OBENEWA AMPONSAH.

Obenewa Amponsah is a certified coach, facilitator, and speaker whose work is dedicated to enabling transformational processes in individuals and institutions. Obenewa’s commitment to supporting the development and evolution of entities was born of her own international leadership experiences; as she witnessed first-hand the power of new perspectives to unlock potential and to realize growth. Bringing fresh insights, Obenewa journeys with clients to help them clarify their goals and objectives; create strategies to realize their aspirations; and identify methods to overcome obstacles.

In her practice, Obenewa draws upon her 19 years of experience in Africa and North America, where she has served in a variety of leadership positions. Previously, Obenewa served as the Executive Director of the Harvard University Center for African Studies, where she was responsible for establishing Harvard’s first university wide office in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining Harvard, Obenewa was the CEO of the Steve Biko Foundation, a developmental organization inspired by the legacy of the late anti-apartheid activist Bantu Stephen Biko.

Beyond the non-profit sector, Obenewa has experience in governance and development, attained during her time as a Senior Consultant with GoodWorks International; as well as during her tenure as the Administrator of the African Presidential Archives & Research Center, an institution dedicated to chronicling democratic transitions in Africa.

Of Ghanaian descent, Obenewa was born and raised in the Baltimore-Washington DC area. She holds an undergraduate degree from Boston University, with a major in international relations and a minor in history. Obenewa also earned a master’s degree in international relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, where she is currently pursuing her doctorate. Obenewa’s PhD research focuses on the intellectual history of African women on the continent and in the diaspora.

In addition to her professional and academic roles, Obenewa is an alumnae of the Atlantic Fellowship for Racial Equity, a Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Institute at Oxford University, and a MasterCard Foundation Baobab Mentor. She also serves on the Advisory Boards of the US Chapter of the African Women’s Development Fund and the Moremi Institute—an African Women’s Leadership Development Initiative.

On the personal front, Obenewa is a frequent traveller, collects African textiles, and has rarely met a book she didn’t like.