebu, published by Barefoot Books in March 2024, has earned a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, a glowing review from the School Library Journal, a feature in the Guardian as one of the best new picture books this year, was selected for the Read With Jenna Jr. Summer booklist, and as one of the 100 Outstanding Picture books in the world by dPictus.
Bunmi lives in Maryland with her husband, her three children, and a devoted Black Russian terrier named Shadow. She is represented by Ellen Goff of HG Literary.