Joyce Ayodele

A Nigerian social entrepreneur who pioneered initiatives to empower African women in leadership roles through education and mentorship

Joyce Ayodele (b. 1983) is a visionary entrepreneur and advocate for women's empowerment in Africa. As founder of She Leads Africa, she created the continent's largest network connecting 10,000+ African women leaders across 40+ countries. This platform provides training, mentorship and funding opportunities that have directly impacted over 500,000 women since 2012. Ayodele's work addresses systemic barriers through initiatives like the Women's Leadership Academy and the African Women Economic Empowerment Index.

Her groundbreaking blog series challenges traditional leadership models, proposing frameworks for inclusive decision-making. In 2016 she launched the #MyAfricaMyWorth campaign that garnered 2 billion social media impressions. Ayodele's approach combines grassroots organizing with corporate partnerships - her network has secured $12M in funding for women-led ventures. She serves on UN Women's Africa advisory board and was named one of Africa's 100 Most Influential Women (2018).

Key innovations include the Leadership Development Framework adopted by 20 African governments and the Africa Women's Leadership Index measuring gender equity progress. Her TED Talk 'Reimagining Leadership for Africa's Future' has over 1.5M views. Ayodele's impact extends beyond entrepreneurship - she developed curricula now used in 50 universities to teach culturally-relevant leadership principles.