Olapeju Ibekwe is a seasoned business leader, filmmaker, and sustainability professional with keen interests in women empowerment, youth development access to quality education, and better healthcare.

With two decades of corporate experience, she has built expertise in brand and marketing communications, strategy formulation and execution, team management, process improvement, strategic partnerships, and business expansion.

She currently oversees all operations and initiatives at the Sterling One Foundation, a social change vehicle focused on tackling the root causes of poverty in Nigeria. Under this non-profit, she works with and supports various non-profits across the African continent in capacity building, and amplifying impact within the Foundation’s key focus areas - healthcare, climate action, youth development and education, gender equality and women empowerment, and food security. Part of her work includes leveraging technology for alternative financing for social impact projects through Africa’s first free crowdfunding platform - Giving.ng. She also works with the private and public sectors on social impact initiatives, and spearheads coalition-building between the different sectors through the Africa Social Impact Summit.

Peju sits on the board of the One Health Initiative where she helps shape impactful policies and initiatives for medical practitioners and everyday Nigerians seeking better healthcare.

As a movie producer, she uses her work within the media and creative space to raise awareness about gender issues, especially gender-based violence while actively supporting young girls through mentorship, providing business advisory for very early-stage entrepreneurs, and supporting climate action initiatives in coastal communities.

Olapeju Ibekwe has received various awards in the social impact space, including the Leadership Impact Award in Nonprofit Management at the CSR Reporters Philanthropic Awards on Social Impact and Sustainability Practices, and was named in Ventures Africa’s Top 20 Women of Impact in 2023.

Godfrey Orji is a skilled brand communication professional and project manager who combines storytelling skills with technical abilities to help drive sustainable development through business innovation. He is currently a Project Lead at Sterling One Foundation, where he manages the non-profit’s multi-sectoral platform, the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS). The platform is focused on accelerating action on the SDGs in Africa through partnership building and policy advocacy. Through it, Godfrey hosts an annual deal room that connects young entrepreneurs with impact-focused businesses to investors and business advisors to help them scale their impact solutions. Over the last 3 years, Godfrey has, through ASIS, connected over 35 businesses to investment opportunities and convened about 4000 development professionals across the private and public sectors, as well as the civil society space, to help reimagine development in Africa.

Prior to his current role, Godfrey's keen interest in youth empowerment and education led him to co-found a talent marketplace startup, AtYourService, which connects African youths to job opportunities. He also launched an advocacy project that highlights the challenges of special needs children in Nigeria and the need for more inclusive education. Godfrey is a Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) West Africa Fellow and received formal training in Civil Society Management as part of this fellowship.

Arome Agenyi is a development professional with expertise in Governance (Election, Peace and Security, Public sector reform), Research, Environmental Justice, and Policy Analysis. He holds a Master of Arts in Governance, Development, and Public Policy from the renowned Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. He is a member of the Historical Society of Nigeria and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs-NIIA.

Arome has served as a member of the Presidential Committee on Youth and Anti-Corruption Campaigns, and provided technical support to the Department of Political Affairs of the African Union through the European Union funded project. 

Before joining the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) West Africa, Arome worked with Plan International Nigeria, where he provided technical assistance on youth engagement in humanitarian programs for both the organization and the Borno State Government. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Learning and Development, a consultancy firm based in Abuja, Nigeria; Co-founder Partnership for Inclusive Development in Africa.

Arome Agenyi leads the Sterling One Foundation’s Climate Action and Food Security Program and provides technical support on program design and fundraising.

A dynamic and results-driven Communications strategist, Nneamaka Okenwa brings a wealth of expertise in digital marketing, media strategy, and brand communications. With a background in media advertising, she has successfully developed and executed high-impact media strategies for top multinational brands, managing multi-channel campaigns.

A first-class communicator and strategist, Nneamaka is highly skilled in content marketing, social media management, paid advertising, and campaign analytics, consistently delivering data-driven insights to optimize performance. Her excellence in marketing strategy is backed by a B.A. in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan.

