OUR LEADERSHIP
OUR LEADERSHIP
Alex Fulcher
Senior Director, Tech and Product
London, UK
Alex Fulcher
Senior Director, Tech and Product
London, UK
Boladale Akin-Kolapo
Country Director
Abuja, Nigeria
Boladale Akin-Kolapo
Country Director
Abuja, Nigeria
Caroline Wangeci
Senior Director, Evidence and Insights
Nairobi, Kenya
Caroline Wangeci
Senior Director, Evidence and Insights
Nairobi, Kenya
Dale Mwangi
Senior Director, Media Programming Practices
Nairobi, Kenya
Dale Mwangi
Senior Director, Media Programming Practices
Nairobi, Kenya
Ernest Kabera
Finance Director
London, UK
Ernest Kabera
Finance Director
London, UK
Jessica Posner Odede
Chief Executive Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
Jessica Posner Odede
Chief Executive Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
Joyce Wanderi-Maina
Chief Program Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
Joyce Wanderi-Maina
Chief Program Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
Karina Rios Michel
Chief Creative and Technology Officer
London, UK
Karina Rios Michel
Chief Creative and Technology Officer
London, UK
Kavita Ayyagari
Country Director, India
Mumbai, India
Kavita Ayyagari
Country Director, India
Mumbai, India
Lidya Mulat
Country Director, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Lidya Mulat
Country Director, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Lindsey Evans
Senior Director, Social Behaviour Change Communications
London, UK
Lindsey Evans
Senior Director, Social Behaviour Change Communications
London, UK
Dr. Lisa Mulenga
Country Director, South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr. Lisa Mulenga
Country Director, South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa
Lorna Qesteri, PhD
Chief Partnerships Officer
London, UK
Lorna Qesteri, PhD
Chief Partnerships Officer
London, UK
Mutaf Rifat
Chief Financial Officer
Dubai, UAE
Mutaf Rifat
Chief Financial Officer
Dubai, UAE
Nancy Njoki
Country Director, Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
Nancy Njoki
Country Director, Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
Rachel M. Mutuku
Global Programs Director
Nairobi, Kenya
Rachel M. Mutuku
Global Programs Director
Nairobi, Kenya
Rita Mbeba
Country Director, Tanzania
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Rita Mbeba
Country Director, Tanzania
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Stefani Thatcher
Director, CEO Office
London, UK
Stefani Thatcher
Director, CEO Office
London, UK
Tabatha Bruce
Chief Business Officer
London, UK
Tabatha Bruce
Chief Business Officer
London, UK
Vicky Grainger
Senior Director, People & Culture
London, UK
Vicky Grainger
Senior Director, People & Culture
London, UK
Alex Fulcher
Senior Director, Tech and Product
London, UK
Alex Fulcher
Senior Director, Tech and Product
London, UK
Boladale Akin-Kolapo
Country Director
Abuja, Nigeria
Boladale Akin-Kolapo
Country Director
Abuja, Nigeria
Caroline Wangeci
Senior Director, Evidence and Insights
Nairobi, Kenya
Caroline Wangeci
Senior Director, Evidence and Insights
Nairobi, Kenya
Dale Mwangi
Senior Director, Media Programming Practices
Nairobi, Kenya
Dale Mwangi
Senior Director, Media Programming Practices
Nairobi, Kenya
Ernest Kabera
Finance Director
London, UK
Ernest Kabera
Finance Director
London, UK
Jessica Posner Odede
Chief Executive Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
Jessica Posner Odede
Chief Executive Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
Joyce Wanderi-Maina
Chief Program Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
Joyce Wanderi-Maina
Chief Program Officer
Nairobi, Kenya
Karina Rios Michel
Chief Creative and Technology Officer
London, UK
Karina Rios Michel
Chief Creative and Technology Officer
London, UK
Kavita Ayyagari
Country Director, India
Mumbai, India
Kavita Ayyagari
Country Director, India
Mumbai, India
Lidya Mulat
Country Director, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Lidya Mulat
Country Director, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Lindsey Evans
Senior Director, Social Behaviour Change Communications
London, UK
Lindsey Evans
Senior Director, Social Behaviour Change Communications
London, UK
Dr. Lisa Mulenga
Country Director, South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa
Dr. Lisa Mulenga
Country Director, South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa
Lorna Qesteri, PhD
Chief Partnerships Officer
London, UK
Lorna Qesteri, PhD
Chief Partnerships Officer
London, UK
Mutaf Rifat
Chief Financial Officer
Dubai, UAE
Mutaf Rifat
Chief Financial Officer
Dubai, UAE
Nancy Njoki
Country Director, Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
Nancy Njoki
Country Director, Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
Rachel M. Mutuku
Global Programs Director
Nairobi, Kenya
Rachel M. Mutuku
Global Programs Director
Nairobi, Kenya
Rita Mbeba
Country Director, Tanzania
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Rita Mbeba
Country Director, Tanzania
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Stefani Thatcher
Director, CEO Office
London, UK
Stefani Thatcher
Director, CEO Office
