#ECW 2025

Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of AMedit Magazine: Anna co-founded AMedit Magazine with partner Michel Temeteme,  Ethiopia’s first bilingual fashion and lifestyle magazine that is 100% Made in Africa. Launched in 2021, this publication spans over 150 pages and covers diverse topics, including fashion, design, culture, beauty, art, food, and travel within Ethiopia and the continent at large. Available in both Amharic and English, AMedit Magazine features inspirational interviews with local game-changers and promotes Ethiopian and other African fashion industry leaders and innovative designers to a global audience. www.ameditmagazine.com

Founder and Chairman of The Ethiopian Children’s Fund (ECF): Anna established the ECF Children’s Fund, a non-profit social enterprise, registered 501c3 in the US, and international NGO in Ethiopia. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, ECF includes a large-scale special school and vocational training center, a primary health center, a farm, and an environmental promotion and conservation site. The school has provided comprehensive care for over 1,500 children, primarily orphans and those from highly disadvantaged, low-income backgrounds. www.ethiopianchildrensfund.org

Personal Life: Anna holds a BA degree in Management Studies and Marketing. She enjoyed a successful career as an international model, working in major fashion hubs like New York, Paris, London and Milan for a decade. Anna is happily married and a proud mother of two children.

Currently he is a Board Member at Networked.Co. Prior to his current role, Abiy was the VP, responsible for Oracle Cloud covering the Middle East and Africa, he has also led the Independent Software Vendor (ISV) business for Oracle Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

In previous years, Abiy was Vice President of Software at IBM leading the Financial Service Sector to be the number one market in North America [2016 to 2018]. In this role, he was responsible for driving industry specific solutions for banking, insurance and financial markets by leveraging the entire IBM Software Portfolio and Service offerings.

From 2015 – 2016, he was the VP of Analytics Software at IBM in North America, with a team of 2,000+ and $2 Billion in revenue. During his tenure, he accelerated the transformation of Analytics to deliver more client value with a robust go-to-market strategy. He led IBM’s Analytics business across North America, including AI, Big Data and Database, Information Integration and Governance, Enterprise Content Management, IoT and Analytic tools.

From 2010 to 2014, he was the VP for IBM Middleware North America team, a multi-billion-dollar business that was IBM’s solution to build, deploy, integrate, manage and optimize IT environments in Cloud and on-Premises.

In 2005, Abiy was recognized as Business Unit Executive of the Year at IBM.

Prior to joining IBM, Abiy worked at Bell Communications Research, as a Software Developer for 3 years. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with. He is married with two children and resides in NJ.

Currently, Hilina serves as the Vice President of Technology Strategy at Edelman, a global communications and strategy firm that partners with businesses to evolve, promote, and protect their brands and reputations through data-driven insights and Edelman’s Trust research findings.

As Vice President of Technology Strategy, Hilina collaborates with clients to define their business and communication goals, translating them into practical technology solutions. Her unique blend of business acumen and technical expertise positions her to advise both the CTO/CIO and CMO offices, aligning their visions. Hilina actively works with cross-functional teams of developers, designers, and data intelligence experts to build products and digital experiences. Her diverse portfolio includes sectors such as technology, healthcare, finance, and retail, serving clients like Microsoft/LinkedIn, Unilever/Dove, White Claw, eBay, Amgen, JNJ, and Asana.

Motivated by an intense desire to learn and make the world a better place, Hilina focuses on solving problems relevant to both markets and society. She is a partner at the Score 3 Foundation, an organization focused on providing social and financial capital for women, Black, and Brown technology startup founders. Additionally, she serves as an advisor at the University of Maryland’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, counseling student-led startups seeking to commercialize their research.
Hilina holds a BS in Electrical Engineering with Biomedical specialization from Southern Methodist University, a Master Certificate in Systems Design and Project Leadership from Cornell University, and a Customer-Focused Product and Service Design certification.

Self thought in tech through my initiation at a support helpdesk job for Intercontinental Hotels Group, I spent the last 20+ years as a ‘tech generalist’ navigating the space between technology and business.  Currently, I am a senior director at Microsoft in the State and Local Government organizaiton leading a team of Cyberseurity engineers.  

Along with a team of quants, Selemon is responsible for models used to measure (a) the value-at-risk due to changes in interest rates, commodity prices, foreign exchange rates, volatility, etc., (b) the level of capital cushion required to withstand such losses, and (c) the potential exposure that could be at risk in case counterparties default on a trade.

Selemon has over 20 years of experience in the Financial Services industry in various quantitative capacities including financial modeling, model risk management, and market risk management. Previous positions include Wells Fargo, Fannie Mae, AIG Trading Group, as well as a software R&D role in a speech-recognition start-up. Selemon holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Brown University, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College in Mathematics and Computer Science, with a minor in Studio Art.

