Conference Speakers

Leila Davids

Strategic Philanthropy Advisor for Africa, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Leila Davids

Leila Davids provides strategic philanthropy advisory services for philanthropists, family offices and foundations through her company, Philanthropy Africa. Her focus is on deepening generosity to build for the future. She supports bold ideas and smart investments to tackle deep challenges, with a particular focus on African solutions. Leila is currently the Strategic Philanthropy Advisor for Africa to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Through her work with the Solidarity Fund and on the pioneering Sisonke Study’s early vaccine access, she played a leading role in the fight against COVID 19. With over 20 years’ experience in private philanthropy and development, Leila has designed, implemented, and measured large-scale multi-country high-impact interventions in education, health, gender, nutrition, and climate change, across sub–Saharan Africa, South Asia, China, and Latin America. Leila holds an Masters in Social Science (cum laude) from the University of Cape Town. She is an Africa Leadership Initiative Fellow through the Aspen Institute and sits on the board of Khetimpilo.