From crafting compelling brand narratives to shaping impactful communication strategies, Nneamaka is driven by one purpose—connecting people to stories that inspire action. Passionate about brand storytelling and audience engagement, she thrives at building meaningful connections between brands and their audiences. With her analytical mindset, creativity, and leadership skills, she continues to drive impactful communication strategies that elevate brand visibility and business growth.

Beyond strategy and numbers, Nneamaka believes in the power of words to transform businesses and lives. Whether managing campaigns or driving social impact, she brings heart, insight, and innovation to every project she touches.

Chiwendu Isaiah is a communications and digital marketing professional with over six years of experience collaborating with brands across diverse industries including professional services, technology, sustainability, and manufacturing. She specializes in strategic communications, crafting compelling narratives and executing integrated marketing campaigns that help businesses attract their target customers, optimize ROI, and drive revenue.

Throughout her career, she has managed media crises, developed sustainability initiatives, and led successful marketing communications strategies and media campaigns, ensuring seamless execution and optimal results. She works closely with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to deliver projects on schedule, within budget, and to the highest standard.

As a forward-thinking individual, Chiwendu stays ahead of industry trends and leverages new technologies to enhance communications and marketing strategies.  She holds an MSc in Digital Transformation and a degree in Mass Communication (Second Class Upper) from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State. Chiwendu is a graduate member of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations.

David Lawal holds Associate Degrees in Health from the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA in COVID-19 Contact Tracing, with about 6 years of dedication to Humanitarian service and social impact. With expertise in Social Behaviour Change (SBCC) communication, David is the Program Lead for Health and Gender Equality at Sterling One Foundation, Nigeria. In this role, David spearheads strategic initiatives that bridge the gap between quality healthcare and gender empowerment, working tirelessly to create sustainable, community-driven solutions.

With extensive experience in health programming, social impact and program management, He designs and implements innovative projects that address systemic challenges and promote inclusive growth across Nigeria. Passionate about social justice and committed to fostering environments where every voice is heard, David collaborates with diverse stakeholders—from private to public and the third sector—to drive impactful change and uplift marginalized groups in Nigeria.

David is an alumnus of the Deloitte-funded innovative lab, UNLEASHLAB in Copenhagen, Denmark with a focus on incubating and formulating innovative ideas to drive SDG 3 (Health). He was also one of the Nigerian Delegates to the United Nations World Press Freedom Day in Riga, Latvia, where he headed the United Nations (UN) Youth Newsroom for the event.

Ife Elegbede is a strategic communications professional and current Communications Lead at Sterling One Foundation. With a career spanning the public, private and development sectors, he has led high-impact campaigns across industries including finance, telecommunications and international development, delivering strong results in media visibility, stakeholder engagement and brand positioning.

He holds a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos, grounding his work in a deep understanding of global affairs, public policy and cultural dynamics. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

At Sterling One Foundation, Ife leads communications for programmes that address critical issues such as education, gender equality, climate action and food security. He directed visibility and media strategy for the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS), achieving zero negative sentiment and overwhelming positive media coverage, establishing the summit as a leading platform for impact and sustainability in Africa.

His previous roles include executing corporate and financial communications at Coronation Merchant Bank and serving as a PR consultant for MTN Nigeria under Black House Media, where he led national campaigns and crisis communication efforts. Ife was a part of the three-man team that managed the MTN–GLO interconnect debt issue, steering the crisis response and shaping public messaging during a critical reputational moment.

Ife’s career is defined by his ability to navigate complex industries, develop narratives that resonate and drive communications strategies that align with both social impact and business goals.

Gideon Achomhi currently serves as the Grants and Research Lead at the Sterling One Foundation. Gideon brings onboard a wide range of experience in Sustainable Development. In the course of his professional career, he has implemented local and international donor funded programs in Enterprise Development, Health, Education, Agriculture and Governance. His work has enabled him to implement programs funded from Bread For The World (BFTW), Germany, Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Livewire projects, USADF-LSETF projects among others.

