2022 Goalkeepers Event

The Honourable Mia Mottley, QC, MP

Prime Minister, Barbados

The Honourable Mia Mottley is the 8th Prime Minister of Barbados. She became the first woman to occupy the high office, following General Elections on May 24th 2018, in which she led the Barbados Labour Party to an emphatic victory, winning all 30 seats in the House of Assembly by the largest margin ever seen in the electoral history of the country.

An Attorney-at-Law and Queen’s Counsel, Prime Minister Mottley has been active in the political life of Barbados for almost three decades. First elected in 1994 she is presently serving her sixth term as Member of Parliament for the constituency of St. Michael North East.

Between 1994 and 2008 Miss Mottley served in the Cabinet of three successive Administrations, first as Minister of Education and Culture; then as Attorney-General and Minister of Home Affairs; and then as Minister of Economic Affairs. In 2003 she was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Mottley currently also holds the portfolios of Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment.

Since becoming Prime Minister, Miss Mottley has served as the Chair of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) between January 1st and June 30th, 2020. Notwithstanding that, Miss Mottley, as Prime Minister of Barbados, serves as the Lead Head of Government within CARICOM, bearing responsibility for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Prime Minister Mottley also serves as Co-Chair of the Americas Cruise Tourism Task Force for the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America markets.

Malala Yousafzai

Co-founder, Malala Fund

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist., UN Messenger of Peace and the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. As co-founder of Malala Fund, she is building a world where every girl can learn and lead without fear.

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

Mayor of Freetown

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE was sworn-in as Mayor of Freetown in May 2018 with a commitment to transform Freetown using an inclusive, data-driven approach to address challenges in the city. The 3-year Transform Freetown plan details 19 concrete targets across 11 sectors and covers issues ranging from tackling environmental degradation to facilitating the creation of jobs in the tourism sector. A finance professional with over 25 years of private sector experience in strategic planning, risk management consulting and project management, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s public sector engagement began with her work during the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic and her subsequent role as Delivery Team Lead for the second phase of a multi-stakeholder programme to drive socio-economic recovery in Sierra Leone post Ebola. Mayor Aki-Sawyerr is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MSc in Politics of the World Economy from the London School of Economics and a BSc Hons in Economics from Fourah Bay College. She was recently recognize in the BBC 2020 100 Women list.

Prof. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda

Director and Chair, African Research University Alliance- University of Pretoria

Prof. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda is a recognized leader, practicing farmer and esteemed policy advisor with a career spanning 30 years. She currently serves as Director and Chair of the African Research Universities Alliance - Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (ARUA-SFS) at the University of Pretoria. Prof. Sibanda is also the incoming Research Chair for Sustainable Food Systems at the Future Africa Institute, University of Pretoria. She is also hosted by the University’s Centre of Advancement of Scholarship as a Senior Research Fellow.

Prof. Sibanda is an SDG12.3 Champion on Reducing Food Loss and Waste and is a member of the Leadership Council of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) - South Africa National Network. Prof. Sibanda also sits on multiple international boards including Nestlé, World Vegetable Centre, and the One CGIAR System Board. In previous roles, Prof. Sibanda has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Head of Diplomatic Mission, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) and vice-President at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

She holds a Ph.D. and MSC in Animal Sciences from the University of Reading, and BSc in Animal Sciences from the University of Alexandria, Egypt.

Lilly Singh

Entertainer, Storyteller and Founder of Unicorn Island

Kaitlyn Gilliland

Dancer, Twyla Tharp

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Writer

Satta Sheriff

Founder, Action for Justice and Human Rights

Bill Gates

Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill Gates is a technologist, business leader, and philanthropist. Through the foundation he works to expand opportunity for the world’s most disadvantaged people.

Prajakta Koli

Content Creator & Actor

"Prajakta Koli is one of India’s biggest digital creators with millions of followers across her social media handles.

As an ambassador for YouTube’s global program, Creators For Change Prajakta was invited to the UN headquarters in New York on International Day of Tolerance to showcase her project ‘No Offence’ which speaks about hate speech, sexism and homophobia. She was also part of the Creators For Change YouTube Originals documentary on Girls Education along with Michelle Obama, Liza Koshy, Thembe Mahlaba. The documentary has won the Outstanding Daytime Non-Fiction Special at the 48th Daytime Emmy Awards.

