Keynote Speakers
The Afro-Caribbean Leadership Forum convenes some of the most powerful, accomplished, and visionary women leaders in the world — alongside the international experts, business pioneers, and policy architects who are building the future of Africa and the Caribbean. The following speakers have been invited to address the inaugural forum.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala - Director-General, World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is one of the most respected economists, trade experts, and public servants in the world. She is the first woman and first African to serve as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation — a position to which she was reappointed in 2024 for a second term. Before leading the WTO, she served as Nigeria's Finance Minister twice (2003–2006 and 2011–2015) and briefly as Foreign Minister, during which time she drove sweeping economic reforms and debt relief negotiations. Named among Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women in the World eight consecutive times (including 2025), she is a champion of equitable global trade, supply-chain resilience, and the economic advancement of developing nations. At ACLF 2026, she will deliver a landmark address on unlocking the trillion-dollar Africa-Caribbean trade corridor. Speaking On: Unlocking the Africa-Caribbean Trade Opportunity; WTO Frameworks for Small and Developing Economies; Women-Led Trade as the Engine of Growth
The Honourable Mia Amor Mottley - Prime Minister of Barbados
The Rt. Hon. Mia Mottley is arguably the Caribbean's most influential and internationally recognised political figure. As Barbados' first female Prime Minister and eighth overall, she has led her country through the transition to republic status, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a historic push for climate justice on the global stage. Her Bridgetown Initiative — a landmark proposal to reform the global financial architecture to better serve developing countries facing climate disasters — has been described by world leaders as one of the most important policy frameworks of the 21st century. She was awarded the UN Champions of the Earth Award in 2021 and has featured on Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women list three consecutive years (2023, 2024, 2025). At ACLF 2026, she is invited to address the forum on climate justice, the Bridgetown Initiative, and the Caribbean's role in the global women's leadership agenda. Speaking On: Climate Justice and the Bridgetown Initiative; Women at the Helm —
H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio - President, Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD)
H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio is one of Africa's most prominent and impactful advocates for women's rights, girls' education, and public health. As First Lady of Sierra Leone, she launched the landmark "Hands Off Our Girls" campaign in 2018 — a pioneering national movement against gender-based violence and sexual exploitation that has since been replicated across Africa. In February 2025, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio was elected President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) at the 29th General Assembly of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — becoming the first Sierra Leonean First Lady to hold this office. She serves a 2025–2027 mandate, guiding OAFLAD's Strategic Framework focused on health, education, women's economic empowerment, and the elimination of gender-based violence, with climate change and peace as cross-cutting themes. Speaking On: The Africa-Caribbean Women's Leadership Imperative; OAFLAD's Strategic Vision 2025–2030; Expanding the Women's Empowerment Mandate Beyond the African Continent
Mo Abudu - CEO & Founder, EbonyLife Group
Mo Abudu is Africa's most powerful media executive. The founder and CEO of EbonyLife — Africa's first globally distributed black entertainment and lifestyle network — she has pioneered African storytelling on the world stage, producing internationally acclaimed films and series streamed on Netflix and distributed globally. Forbes has named her one of the most powerful women in Africa and the world. A former HR executive turned media mogul, Mo Abudu's story is a masterclass in entrepreneurship, brand-building, and the power of narrative to reshape how Africa is seen. She is a passionate advocate for African women in business and the creative economy. Speaking On: Building a Global Brand from Africa; The Business of African Creative Industries; Women in Media and the Power of Storytelling
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu - Founder, soleRebels & Garden of Coffee
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is one of Africa's most celebrated social entrepreneurs. From a small workshop in the impoverished Zenabwork neighbourhood of Addis Ababa, she built soleRebels into the world's first Fair Trade-certified footwear company, exporting to over 50 countries and generating thousands of jobs. She is also the founder of Garden of Coffee, a globally acclaimed coffee brand celebrating Ethiopia's coffee heritage. Named in the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders programme and recognised by Fortune, Forbes, and the FT, Bethlehem represents the transformative potential of African women-led enterprise. She is also the driving force behind Oasis Motors — advancing electric vehicle manufacturing in Ethiopia. Speaking On: Building a Global Enterprise from Africa; Fair Trade, Sustainability, and the Future of African Manufacturing; Women as Economic Architects
Lisa Hanna - Former Miss World | Jamaican Member of Parliament |
Lisa Hanna is one of the Caribbean's most prominent and multifaceted public figures. Miss World 1993, she has since built a distinguished career in Jamaican politics, serving multiple terms as a Member of Parliament and as Jamaica's Minister of Youth and Culture. She has been an outspoken advocate for young women, girls' empowerment, and social justice across the Caribbean. As a Jamaican leader hosting the inaugural ACLF, Lisa Hanna will speak from the intersection of cultural leadership, political service, and women's advocacy — representing the Caribbean voice at the heart of this forum. Speaking On: Women in Caribbean Politics — Breaking the Glass Ceiling; Youth, Culture, and the Next Generation of Women Leaders; Jamaica as a Model of Cultural Leadership
Dr. Rasha Kelej - CEO, Merck Foundation
Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej is the CEO of the Merck Foundation — the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA, Germany — and the president of the "More Than a Mother" Campaign, which challenges infertility stigma and supports women who face discrimination due to childlessness across Africa. Named on Avance Media's 100 Most Influential African Women list for seven consecutive years, she has executed transformative health capacity programmes across more than 50 countries, empowering thousands of women through healthcare and education. At ACLF 2026, she will speak to the intersection of women's health, corporate philanthropy, and the power of multi-sectoral partnerships. Speaking On: Healthcare Access for Women in Africa and the Caribbean; Corporate Philanthropy as a Tool for Women's Empowerment; The More Than a Mother Campaign and Ending Infertility Stigma
Aline Ishimwe - Founder, Karisimbi Cave Resort
Aline Ishimwe is a Rwandan eco-tourism entrepreneur who founded Karisimbi Cave Resort in Musanze — a world-class sustainable hospitality destination that integrates eco-tourism with women's empowerment and local cultural preservation. She has been recognised at the Africa Women in Leadership Summit as one of the continent's most innovative tourism entrepreneurs. Her story — building a globally competitive eco-resort from Rwanda's volcanic highlands — is a powerful example of how African women are redefining what tourism looks like. Speaking On: Women in Eco-Tourism; Building Sustainable Hospitality Enterprises; Africa-Caribbean Tourism Exchange Opportunities
Dr. Winnie Byanyima Executive Director, UNAIDS
Dr. Winnie Byanyima is the Executive Director of UNAIDS and an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations — leading the global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A Ugandan engineer, feminist, and human rights champion, she previously led Oxfam International and has spent decades at the intersection of poverty, gender equality, and public health. Under her leadership, UNAIDS has placed women and girls at the centre of the HIV response — recognising that in sub-Saharan Africa, young women aged 15–24 account for a disproportionate share of new HIV infections. Her work directly aligns with OAFLAD's core health mandate and the ACLF's Health & Wellbeing stream. Speaking On: HIV/AIDS and Gender — Ending the Epidemic by 2030; Women's Bodies, Women's Rights — Reclaiming the Health Agenda; Cross-Regional Health Partnerships: What Africa and the Caribbean Can Learn From Each Other