Adesuwa Ifedi serves as Africa's Senior Vice President for Heifer International where she works to end hunger and poverty whilst caring for the earth.

Adesuwa Ifedi has had a rich career spanning over 25 years across the Non-profit, Education, Finance, Research and Entrepreneurship sectors. She has worked to support several global NGOs and social enterprises find local relevance and customize their business model to meet the demand for services in Africa.

Passionate about making markets work for the poor, she has focused on building systems and structures that enable social enterprises to thrive and deliver efficient and effective results at the bottom of the pyramid, with limited resources. Mrs. Ifedi has also worked extensively as a business consultant supporting hundreds of start-ups having also managed the first-ever business incubator in Nigeria.

A great communicator and networking expert, Mrs. Ifedi has built consensus in very hostile situations, particularly between public and private sector players. Driven by her passion for development in Africa, she has spent the last 18 years making markets work for low-income families by working to provide access to education, finance and life skills.

She has a background in Economics and Statistics, an MBA from Lagos Business School, and a Postgraduate in Entrepreneurship from Boston University. She is also a Full Bright Scholar and A Hubert Humphrey fellow from Boston University where she focused on innovation that drives development in Africa.