Prajakta is part of Forbes India’s 30 under 30 list and Entrepreneur India’s 35 under 35 for 2019 along with Outlook Magazine’s Women of Worth and Economic Times’ Gamechanger in the Field of Entertainment.

In September, 2020 Prajakta was part of the United Nations General assembly wherein she was a panellist to discuss their Global goals. She was also part of Ted’s campaign ‘Countdown’ aimed at discussing climate change wherein she hosted the event along with personalities like Al Gore, Chris Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra, Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle and more.

Prajakta was appointed as India’s first climate change champion by UNDP in 2022"

Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng

Founder, OurEquity

Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng is a medical doctor. The United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng as Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

She is a bestselling author, a broadcaster, founder of OurEquity, and developer of the Sentebale health app. Tlaleng is also a distinguished lecturer at the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University and extraordinary senior lecturer at the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management at Stellenbosch University.

Melinda French Gates

Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Melinda Gates is a philanthropist, investor, and global advocate for women and girls.

Kal Penn

Actor, writer and producer

Kal Penn is an actor, writer, producer, and former Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. He is known for his starring roles in Designated Survivor, House, Mira Nair’s The Namesake, the Harold & Kumar franchise, and the patriotic immigration sit-com Sunnyside which he co-created for NBC.

From 2009 to 2011, Kal took a sabbatical from acting to serve in the Obama/Biden administration, where he served as the President’s Liaison to Young Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and the Arts community. In these roles, he worked on a range of issues, including the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the Affordable Care Act, Pell Grants, arts and culture programs, the DREAM Act, and rapid response to the BP Oil Spill and earthquake in Haiti.

He was a national co-chair for the Obama/Biden re-election campaign in 2012 and served on the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities, focusing on arts education and cultural diplomacy, including the first-ever US Government arts delegation to Cuba. Penn has taught courses at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Los Angeles. Originally from New Jersey, he received his undergraduate degree in sociology, theater, film, and television at the University of California, Los Angeles, and received a graduate certificate in international security from Stanford University. He has been a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Penn recently wrapped production on the CBS Drama, Clarice (based on Silence of the Lambs), and Freeform’s late night youth election format show Kal Penn Approves This Message. He currently stars in the animated Disney Junior series Mira, Royal Detective, is an Executive Producer on the Viacom/Paramount + comedy, Surina & Mel, and can be heard in Nickelodeon’s It’s Pony.

His culinary competition series Money Hungry airs on Food Network.

Kal’s first book You Can’t Be Serious was released on November 2, 2021 from Simon and Schuster/Gallery Books. He also narrates the audiobook.

Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli

Co-Founder, Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition

Mrs. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is an expert on social innovation, agriculture and nutrition, entrepreneurship, and youth development. She has over 25 years of international development experience and is a recognized serial entrepreneur, author, public speaker, and consultant.

Ndidi started her career as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, working in Chicago, New York, and Johannesburg. She returned to Nigeria in 2000 to serve as the pioneer executive director of FATE Foundation, supporting young entrepreneurs to start and scale their businesses. In 2002, she established LEAP Africa to inspire, empower, and equip a new cadre of principled, disciplined, and dynamic young leaders in Africa. The same year, she established NIA to support female university students in Nigeria to achieve their highest potential.

Over the past 14 years, Ndidi has focused exclusively on transforming the African agriculture and nutrition landscape. Through her work as the co-founder and the Executive Chair of Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition, she has partnered with a range of private and public sector organizations to implement ecosystem solutions in the African agriculture and food landscapes. As the co-founder of AACE Foods, which produces a range of packaged spices, seasonings, and cereals for local and international markets, Ndidi has propelled the growth of a catalytic business. As the founder of African Food Changemakers (a merger of Nourishing Africa and Changing Narratives Africa), a hub for food and agriculture entrepreneurs operating on the African Continent, she is accelerating the growth of the ecosystem and supporting entrepreneurs in 37 African countries to build sustainable businesses.

Ndidi serves on the boards of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), AGRA, Nigerian Breweries Plc. (Heineken), Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. India, the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum, Royal DSM Sustainability Board, Netherlands, the Bridgespan Group, and the African Philanthropy Forum. She previously served on the Boards of Nestle Nigeria Plc., Helios Fairfax Africa, the World Vegetable Center, and Cornerstone Insurance Plc.

