🚀 Introducing the First-Ever Regional Alumni Board of JA Africa, part of the Alumni Leaders Academy Global 🌍
We are proud to welcome to the Alumni Leaders Academy Global (ALAG) the first-ever cohort of the Regional Alumni Board members of JA Africa, a defining milestone in the continued evolution of the global JA Alumni movement.
Following an incredibly competitive and inspiring process, over 150 applications were received from across the continent. After a rigorous selection journey, 11 exceptional alumni leaders were shortlisted and officially onboarded at the end of 2025, each bringing a unique blend of expertise, purpose, and commitment to shaping the future of Africa’s alumni ecosystem.
🌱 A New Chapter for Alumni Leadership in Africa
The launch of the Regional Alumni Board of JA Africa represents more than a governance milestone, it's a strategic shift toward regional empowerment across the global JA Alumni network.
As part of the JA Global Alumni Community’s evolving focus areas, this initiative is designed to:
- Strengthen regional leadership structures
- Enable locally-driven alumni activation
- Build sustainable ecosystems led by alumni, for alumni
🎓 A Structured Onboarding Journey Led by JA Worldwide
Over the past month, the onboarding of the Regional Alumni Board of JA Africa has been thoughtfully designed and led by JA Worldwide's Alumni Community Manager, Dana Khairallah, as part of the Alumni Leaders Academy Global.
This journey served as a leadership accelerator to empower regions, equipping board members with the mindset, tools, and alignment needed to lead at a regional level.
The onboarding included a series of intentional sessions, each building toward a shared foundation:
- Kickoff Session: setting the tone, vision, and expectations for the journey ahead featuring the JA Africa Team and Simi Nwogugu, CEO of JA Africa
- Building a Legacy, Culture & Thought Leadership: led by Camille Blair, exploring leadership identity and long-term impact
- Vision to Action, Project Management: led by Emmalyn Green, translating ambition into structured execution
- How to Start and Activate an Alumni Network from scratch: led by Nabil AlAdili, grounding strategy in practical, scalable approaches
And still to come:
- Amplify with Purpose: Branding, Communication & Confident Representation
- Global Conversation with Regional Leaders from JA Americas Alumni and JA Alumni Europe
- Closing Session, marking the transition from onboarding into active leadership
Together, these sessions are designed to ensure that leaders are not only aligned globally but fully equipped to lead regionally and empower locally.
🤝 Leadership Rooted in Purpose and Diversity
The strength of this board lies in its diversity—across industries, countries, and lived experiences—united by a shared belief in the power of youth leadership and community.
💼 Finance and Fundraising
- Daniel Olubi (Lead): Strategy & Transactions professional at EY, with extensive experience in financial advisory, valuation, and impact-driven initiatives supporting youth development in Lagos.
- Deborah Ayoola (Officer): Investment Analyst and founder of The Bucket List Network, driving strategy, reflection, and growth for young professionals across Africa.
📣 Marketing and Communication
- Mardia Adams (Lead): Ghanaian entrepreneur and climate advocate impacting over 20,000 individuals, championing storytelling as a force for change.
- Oluwapelumi Oyewole (Officer): Communications specialist and climate advocate using storytelling, media, and voice to drive awareness and connection.
- Ipinoluwa Akintola (Officer): Strategic communications professional leading impactful digital campaigns and amplifying youth-centered narratives.
🌍 Community and Engagement
- Nmadiuto James (Lead): Story gatherer and community builder, bringing over a decade of cross-sector experience rooted in empathy and connection.
- Cynthia Anaba (Officer): Social innovation advocate and founder, empowering underserved communities and advancing inclusive development across Ghana.
🚀 Strategy, Impact and Partnerships
- Olufisayo Abiodun (Lead): Global education advocate and founder of TAC Impact Global, enabling access to opportunities for young people and immigrants worldwide.
🧭 Governance and Leadership
- Anita Ebbi (Secretary General): Lawyer, entrepreneur, and community builder driving inclusive leadership and youth empowerment.
- Lindiwe Ndlovu (Vice President): Senior finance professional with over 20 years of experience and a strong commitment to financial literacy and social impact.
- Ruby Igwe (President): Multi-award-winning leader and Country General Manager at ALX Nigeria, empowering over 118,000 young people through education and leadership.
🔍 From Conversations to Collective Leadership
Throughout the onboarding journey, conversations have gone far beyond structure, diving into what it truly means to lead across a region as dynamic and diverse as Africa.
Key themes that emerged include:
- Building intentional and inclusive alumni communities
- Leading with consistency, ownership, and service
- Strengthening visibility and storytelling across the continent
- Creating systems that enable scalable, long-term impact
A shared understanding quickly emerged:
💬 Leadership is not defined by titles. but by responsibility, action, and the ability to bring others along.
🌐 Part of a Growing Global Movement
The Regional Alumni Board of JA Africa is part of a broader global shift toward stronger alumni leadership structures.
Alongside Africa, regional boards are also active or emerging across:
- JA Americas Alumni
- JA Asia Pacific Alumni
- JA Alumni Europe
Together, these leaders form a globally connected ecosystem: one that enables collaboration across regions, shared learning, and collective momentum toward a more unified alumni experience worldwide.
✨ Looking Ahead
With the onboarding journey still unfolding and key sessions ahead, this marks the activation of a new layer of leadership within the JA Alumni movement.
One that is not only built to lead only, but to connect, represent, and empower alumni across borders, contexts, and communities.
As these leaders step into their roles, they carry forward a shared responsibility: to shape what alumni leadership looks like today and what it can become tomorrow.