SARAH ADEKUNLE-JAMES – Board Chairman

Sarah Adekunle-James is a driven program manager with a passion for driving impactful change in the realms of nonprofit consulting. She specializes in orchestrating successful programs, leveraging her expertise in project management, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement.

In her role as a Program Manager, she has a proven track record of delivering excellence in diverse industries, ranging from nonprofit organizations to international trade. She excels in cross-functional collaboration, leading teams to achieve project goals, and implementing agile methodologies to drive seamless business transformation.

As a Nonprofit Consultant, she has partnered with various nonprofit organizations to enhance their capacity and effectiveness. From strategic planning to fundraising, she offers guidance in key areas such as program evaluation, grant writing, and volunteer management. Her ultimate goal is to empower nonprofits to make a lasting social impact.

Her approach to program management is grounded in strong leadership, effective communication, and a relentless commitment to delivering results. She thrives in fast-paced environments, navigating complex challenges, and driving innovative solutions.

OLUWASEUN KOLAWOLE – Executive Director

Oluwaseun Kolawole is an impact-driven Peacebuilder deeply committed to making Peacebuilding relatable and actionable through Peace Education and Advocacy. With four years of experience in this field, she has wholeheartedly embraced the People-Powered Peacebuilding approach, firmly believing that only peaceful individuals can build and sustain peaceful societies.

Her approach centers around empowering people to become active contributors to peace. She firmly believes that lasting peace begins with individuals who possess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to resolve conflicts in nonviolent ways. Through Peace Education, she strives to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate conflicts for growth and greater impact.

One of the highlights of her work has been the opportunity to collaborate with the United Nations Information Centre and the American Negotiation Institute on her Bridges 2 Peace Bootcamp. Through this 2-day Facilitators led workshop, she has successfully equipped over 100 young people in Nigeria with essential peacebuilding skills. These empowered individuals actively engage in shaping peace within their local communities, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond their immediate surroundings.

Advocacy lies at the heart of her peacebuilding approach. As the Founder of Peace Shapers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to shaping a safe and peaceful Africa, with and for children, she is deeply committed to raising awareness about the challenges students face. Her aim is to empower them as catalysts for peace, enabling them to make tangible impacts within their communities. From bullying and violence to inadequate infrastructure and lack of psychological support, she tirelessly advocates for policies and practices that prioritize the safety and well-being of learners.

To advance the cause of safe schools, she actively collaborates with educational stakeholders and policymakers. This collaboration involves championing policies that prioritize learner safety, engaging in community dialogues, launching impactful campaigns, and conducting workshops to empower educators, parents, and students themselves.She currently works as the Corporate Social Impact Officer at the American Negotiation Institute, where she is responsible for leading initiatives that generate meaningful social impact in Nigeria and soon, other regions.

IRENE DAVID-ARINZE – Communications Advisor

Irene David-Arinze is an International Communications Strategist and a Multimedia Journalist with 10 years working experience in radio, television, print and digital media. 

She uses her experience in helping brands gain stronger online and in-person visibility through the development of Communications Strategies, Knowledge Products, Programs and Social Media Campaign dashboards for organizations such as YOUNGO, and YALI.

When she is not developing strategies, she wears her journalism hat, telling stories on business, development and climate change or producing short form video lectures and documentaries on LIDA Network on YouTube. 

Irene has also built a reputation for creating training packages and resource mobilization which has led to the training of over 300 Journalists across over 30 countries including Russia, Pakistan, Zambia, Sri Lanka among others.

DAVID ROTIMI – Brand Advisor

David Rotimi is a speaker, entrepreneur, and branding consultant with over a decade of experience in design and branding, communications strategy, marketing, training and development. His mission is to enhance both visual and audio-visual communication for business leaders and brands, helping them connect with their audience in meaningful ways. He believes that the ability to communicate clearly is one of the most important skills to develop as an individual or a brand. He has made it his mission to enhance both communication for change makers, thought leaders and brands.

He specializes in clear and compelling brand communication. As a creative professional, he excels in both visual and verbal communication, bringing a wealth of experience from working with local and international brands across various industries. His approach combines strategic thinking with creative execution, ensuring brands not only stand out but also resonate deeply with their target audience.

Over the span of my career, he has successfully built and rebranded multiple organizations, resulting in significant increases in customer engagement; led the design and implementation of multi-channel marketing campaigns that boosted sales; spoken and trained over 4500 people at numerous conferences and workshop, sharing insights on the practical application of brand communication and storytelling; worked with prestigious organizations like the United Nations, USAID, International Trade Center, ONE Campaign, DAI, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, R4D, and Palladium International, creating visual identities and communications strategies that tell compelling stories.

Beyond his professional endeavors, he is passionate about teaching the children and young people and exploring the intersection of culture and faith. He is what you would call a Faith-Driven Entrepreneur. His relatable and enthusiastic speaking style inspires and motivates audiences, breaking down complex concepts into simple, actionable strategies with real-life applications. For fun, he writes music, plays the trumpet and does squash and Table Tennis for Sports.

UGOCHI OBIDIEGWU – Child Safety Advisor

Ugochi Obidiegwu works at the intersection of program and impact management for social impact organizations seeking to extend the reach of their innovative strategies. In her social impact career, she has developed products and programs and provided policy advisory on pressing development issues affecting young people. Her major work pillars are around ensuring child safety, reducing substance abuse in youths and providing strategic direction for social impact initiatives. She is the author of a child safety story book series available in English and French, co-creator of an online safety game for children and curator of safety education apps.

Over 10,000 children in 8 countries have benefited directly from her Train Them Young Initiative (#2TYI) and books. Her work in child safety has been recommended as good practice for member countries of the European Network for Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health (ENETOSH). Her work in safety education during the pandemic was featured by the UN OHCHR. 

Through speaking, she has shared her expertise with safety professionals at key industry events like the 2019 World Safety Organisation Symposium in Las Vegas, 2021 World Congress Canada, 2021 West Africa IOSH conference, 2022 OIC-OSHNET training workshop organized by the Directorate General of Occupational Safety and Health, Turkiye, and 2022 International Product Safety Week hosted by UNCTAD and the European Commission in Brussels. In 2023, she was featured in the Talking Safety video series of the World Safety Congress for Health and Safety at Work, Sydney, Australia. She also convenes the annual School Safety Summit.

Ugochi is a 2016 YALI Regional Leadership Centre Fellow, 2018 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur, 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow and 2018/2019 Regional Advisory Board member of the Fellowship proffering advice to USAID and IREX on matters concerning the Fellowship. In 2020, she was listed alongside Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and others on the WeForGood list of 100 women creating a better Africa. In 2019, she won the 2019 AFRISAFE award in the Shining Star category due to her contributions in the safety industry. In 2022, she was a pioneer winner of the Banuelos Family Changemaker Award. In 2024, she was awarded the NYU Martin Luther King Changemaker Award for persons who demonstrate a commitment to enriching and providing service to their communities.

Ugochi Obidiegwu is committed to training, speaking and facilitating innovative programs that enhance the quality of life of target populations.