Ndidi was recognized as a Young Global Leader and a Schwab Social Innovator by the World Economic Forum and received a National Honor from the Nigerian Government. She was listed as one of the 20 Power African Women by Forbes, on the 2019 100 Most Influential Africans List by New African Magazine and received the 2021 HBS Alumni Achievement Awards. She is a TED Global speaker.

Ndidi is the author of "Social Innovation in Africa: A Practical Guide for Scaling Impact," and "Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses," published by Routledge. She is also the author of “Working for God in the Marketplace.”

Ndidi holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She was a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, an Eisenhower Fellow, an Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow and the McConnell Visiting Scholar at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.

Catherine Mudachi

Vice President, Marketing, Copia Global

Catherine Mudachi is the Vice President, Marketing for Copia Global. With over 25 years of marketing for brands in various markets across the world, Catherine connects brands, people and insights by delivering transformative marketing solutions. Having previously worked for Safaricom, Coca Cola, Weetabix as well as other companies such as Pilkington Glass and Kawneer UK Architectural Glazing Systems Limited in the United Kingdom, Catherine is now focused on building the Copia brand into a globally renowned life-transforming and caring brand in Kenya and future markets across Africa. Catherine believes digitising Africa will create the necessary economic growth the continent requires.

Pierre Thiam

Chef

Pierre Thiam is a chef, author, and social activist best known for bringing West African cuisine to the global fine dining world. He is the Executive Chef of the award-winning restaurant Nok by Alara in Lagos, Nigeria and the Signature Chef of the five-star Pullman Hotel in Dakar, Senegal. He is also the executive chef and co-owner of Teranga, a fast-casual food chain from New York City. His company Yolélé Foods advocates for smallholder farmers in the Sahel by opening new markets for crops grown in Africa; its signature product, Yolélé Fonio, is found in Whole Foods, Amazon, and other retailers across America. (End of short bio)

Born and raised in Dakar, Senegal, Thiam’s cooking style is at once modern and eclectic, rooted in the rich culinary traditions of West Africa. His newest cookbook, The Fonio Cookbook, was published in October 2019. His first two cookbooks, Yolélé! Recipes From the Heart of Senegal and Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes from the Source to the Bowl were finalists for several awards including the Julia Child Cookbook Award, the Gourmand Award in Paris, and the James Beard Award for Best International Cookbook.

Thiam has cooked for the King of Morocco, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Through his advocacy and many media appearances, he has become known as a culinary ambassador, dedicated to promoting West African cooking throughout the world. His TEDTalk, given at TEDGlobal 2017 in Arusha, Tanzania, has been viewed over one million times. Thiam sits on the board of directors of IDEO.org, SOS Sahel, Culinary Institute of America's African Cuisines Advisory Board and CorpsAfrica. He lives in El Cerrito, California with his wife Lisa, their daughter Na’ia and their dog Malcolm.

Janet Mbugua

Author, Podcaster and Founder of Inua Dada Foundation

George the Poet is a London-born spoken word performer of Ugandan heritage. His innovative brand of musical poetry has won him critical acclaim both as a recording artist and social commentator and seen his work broadcast to billions of people worldwide. In 2019, his audio offering ‘Have You Heard George’s Podcast?’ won a prestigious Peabody Award and 5 Gold British Podcast Awards, including the highly-coveted Podcast of the Year. More accolades followed in the years to come, including an NME Award, two Gold ARIAS, three New York Festival Awards and more. The podcast was described by BBC R4 as “a story that could change the world”. George recently launched chapter 3 of the podcast, his latest book 'Have You Read George's Podcast?' and is now embarking on a PhD at UCL'S Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, under the supervision of the institute's founder, Mariana Mazzucato, and Reader in Educational Leadership At UCL's Institute Of Education, Dr. Karen Edge.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu

Broadcaster

Obi-Uchendu is a trained intellectual property and communications lawyer, who has worked as a television host in Nigeria for upwards of 16 years. In addition to being a noted national newspaper columnist for many years, he has hosted shows on national and international television cutting across politics, reality, current affairs and entertainment. In 2011, he became the youngest Nigerian to ever host a presidential debate. And he currently hosts the biggest and most successful television show on the African continent.