London, UK
Tabatha Bruce
Chief Business Officer
London, UK
Tabatha Bruce
Chief Business Officer
London, UK
Vicky Grainger
Senior Director, People & Culture
London, UK
Vicky Grainger
Senior Director, People & Culture
London, UK
OUR BOARD
OUR BOARD
Alex Kuruvilla
Chair Emeritus
Condé Nast India
Alex Kuruvilla
Chair Emeritus
Condé Nast India
Alex Morgan
Soccer Champion & Entrepreneur
Alex Morgan
Soccer Champion & Entrepreneur
Edith Jibunoh
Director, External Affairs
World Bank
Edith Jibunoh
Director, External Affairs
World Bank
Erin Hohlfelder
Advisor & Strategist
Erin Hohlfelder
Advisor & Strategist
Ime Archibong
VP, Product Management
Meta
Ime Archibong
VP, Product Management
Meta
Jim Citrin
Leader & Head
Spencer Stuart CEO Practice
Jim Citrin
Leader & Head
Spencer Stuart CEO Practice
Jonathan Goodwin
Entrepreneur & Investor
Jonathan Goodwin
Entrepreneur & Investor
Jonathan Newhouse
Chair, Condé Nast & Girl Effect Board
Jonathan Newhouse
Chair, Condé Nast & Girl Effect Board
Jorge G. Casimiro
VP, Chief of Public Policy & Social Impact Officer, NIKE Inc. & President, NIKE Foundation
NIKE Inc. & NIKE Foundation
Jorge G. Casimiro
VP, Chief of Public Policy & Social Impact Officer, NIKE Inc. & President, NIKE Foundation
NIKE Inc. & NIKE Foundation
Maria Eitel
Founder & Chair Emeritus
Girl Effect
Maria Eitel
Founder & Chair Emeritus
Girl Effect
Natasha Poonawalla
Director
Serum Institute of India
Natasha Poonawalla
Director
Serum Institute of India
Nina Kjellson
General Partner
Canaan
Nina Kjellson
General Partner
Canaan
Rebecca Lily Oppenheimer
Writer & Bridge-Builder
Rebecca Lily Oppenheimer
Writer & Bridge-Builder
Salma Hayek Pinault
Producer, Director, Actor & Activist
Salma Hayek Pinault
Producer, Director, Actor & Activist
Alex Kuruvilla
Chair Emeritus
Condé Nast India
Alex Kuruvilla
Chair Emeritus
Condé Nast India
Alex Morgan
Soccer Champion & Entrepreneur
Alex Morgan
Soccer Champion & Entrepreneur
Edith Jibunoh
Director, External Affairs
World Bank
Edith Jibunoh
Director, External Affairs
World Bank
Erin Hohlfelder
Advisor & Strategist
Erin Hohlfelder
Advisor & Strategist
Ime Archibong
VP, Product Management
Meta
Ime Archibong
VP, Product Management
Meta
Jim Citrin
Leader & Head
Spencer Stuart CEO Practice
Jim Citrin
Leader & Head
Spencer Stuart CEO Practice
Jonathan Goodwin
Entrepreneur & Investor
Jonathan Goodwin
Entrepreneur & Investor
Jonathan Newhouse
Chair, Condé Nast & Girl Effect Board
Jonathan Newhouse
Chair, Condé Nast & Girl Effect Board
Jorge G. Casimiro
VP, Chief of Public Policy & Social Impact Officer, NIKE Inc. & President, NIKE Foundation
NIKE Inc. & NIKE Foundation
Jorge G. Casimiro
VP, Chief of Public Policy & Social Impact Officer, NIKE Inc. & President, NIKE Foundation
NIKE Inc. & NIKE Foundation
Maria Eitel
Founder & Chair Emeritus
Girl Effect
Maria Eitel
Founder & Chair Emeritus
Girl Effect
Natasha Poonawalla
Director
Serum Institute of India
Natasha Poonawalla
Director
Serum Institute of India
Nina Kjellson
General Partner
Canaan
Nina Kjellson
General Partner
Canaan
Rebecca Lily Oppenheimer
Writer & Bridge-Builder
Rebecca Lily Oppenheimer
Writer & Bridge-Builder
Salma Hayek Pinault
Producer, Director, Actor & Activist
Salma Hayek Pinault
Producer, Director, Actor & Activist
Putting Girls on the Global Agenda
Launched by the Nike Foundation, we were founded on a single premise: that the most effective way to break the cycle of global poverty is to improve the situation of adolescent girls.
By 2009, we were challenging global leaders to think differently about girls, launching ‘‘The Clock is Ticking" at the World Economic Forum in Davos and building crucial partnerships with the Novo Foundation and United Nations Foundation.
In 2010, we launched Girl Hub with DFID, laying the groundwork for transformative initiatives that combine the most successful approaches with the biggest opportunities to scale.
Creating Cultural Movements
We launched groundbreaking youth brands that would change the landscape of girl-focused programming.
In 2015, Girl Effect became an independent organization.
Our digital presence grew too: in 2017, we transformed Girl Effect Mobile into Springster, partnering with Facebook Free Basics to connect girls globally with content, services, and advice.
That same year, we launched Zathu in Malawi, using music to unite boys and girls and address HIV rates through our partnership with PEPFAR DREAMS.
Our global advocacy work with 25+ development partners ensured that girls featured prominently in the Sustainable Development Goals. It was a landmark moment - the first time girls' needs were explicitly and substantively included in the global development framework.
Empowering Girls to Make Informed
Choices and Creating Lasting Change
In 2019, we developed a Theory of Change that places girls at the center as active drivers of transformation, acknowledging their reality while empowering them to shape their futures. In order to best serve the girls and communities we serve, we transformed our organization to be more locally led - ensuring that the majority of our technical experts are from the communities we serve.