IUGB Foundation Scholarship Virtual Gala

Join the International University of Grand-Bassam (IUGB) Foundation to raise scholarship funds for under-resourced students across Africa while celebrating dynamic individuals and companies making a difference in Africa.

The event will stream at 12 pm EST and 5 pm EST. IUGB Foundation will be honoring the following companies and individuals for their contribution to the African continent:

Dr. Bibi Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim, former President of Mauritius, Professor and Biodiversity Scientist -2021 IUGB Foundation Education + Leadership Award for Excellence in STEM and Women’s Leadership

Her Excellency Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is the first female president of the Republic of Mauritius. H.E. Gurib-Fakim began her career as a Lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Mauritius. She served as the Dean of the faculty of Science and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Mauritius from 2004-2010. H.E. Gurib-Fakim received her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Exeter, UK, and is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 1989, she was awarded the C.Chem award by the Royal Society of Chemistry in recognition of her skills and contribution to the field of chemistry. H.E. Gurib-Fakim has written and coedited 26 books and numerous articles in the field of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. H.E. Gurib-Fakim also served as the Managing Director of the Centre for Phototherapy and Research and the Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Mauritius. Now she’s working to advance awareness of global warming and to promote new investments in science and technology in Mauritius and greater Africa. She’s already making strides on both fronts, including partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to pilot 10 Ph.D. research grants on the island, with plans to expand the program to as many as 10,000 other scientists across Africa in the future.

Dr. John N. Nkengasong, Director, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, African Union – 2021 IUGB Foundation Education + Leadership Award for Excellence in Public Health

Dr. John Nkengasong currently serves as the first Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). He is a leading virologist with nearly 30 years of work experience in public health. Prior to his appointment with Africa CDC, he was the Deputy Principal Director (acting) of the Centre for Global Health at the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and Associate Director of Laboratory Science and Chief of the International Laboratory Branch at the Division of Global HIV/AIDS and TB. Earlier in his career (1993 to 1995), Dr. Nkengasong worked as Chief of Virology Laboratory at the Collaborating Centre on HIV Diagnostics at the Department of Microbiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium, and later joined US CDC in 1994 as Chief of the Virology Laboratory in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Jacobs Foundation’s Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities – 2021 IUGB Foundation Education + Leadership Award for Excellence in Philanthropy

Seeking to improve the living conditions of Ivory Coast’s cocoa farmers and their children, the Jacobs Foundation is working with public and private organizations to develop a sustainable ecosystem that will ensure access to quality education. Education begins at home, with the parents, in early childhood. It continues at school, as children learn basic skills such as reading and writing. They subsequently acquire the socio-emotional skills that are crucial for success in the labor market. The Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities (TRECC) program offers a variety of solutions for each of these stages in life.

Erika Norwood, CEO, Gray Matters Capital – 2021 IUGB Foundation Education + Leadership Award for Excellence in Impact Investments

Erika Norwood is a global executive, entrepreneur, conceptualist and champion of diversity – amongst both people and perspectives. Erika is the President & CEO of Gray Matters Capital, providing the long-term visionary and strategic investment direction for how the firm will achieve its mission to improve the lives of 100 million women and girls around the world. Over the course of her 15+ year career, Erika has earned a formidable reputation by peers and partners as a creative executive and customer-centric leader who doubles down on action and impact. Erika is an avid promoter for strengthening the presence of women and people of color in leadership positions in the workplace. She has been an active leader in finding tangible pathways for women play a larger role in the field of investing by founding the InvestWISE Scholarship Fund while at IDEX.

Today, Erika resides in Atlanta, GA with her son Caleb and actively serves on the boards of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits (U.S.), MPower Finance (U.S.), Indian School Finance Company (India), Instituto Salus (Mexico), IDEX Accelerator (India) and serves as chair of Edfin Microfinance Bank (Nigeria) and Gray Matters Capital (U.S.).

Linda Dempah, CEO, Adeba Nature -2021 IUGB Foundation Education + Leadership Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship

Linda Dempah is the founder and CEO of Adeba Nature. She was born in the Ivory Coast where she lived until she moved to the USA to attend college. She graduated cum laude from Wesleyan University with a BA in Mathematics and Economics and went on to get her MBA at Harvard Business School. She started her post-MBA career at Ameriprise Financial where she excelled at negotiating high-value and strategic contracts as a director in Sourcing and further honed her strategy and operations knowledge at McKinsey and Company. While working in corporate America, she traveled frequently while leading an active lifestyle. She paid little attention to maintenance rules for her then permed-hair and ended losing it all. As she avidly read natural hair blogs after blogs and tried products after products, she struggled to establish a simple routine with products she could trust. That’s when her mother, an Ivory Coast-based pharmacist with 30 years of experience, gave her a mysterious oil to try. She had found out about it during a recent visit to her ancestral village and took some back to the capital city. That was the best thing Linda ever put on her hair. Her usually coarse strands became cotton-soft overnight! She gave some of the oil to her friends who urged her to start marketing it in the US. and Adeba Nature was born! Adeba Nature’s products are 100% natural, vegan, made with locally sourced, organic (food-grade) ingredients by using techniques developed by Akan women over multiple generations and modernized by Linda’s mother. The company is dedicated to improving economic and social conditions in Cote d’Ivoire, empowering Black women across the world, and protecting the environment. The name “Adeba” means “chic, beautiful woman” in Agni, the language of the Sanwi Kingdom in Ivory Coast, and this is exactly what the company stands for, beauty and class in and out.