He was with the Conditional Grants Scheme Unit at the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) Abuja, Accord For Community Development, Centre for Information Development (CFID) where he served as an integral team member coordinating cross-cutting grant schemes and project implementation drive across Nigeria. Similarly, he had a stint at First City Monument Bank Limited where he served as a link man to secure loans for different categories of people among others.

Gideon Achomhi is a skilled Enterprise Development professional as he has coordinated various TVET (Technical Vocational Education Training) programs where he has consistently guided would be Entrepreneurs in their quest to get in-roads into the businesses of their choice.

He is a trained Economist and Statistician, member of the Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management of Nigeria (CILRM). He is a Chartered Secretary and Administrator as he is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN). With his love for instilling knowledge and skills, he has  lectured Corporate Financial Management at ICSAN study centre in Rivers State where he has made great impact in scholarly development of professionals among other strides.

Samuel Ajayi is a Program Design and Operations professional at Sterling One Foundation, a role he assumed in August 2023.

He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sociology from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, and has over 12 years of experience in governance and social development. Throughout his career, he has worked on high-impact initiatives supported by Ford Foundation, USAID, ECOWAS, Trust Africa, the Disability Rights Fund, and ActionAid, among others. His expertise includes program design, monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL); evidence-based advocacy; and gender and disability mainstreaming.

Before joining Sterling One Foundation, Samuel was the Program Coordinator at Human Development Initiatives Foundation, Nigeria, where he managed large-scale social intervention programs nationwide. As a senior management team member, he played a pivotal role in fundraising, system strengthening, and strategic growth, driving impactful collaborations with national and international partners.

Tina Fasugbe is a professional gender advocate, with a background in marketing. Currently studying at Nexford. She was the vice president of SIFE( Student in Free Enterprise) now known as Enactus while she was an undergraduate. She started her career as a customer service executive, and she has a decade of experience in girl child development and empowerment. She's the founder and creative director of Tiqimage, a girl-child image firm that aims to raise confident and self-aware girls.  Since 2016, she has been working tirelessly to provide a supportive environment where girls can thrive and overcome gender based challenges.

She focuses on addressing the issues that girls face, such as low self-esteem, bullying, and abuse. She has reached over 20,000 girls through Tiqimage  learning experience. Tina also serves as a director on the project board of SHIELD, where she plays a crucial role in overseeing the project's strategic direction, governance, and operations, and she is also the principal coach at the Bold, Beautiful, and Brave Mastery online Academy.

Tina has served in different leadership capacities in a few organizations for over ten years. She's a published author, with a book titled "Date Me Date Her: Mom and Daughter Adventure"

Tina's dedication to empowering girls is truly inspiring, and her work continues to make positive impact on the lives of many young girls. She currently works at Sterling One Foundation as an associate. She overseas SOF admin. and operations. She is happily married and blessed with three awesome children.

Tomilayo Balogun is a product management professional and the current Product Manager at Giving.ng, a leading crowdfunding platform under Sterling One Foundation. She brings a strong background in building scalable financial technology solutions that create meaningful impact for individuals and businesses, having led multiple successful product developments.

At Sterling One Foundation, Tomilayo drives product strategy and cross-functional collaboration, aligning technical, operational, marketing, and partnership teams to deliver impactful solutions.

Prior to joining Sterling One Foundation, Tomilayo contributed to product development across the fintech and banking ecosystem, working on virtual banking products, payment solutions, and customer relationship management systems at Softcom Limited and Eyowo MFB. Through these roles, she built a reputation for translating complex user needs into intuitive, impactful solutions.

Her career is defined by her ability to drive product innovation, lead multidisciplinary teams, and deliver outcomes that balance social good with business growth. Passionate about leveraging technology for impact, Tomilayo continues to champion initiatives that empower and foster sustainable development across Nigeria and beyond.