As a Strategic Leader and Digital Transformation Evangelist with over 19 years of experience, Neby has driven operational excellence and spearheaded digital transformation for Fortune 500 clients, including Sony, Pfizer, and Google. His expertise lies in leveraging digital technologies, AI, and analytics to enhance business processes, operational efficiency, and customer engagement.

Neby’s extensive career includes notable positions at AKQA, KPMG, AOL, and WFP, where he developed a deep understanding of the digital landscape and honed his skills in delivering impactful solutions. He has also worked on government transformation projects across Sub-Saharan countries.

Neby holds both a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology and Computer Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

With over a decade of experience in medical nutrition therapy, including at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Wintana empowers busy women to reclaim their health and confidence through education, habit-building, and personalized styling.

Featured in top publications like Huffington Post, Webmd, Prevention and Shape, she’s recognized for her expertise and co-authored “28-Day Anti-inflammatory Diet” book. Celebrated as one of “10 RDs Making a Difference” by Today’s Dietitian, Wintana is not only a leader in her field but also a passionate advocate for minority-owned businesses and enjoying quality time with her family.

As the founder of Shikorinha by Habi, a holistic skincare and wellness brand, and Shikorina Labs, a product development lab in Philadelphia, Haben and her team provide custom treatments addressing clients’ most pressing cosmetic concerns while educating them on improving their overall health and wellness. Her holistic approach and generous sharing of knowledge have made her a beloved expert trusted by thousands worldwide.

Born in Asmara, Eritrea, Haben grew up observing her grandmother create natural remedies using traditional herbs and spices for wellness and beauty practices. Inspired by these formative experiences, she learned that nature provides the ingredients needed to heal our skin and bodies.

At the age of four, Haben moved to the U.S. with her mother. A creative child, she cultivated a love for plants and a passion for health and wellness. She graduated from Penn State Abington  with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. In 2018, Haben opened the Shikorina  by Habi studio and became certified in making natural skincare products. She obtained an Advanced Diploma in Organic Cosmetic Science from Formula Botanica, enabling her to revamp her previous line with advanced professional formulas. In 2019, she received her Diploma from Hearts of Herb Herbalism School and became an Herbalist, and in 2020, she earned the title of Master Clinical Herbalist. In 2023, she became certified as a Naturopathy Practitioner .

The passing of her grandmother due to breast cancer motivated Haben to expand her platform beyond beauty and educate her community on living a healthier lifestyle. While clients might seek Haben for their aesthetic concerns, she addresses the root cause, recognizing that every external condition has an internal connection. With this holistic approach to skin and health, Haben passionately lives out her mission to help people feel beautiful and confident in their skin.

Haben Girmay’s dedication to holistic wellness and her expertise in natural remedies continue to inspire and educate her clients and followers, making her a revered figure in the world of skincare and wellness.

She holds a M.A. in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University, where her research focused on promoting food sovereignty across the African continent. More narrowly, she criticized the role of the intellectual property rights system in facilitating vertical monopolistic control over African agricultural systems among transnational seed corporations.

Mehari was recently appointed Executive Director of the Civil Courage Prize, which is awarded annually to an individual or group who demonstrates a steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk. Since the year 2000, the Prize has been awarded to world renown activists, journalists, opposition leaders, authors, and other rights advocates. Former laureates include Dr. Denis Mukwege, Lydia Cacho Ribiero, and the late Alexei Navalny. In addition to her role at the Civil Courage Prize, Mehari also serves as the [alumna] Editor in Chief for the Student Journal for the Study of Human Rights, in affiliation with Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights.

Immediately before her appointment as Executive Director, Mehari worked as both an Oslo Freedom Forum  Consultant and Development & Strategy Associate for the Human Rights Foundation (HRF). Her work at HRF focused on promoting human rights in authoritarian regimes through supporting dissidents and human rights activists operating on the ground and in exile.

Aside from her academic and professional pursuits, Mehari enjoys drawing, creative writing, spending time with friends and family, and dancing!

Eden has a passion for serving the underserved consumer and working on brands with purpose. Eden also has prior strategy experience at Samsung and served as an analytics consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. Outside of work, Eden enjoys traveling and cooking new recipes. Eden’s family is originally from Eritrea, but she was born and raised in Northern Virginia. Eden holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s in Operations Research from MIT.

