Ndidi Nwuneli
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is a Nigeria-based social entrepreneur and author who has long worked in international development, agriculture, and nutrition in Africa. She founded the leadership development organization LEAP Africa and African Food Changemakers, co-founded Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition and AACE Foods, served as president and CEO of the international advocacy organization ONE, and has been a trustee of The Rockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation headquartered in New York City. It was chartered by New York State legislation in 1913 with funding from Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller, with the mission “to promote the well-being of mankind throughout the world.” In its early years it funded global public health, medical education, and yellow fever vaccine research; in the mid-20th century it supported agricultural programs that came to be known as the “Green Revolution”; and in recent years it has focused its work on energy, health, food, and climate.Open the full entry since 2019.
Contents9 sections
Key facts
Early Life: Education and McKinsey
Nwuneli graduated with honors from the Wharton School of the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania, commonly called Penn, is a private research university and Ivy League member in Philadelphia. It traces its origins to a 1740 charity-school project; Benjamin Franklin proposed his academy in 1749, classes began in 1751, and a 1791 merger established the institution under its present name. Penn has 12 schools, with undergraduate education concentrated in arts and sciences, engineering, nursing and Wharton. Enrollment totaled 29,384 in fall 2025, and the fiscal 2025 endowment was $24.81 billion. As of October 2026, J. Larry Jameson was president, with his term scheduled to end on June 30, 2027.Open the full entry with an undergraduate degree, later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, and subsequently received a doctorate from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. She began her career as a management consultant in the Chicago office of McKinsey & Company, serving global fast-moving consumer goods companies in North America.[1][2][2]
2000Returning to Nigeria as FATE Foundation’s First Executive Director
In 2000, Nwuneli returned to Nigeria to become the first executive director of the FATE Foundation.[1]
March 2018TED Talk on Faith and African Development
In March 2018, TED published Nwuneli’s talk “The role of faith and belief in modern Africa.” She urged religious Africans not to use God as a way to avoid responsibility for their own lives, and asked nonbelievers to remain open and to work with religious organizations on issues such as health care and education.[3][3][3]
2019Joining the Board of The Rockefeller Foundation
May 2022TED Talk on the Food System
Founded Organizations and ONE
Nwuneli founded LEAP Africa, a nonprofit dedicated to developing dynamic, innovative, and principled African leaders, and African Food Changemakers, which supports African entrepreneurs in building and scaling resilient, sustainable agribusinesses; she also co-founded the agriculture and nutrition advisory firm Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition Ltd. and the food processing and distribution company AACE Foods Processing & Distribution Ltd., and as of October 2026 she is executive chair of Sahel Consulting. Her newest venture, Changing Narratives Africa, is dedicated to showcasing Africa’s culinary heritage and supporting homegrown African food brands.[1][1][2][3][3]
She previously served as president and CEO of the international advocacy organization ONE, managing teams in the United States, Germany, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Nordic countries, South Africa, Nigeria, and Senegal and mobilizing investment to improve health and economic opportunity for people in Africa.[2][1]
Board Roles, Fellowships, and Honors
As of October 2026, Nwuneli serves on the boards of The Rockefeller Foundation, Fondation Chanel, Stanbic IBTC Group, the ONE Campaign, and the Bridgespan Group; she has previously served on the boards of organizations including Godrej Consumer Products India, Nestle Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries, the African Philanthropy Forum, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Helios-Fairfax Africa, and Cornerstone Insurance.[2][2]
She has been a senior fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard Kennedy School and a visiting scholar at McGill University’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, and she is an Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow and an Eisenhower Fellow. The World Economic Forum has recognized her as a Schwab Fellow and a Young Global Leader, and she has received a Nigerian national honor and the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award.[1][1]
Her books include Social Innovation in Africa: A Practical Guide for Scaling Impact and Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses, both published by Routledge, as well as Walking for God in the Marketplace; she also contributed a chapter to For the World’s Profit: How Business Can Support Sustainable Development, published by the Brookings Institution.[2][2]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition: Official website: https://sahelconsult.com/ (opens in a new window).[2]
The Rockefeller Foundation: Official website: https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/ (opens in a new window).[1]