He has been a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum (WEF), a partner of ONE.org and Global Citizen and was honored as one of the most influential young Nigerians to mark Nigeria's Centenary celebrations.

Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig

Senior Research Scientist

Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig is Senior Research Scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the Columbia University Climate School. At NASA GISS, she heads the Climate Impacts Group. Dr. Rosenzweig is the co-founder of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), which conducts transdisciplinary studies of climate change and food at regional, national and global scales. AgMIP participants include over 1000 leading researchers from developed and developing nations. For her work on climate change and food systems, she is the 2022 recipient of the World Food Prize, considered the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture.”

Zinhle Essamuah

Reporter, NBC News

"Zinhle Essamuah is a reporter for NBC News on NBC News NOW. Previously, she was a correspondent at NowThis News, where she anchored KnowThis, a daily evening news show.
Zinhle covers national and international issues including justice, housing, and race. Her recent reports include an investigation into a juvenile holding facility in Louisiana, resulting in a state investigation into the matter. In 2020, Zinhle interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris for an exclusive primetime conversation on climate justice.

Truly, her love of story began behind the camera. Zinhle is an award-winning filmmaker and the recipient of a Gracie Award for her debut short documentary on the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson, Missouri.
Essamuah holds a Master’s degree in Media, Strategic Communication, and Documentary Filmmaking from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She’s moderated events for the Aspen Institute, Vital Voices, United Nations, and more. In her free time, Zinhle brews tea, teaches, flips furniture, and plays her guitars. "

Chloe Arnold's Syncopated Ladies

Tap Dance Band

Founded by Emmy-nominated Choreographer, Chloé Arnold, Syncopated Ladies is the most viewed Female Tap dance band in history. Known for their viral self-produced content, they were recognized by Beyoncé, who not only shared their work saying “They Killed It”, she then transformed the homepage of Beyonce.com to feature Syncopated Ladies, and invited them to perform live internationally.

Beyoncé’s support catapulted them onto a Global platform, and since then, Syncopated Ladies' trajectory has skyrocketed, amassing over 100 million views online. They also received praise from Whoopi Goldberg on The View, Janet Jackson, Ciara, Lupita Nyong’o, as well as many other celebrities and news outlets. Live performance credits include Good Morning America, So You Think You Can Dance, Global Citizen Week, New York Fashion Week, Essence Fest, Imagine Justice (featuring Common, J. Cole, and Andra Day), Glamour Women of the Year Awards, Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative at the US Open, JP Morgan Chase Women on the Move at Radio City Musical Hall, CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Women in the World Summit at Lincoln Center, Democratic National Convention and many more.

www.syncopatedladies.com @SyncLadies

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Chloe Arnold - (Co-Executive Producer, Director, Choreographer, Dancer) Emmy-nominated Choreographer, Tap Dancer, and Founder of Syncopated Ladies, Chloé was discovered at a young age in Washington, DC by Debbie Allen. Chloé's choreography has been featured on numerous hit TV shows including over 50 episodes of The Late Late Show with James Corden featuring A-list actors from Will Smith and Hugh Jackman to pop superstars Ariana Grande and BTS. Her work can also be seen on other hit TV shows So You Think You Can Dance, Good Morning America, the Ellen Show, The Talk, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Hello, Jack! and John Legend and Chrissy Teigen's A Legendary Christmas. Chloé most recently choreographed Jerry Seinfeld's Unfrosted and Apple TV+ musical film Spirited starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer.


Chloé was named one of LeBron James' "The Strongest," a campaign featured in Essence to celebrate his 16th Nike Sneaker release, was on The Root 100 List, and was featured in Shonda Rhimes and Microsoft's "Language of Leadership" panel discussion.

Chloe is also an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who holds a degree in Film from Columbia University. She and her sister Maud produced the award-winning documentary Tap World and are the co-directors of the critically acclaimed DC Tap Festival. They have been recognized by Columbia University as Rising Stars, by the US House of Representatives as arts preservers and ambassadors and won the 33rd Annual Mayor's Arts Award for Excellence in Performing Arts.