In recent years she has shifted to community empowerment and she has been focusing on equity work. She has three teenagers and she has been through a lot of challenges navigating the western system in both her career and as a parent. Because of those challenges she found a gap that needs to be filled and she has been an Equity Consultant for the past three years. As a consultant she works with educational institutions, cities and different municipalities as well as the Chamber of Commerce to assist with their Equity work. She also helps the immigrant community navigate different systems including how to start and grow a business.

For the past three years this has been her priority and giving it 100 percent of her time. She emphasizes on best practices and different applicable rules to start and run a Small Business in all US cities effectively. She says this work will have an impact for many generations to come because we are changing systems and planting seeds.

IEDG is a non-profit organization in the United States that assists refugees, immigrants and low income community members in obtaining access to the capital they need to begin or expand a microenterprise.

Prior to joining EDG, Esayas held senior executive leadership positions, i.e., vice president of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and president of the Development Bank of Ethiopia. For both banks, he led the design and implementation of multimillion-dollar projects in Ethiopia that were sponsored by multilateral organizations, including the World Bank to setup a line of credit dedicated to small-to-mid-size enterprises (SME) and Women Entrepreneurship Development. Esayas holds a master’s in Banking & Finance, graduating with distinction, from the University of Wales, Bangor in the United Kingdom.

Bezuneh is a two-time Chairman’s award winner, 16 times National Conference qualifier, and top in the Country in 1989 out of 800 Allstate managers, Abera was also the Middle East distribution manager for AIG He was responsible for managing 11 countries from his office in Dubai. from 2008 to 2010.

Abera’s credential includes a B.S. in Economics/business from the State University College at Brockport and a Certificate from the Graduate School of Sales Management and Marketing (Executives International) at Syracuse University.​ Abera has been a Board member of the Central Fairfax Chamber of commerce for the last 5 years and is a current board member of EACC. Abera has been Managing his Current Allstate Agency Franchise in Fairfax City for the last 14 years.

With a background in Automotive Management, Samuel recently transitioned to the Banking industry. He holds a degree in Economics and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and reading numerous books.

An active member of the Ethiopian Eritrean Special Needs Community (EESNC), Meron plays a vital role in facilitating conversations and providing support at the monthly “Parent Café” meetings. These sessions offer a space for parents to share their challenges and successes, fostering a sense of community and mutual support.

In her free time, Meron enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time at the beach, where she finds peace and relaxation. Her dedication to both her professional and personal life makes her a valuable member of any team and a compassionate advocate for those she serves.

Azeb’s research contributions, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and the Journal of Pediatrics, further establish her as a respected leader in the autism community. Additionally, she has been selected as a commissioner for people with disabilities by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich.

As a devoted mother of four, including a special needs child, Haimanot’s personal experiences have deepened her understanding of families facing similar challenges within her community.

In addition to her role as a nurse, Haimanot actively serves as a board member and volunteer for the Ethiopian and Eritrean Special Needs Community (EESNC). Through her involvement, she plays a pivotal role in providing crucial support to parents and families navigating the complexities of their children’s diagnoses and accessing essential resources. Haimanot’s commitment to ensuring every individual receives the necessary support is reflected in her hands-on approach, often accompanying her team to stay informed about individual needs and broader community concerns.

Haimanot’s enthusiasm, compassion, and proactive assistance create a warm and inclusive environment for all who seek support. Her unwavering dedication to serving the special needs community is a testament to her commitment to making a difference in the lives of individuals with diverse abilities.

Outside of her professional and advocacy work, Haimanot finds joy in watching movies, listening to music, and cherishing moments spent with her children. Her resilient spirit and compassionate heart shine through in everything she does, embodying the true essence of a caring and dedicated advocate for individuals with special needs.

Nya specializes in guiding first-time homebuyers as well as foreign national buyers navigate the home buying and selling process. Prior to entering the world of real estate, she worked in the high-end retail industry, spending 10+ years building teams, developing relationships and opening stores for top national retailers. Nya is passionate about service and is fully committed to a positive client experience. In her native country of Ethiopia, Nya is part of the leadership team bringing KEFITA to Addis Ababa creating an experience for the Diaspora to replicate their international living standards in Ethiopia. She lives in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, DC and loves discovering all the buzz that the DC metro area uniquely offers.

Disclosure:
Bay Equity LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not a commitment to lend or extend credit. Restrictions may apply. Rates may not be available at time of application. Information and/or data are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to credit approval. Not all loans or products are available in all states. Bay Equity LLC, 770 Tamalpais Drive, Suite 207, Corte Madera, CA 94925; NMLS ID#76988 | NMLS consumer access: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/EntityDetails.aspx/COMPANY/76988 | State Licenses: http://bayeq.us/1468532
 

As the Co-founder and CEO of Clever Data Insights (CDI Inc) and CDI24, Zerubabel has played a pivotal role in managing and overseeing various projects in these sectors.

