Conference Speaker

Leila Hessini

Leila Hessini

I am a pan-African and feminist strategist, advisor, and connector who works across social justice organizations, movements and funds. My career has spanned working with private and public philanthropic institutions and women’s rights and social justice organizations in over 40 countries.

I currently am a strategist for the Harambee-Ubuntu initiative that envisions and is enacting an ecosystem of philanthropies grounded in pan-African and feminist values and principles, with shared infrastructure and mechanisms that strengthen social movements, activists and communities by moving money and other resources in service of their efforts to advance justice and equity.

I am an advisor to the Doria Feminist Fund, which provides grants and accompaniment support to feminist organizations across North Africa and the Middle East and I serve on the Adoye- African women in philanthropy steering committee at Wits University.