Leadership Institute Africa

Leadership Institute Africa
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  • More
    • Home
    • Design Principles
    • Proven Methodology
    • Program
    • Our Faculty
    • CONTACT US
Leadership Institute Africa
  • Home
  • Design Principles
  • Proven Methodology
  • Program
  • Our Faculty
  • CONTACT US

The Impact Team

Our team

We are a collective of practitioners who have navigated the same cultural silos and strategic pivots you face today. Our team doesn't just study leadership; we inhabit the space where human behavior meets organizational impact. We are dedicated to providing the high-touch, intimate guidance necessary to transform your real-world challenges into benchmarks of excellence.


Lead Facilitators

Dr. Ruby Ababio-Fernandez

Dr. Ruby Ababio-Fernandez is an author, established educator, speaker, and transformational leader with over two decades of experience in education and leadership development. She comes to the work with a wealth of experience in various roles, including teaching, school leadership, and district leadership. With an unyielding commitment to transforming the lives of adults, children, communities, and systems, 

Drawing from her professional experiences, she co-developed the “Five Pillars of Practice” from her book Shifting Self and System, which are crucial for leadership innovation and the new ways of being essential in today’s complex landscape. Dr. Ruby is passionate about driving deep system-level calibrations that involve all stakeholders. Her focus is primarily on addressing problems organizations aim to solve by examining their historical context and complexity. She has leveraged evidence-based decision-making to forge new paths that disrupt generational cycles of economic and educational insecurities from childhood into adulthood. Her contributions are rooted in reimagining the education system and building strategies that prioritize equitable outcomes and the full landscape of a high-quality education. She believes that true transformation begins with a deep understanding of personal strengths and experiences. This commitment fosters a psychologically safe and inclusive environment that promotes growth and resilience. 

Dr. Ruby’s deep expertise in developing leaders is a national consultant and has keynoted, presented, and facilitated leadership development for cross-sector leaders in Faith-based, Non-profit, Pk-12 Schools, as well as institutions and organizations including National University, Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, API Construction, Echoing Green, Tripadvisor among others. 

Her unique qualifications, combining Western and African-centered perspectives-collaboration, systems thinking and emergence strategies- position Dr. Ruby as a vital force for leaders and organizations across sectors committed to creating positive, lasting change. She holds a Doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Jason Greeen

Jason Green is the bestselling co-author of Blended Learning in Action, President and Co-Founder of Yourway Learning, and Chairperson of the EdSafe AI Industry Council. Inspired by his youth development and nonprofit work as a student at Morehouse College, Jason Green has dedicated his career to creating positive change in education. Jason has helped thousands of schools and districts reimagine and implement next generation teaching and learning. Based on a research collaboration with Stanford University Graduate School of Education, Jason develops AI-technology to deliver high quality, equitable learning to all students. Jason is a lifelong learner, new father, holds an MBA from the Wharton School, a M.S.Ed from the University of Pennsylvania, and speaks at leading universities and conferences around the world.

Dr. Kris DeFilippis

Dr. Kris DeFilippis is an educator, researcher, author, and activist whose work centers critical inquiry and improvement science to advance equity and anti-racism, shift organizational culture, reduce the existence of significant disproportionality, and focus on contextual strategic planning. Kris serves as a Clinical Professor and Program Director for Educational Leadership in New York University’s (NYU) Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Previously, as an executive director/assistant superintendent in the New York City Department of Education, Dr. DeFilippis coached district and school leadership and faculty to apply critical and context-specific improvement inquiry cycles to create and implement organizational change. In addition to district leadership, he has served public education systems in varying contexts in roles including a custodian, teacher’s aid, coach, teacher, department chairperson, and building administrator. 

Celeste Thompson

Celeste Thompson, SHRM-SCP is the Founder and Chief People Officer of Tribe Hunan Resources Consulting, a boutique HR consulting practice specializing in strategic people solutions for growing organizations. With over 20 years of progressive HR leadership experience, Celeste partners with CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs to architect comprehensive people strategies that drive business results while building cultures of excellence, inclusivity, and respect.

Currently serving as Fractional Chief People Officer for multiple organizations including Elite Valet, a PE-backed hospitality company, and Olivela Inc, a luxury ecommerce platform operating across US and UK markets, Celeste brings deep expertise in building HR infrastructure from the ground up. She previously served as Vice President of People for renowned brands including SoulCycle and The Body Shop North America, where she led comprehensive people strategies for thousands of employees across hundreds of locations.

Celeste’s HR journey began at Turnberry Isle, a luxury golf resort in Miami, before returning to her native New York where she rose through the ranks of HR leadership. She was part of the founding team that built Google’s New York office in 2003 and spent 14 transformative years at EILEEN FISHER, where she helped grow the company threefold while cultivating the values-driven, people-first culture that would inspire her life’s work.

It was at EILEEN FISHER where Celeste witnessed firsthand how intentional culture design creates extraordinary business outcomes. This experience inspired her to launch Tribe, bringing enterprise-level HR expertise to organizations that traditionally lack robust people infrastructure—small to medium-sized businesses, nonprofits, and B Corps. “I believe all companies should have access to sophisticated HR knowledge from the beginning,” Celeste explains. “My sweet spot is organizations without HR infrastructure who are ready to scale with intention.”

Celeste holds a BA in Business Administration from St. Thomas University and maintains certifications in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University’s ILR School, Strategic Workforce Planning from the Human Capital Institute, and is a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). She serves on multiple boards, including Association for Non Profit Professionals, and is a founding advisory board member of SEEDS Scholars, an organization nurturing young women’s leadership potential. Celeste is a member of Titan, Executive Women’s Network, and the Women's Forum of New York. 

A South Orange, NJ resident, Celeste is the proud mother of a son thriving in the sports industry. When she’s not helping organizations realize their full potential, she enjoys traveling to far-flung destinations, curating the perfect playlist, practicing Reiki, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Sosthenes Konutsey

At Leadership Institute Africa, we are dedicated to providing our clients with the highest level of business and management consulting services. We strive to help our clients achieve their goals and reach their full potential.


Administrative and Program Support

kara B. Asante

Kakra Benefo Asante is a project delivery and development professional with over a decade of experience managing multi-sector initiatives across corporate, NGO, and community settings. She holds an MBA in Project Management and has led and coordinated multi-million-dollar projects in close collaboration with governments, development partn

Kakra Benefo Asante is a project delivery and development professional with over a decade of experience managing multi-sector initiatives across corporate, NGO, and community settings. She holds an MBA in Project Management and has led and coordinated multi-million-dollar projects in close collaboration with governments, development partners, private sector organizations, and community stakeholders.

Kakra is known for bringing structure, clarity, and accountability to complex initiatives, translating ideas into well-executed programs that deliver measurable results. Passionate about youth empowerment, community development, and inclusive growth, she has contributed to programs that strengthen livelihoods and expand opportunities. She combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution and is driven by a strong commitment to impact, integrity, and continuous improvement.

Benedicta Koranteng

Boakye Antwi

Boakye Antwi

Center for Leadership Innovation

Accra, Ghana

+233 0245860120

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