Through everything, Chloé hasn't forgotten her roots and the journey it took to reach this point. Through the Chloe and Maud Foundation, they give back to the community by creating equal opportunity access to dance programming and education for underserved communities. During the pandemic, they gave free classes to over 25,000 students worldwide online, and continued their after school programs in South Central LA, and Favelas in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

www.chloearnold.com @chloearnoldtaps

DJs Amira and Kayla

Celebrity DJs

While most 16 years old kids are playing the latest video games on their smartphone, twin sisters, Amira & Kayla are making a name for themselves around the world as famous DJs.

When behind the turntables, this duo gets the party started, kicks the crowd in gear and makes sure the momentum never ceases. Amira & Kayla’s love for music and their devotion to the DJ craft is rooted firmly in family. Their father taught them how to DJ at an early age. This unique sister act have quickly gone from playing small parties to deejaying corporate events, lighting up social media with viral videos, and making high-profile appearances on television, online, and radio programs. Most recently, Amira and Kayla had the honor to deejay at the White House for the 2022 Easter Egg Roll.

Some of Amira and Kayla’s TV appearances include: The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams, Harry, The Real, ESPN, Revolt, Showtime At The Apollo, and Telemundo. The girls also appeared in three national Target commercials, Reebok Campaigns, J Balvin Mi Gente Remix video featuring Beyonce, and have been featured online in media outlets such as New York Times, Vanity Fair Italy, BuzzFeed, UPROXX, Now This, Yahoo, Elle USA, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and more.

When Amira and Kayla are not appearing on TV or online, they can be found deejaying for high profile celebrities, sporting teams, brands, and exclusive VIP events.

Praise for the twins is coming from their fans and today's hottest DJs, Music Producers, and Entertainers. Amira & Kayla have quickly gained a large online following including superstars like Rihanna.

Everyone seems to agree Amira & Kayla are two amazing kids with awesome musical talent who prove you’re never too young to follow your dreams!


Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/djsamiraandkayla/
https://www.instagram.com/djsamiraandkayla

George the Poet

Spoken Word Artist, Poet, Author and Podcaster

George the Poet is a London-born spoken word performer of Ugandan heritage. His innovative brand of musical poetry has won him critical acclaim both as a recording artist and social commentator and seen his work broadcast to billions of people worldwide. In 2019, his audio offering ‘Have You Heard George’s Podcast?’ won a prestigious Peabody Award and 5 Gold British Podcast Awards, including the highly-coveted Podcast of the Year. More accolades followed in the years to come, including an NME Award, two Gold ARIAS, three New York Festival Awards and more. The podcast was described by BBC R4 as “a story that could change the world”. George recently launched chapter 3 of the podcast, his latest book 'Have You Read George's Podcast?' and is now embarking on a PhD at UCL'S Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, under the supervision of the institute's founder, Mariana Mazzucato, and Reader in Educational Leadership At UCL's Institute Of Education, Dr. Karen Edge.

Harlem Gospel Choir

Gospel Choir

The World Famous Harlem Gospel Choir is synonymous with power vocals, glorious sound and infectious energy. For over two decades they have been America's premier gospel choir and have toured the globe thrilling audiences with the inspirational power of black gospel music. Harlem Gospel Choir have performed alongside superstars such as Bono, Diana Ross, The Gorillaz, Andre Rieu, Damon Albarn, Pharrell Williams, JamieXX, Sia, Sam Smith, The 1975 and American Authors. They have performed for three Presidents (President Obama, President Carter and President Nelson Mandela), two Popes (Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI) and have recorded with Keith Richards, The Chieftains, Trace Adkins and American Authors. In 2018 the choir performed with Sam Smith at the Grammy’s, and in the last three years they performed during Macys Thanks Giving Day Parade, the Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, and at the NBC Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center in New York.

Brandee Younger

Harpist

Somi

Artist

Dr. Kealoha Fox

President and Senior Advisor, Institute for Climate & Peace

Sukhmeet Singh Sachal

Medical Student and Founder of Sikh Health Foundation

Georgina Pazcoguin

The Rogue Ballerina

Mikaela Loach

Climate Justice Activist, Writer and Podcast Host

Govindraj Ethiraj

Founder, IndiaSpend and BOOMLive

Renée DiResta

Writer and Technical Research Manager, Stanford Internet Observatory

Blessing Omakwu

Head of Goalkeepers, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Helena Andrews-Dyer

Author

Tumelo Mothotoane

International TV/Radio Broadcaster

June Sarpong OBE

Broadcaster and BBC Director of Creative Diversity