With expertise in project and program management, Zerubabel has also contributed significantly to the design of curriculum on Microsoft product courses, as well as project and program management training. His knowledge and proficiency extend to areas such as leadership mentorship, Agile development, and deployment strategies.

With an impressive blend of leadership skills, project management expertise, and a dedication to making a difference, Zerubabel Kassa continues to propel CDI Inc and CDI24 to success while driving meaningful change in the community.

Specializing in data engineering and machine learning, Yared help enterprises to develop large language model-based chatbots and AI solutions that transform data into actionable insights, driving innovation and efficiency.

Previously, Yared was a Lead Solutions Architect at MuleSoft, where he advised strategic customers on their digital transformation journeys. An accomplished solution architect and pre-sales engineer, he championed a composable approach to business, automating core processes and driving innovative customer experiences through API strategies, microservices, integrations, and event-driven architecture. His efforts significantly streamlined processes and enhanced digital interactions across various sectors.

With over 15 years of experience in system engineering, Alem has built a successful career in the tech industry, working with some of the biggest names in the field. Currently, he serves as a lead systems engineer at a leading tech company.

In addition to his remarkable career in tech, Alem is also the co-founder of GoodayOn, a startup in Ethiopia. GoodayOn is a gig platform service for hiring domestic help and home repairs (similar to TaskRabbit).

Previously, Meron owned and led a research initiative at Google, identifying misinterpretations of media coverage to bridge the gap between public perception and reality. She also spearheaded social content development for Google’s official Instagram and YouTube channels, garnering significant engagement. Meron’s event experience includes supporting communications and coverage for CultureCon, RecPhilly, and the highly successful Pixel Combine at NBA All-Star Weekend 2024.

Before her work at Google, Meron spent time at Warner Brothers Discovery working on Marketing and Brand Experiences. An alumna of the University of Maryland, Meron is based in Washington D.C.

Find Meron on LinkedIn at @Meron Henok

With over 8 years of strategic HR leadership experience, she has spearheaded transformative projects that enhance employee experience, career development, change management, learning and development, mergers and acquisitions, retention, and compliance. 

Throughout her career, Haben has built strong, collaborative partnerships across all organizational levels and functions, as well as with external stakeholders. She is passionate about creating a positive and inclusive work culture and is dedicated to fostering innovation, learning, and growth within the workplace. Haben also holds a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Howard University, a journey that brought her from the West Coast to Washington, DC. With a people-centric approach to HR, Haben is committed to making a lasting impact on organizational culture and employee well-being.

Featured in top publications like Huffington Post, Webmd, Prevention and Shape, she’s recognized for her expertise and co-authored “28-Day Anti-inflammatory Diet” book. Celebrated as one of “10 RDs Making a Difference” by Today’s Dietitian, Wintana is not only a leader in her field but also a passionate advocate for minority-owned businesses and enjoying quality time with her family.

Outside of her tenure at YEP, she works as a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting, LLP in Washington, DC. She has 8+ years of experience in supporting international, federal and commercial clients with organizational changes, strategic communications, custom workshop design and facilitation for C-Suite Executives. She currently leads the highly sought after APEX Academy Leadership Development Program which enhances Government and Public Sector (GPS) Deloitte Partners, Principals, and Managing Directors (PPMDs) ability to meet the challenges of operating in the current market.

Aster is passionate about community-building, enhancing access to critical resources to our diaspora community, and creating inclusive spaces through storytelling. She actively engages in these areas through her volunteer work. Aster holds a Master of Public Policy from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Lynchburg. 

Educational Background:

– PhD in Special Education, University of Oslo, Norway
– MPhil in Special Education, University of Oslo, Norway
– BA Degree in Educational Psychology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Dr. Weldeab has extensive skills, knowledge and over eighteen years of experience teaching, developing, managing, coordinating, and evaluating education, special education and early intervention projects in Africa, Europe, and Unites States of America. He has knowledge and experience in providing Academic Counselling and Advising to college and university students from multicultural backgrounds.
Trained in both qualitative and quantitative methods, Dr. Weldeab has conducted, published, and presented multiple research and articles on the issues of special education. For more than eighteen years, he worked in education settings from secondary school counsellor position to university professor. He also worked with people with disabilities, families, immigrants with various positions. In addition, he worked in health and multicultural settings where he trained health care providers, social workers, therapists, teachers, and parents.

Dr. Weldeab has excellent grant and proposal writing skills and experience. He has also years of experience in communications and social media. He has excellent experience in community outreach and volunteered in programs and organizations and was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award and TASH’s Special Recognition Award.