“The world needs to continue to see more women, especially African women, making bold moves in their careers.” ~ Lilian Ajayi-Ore, Founder & CEO, Global Connecitons for Women Foundation
Summary: Lilian O. Ajayi-Ore is the Founder and CEO of the award-winning not-for-profit organization Global Connections for Women Foundation (GC4W). Reaching more than 3.5 million people worldwide, GC4W was founded in response to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals to support women and girls by giving them opportunities to empower themselves and their communities. She previously served at the United Nations in New York as part of the Mission of Nigeria to the U.N. Ms. Ajayi-Ore has received several awards for her humanitarian works including a U.S. Congressional Award for Outstanding Community Service. She was appointed as the Ambassador of Goodwill and Honorary Citizen of the State of Arkansas by Governor Mike Bebe. She was recently named “Top 40 under 40 Most Inspiring Africans in the Diaspora” by Applause Africa Magazine, one of the “Power Women of the Diaspora” by Black Enterprise Magazine, and one of the “20 Influential African Women Entrepreneurs and leaders in America to Watch in 2016,” by Genevieve Magazine, a leading African lifestyle magazine. Ms. Ajayi-Ore sits on several boards including that of Harvard Crimson Impact, Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, NAAEP Ltd., the HOPE Program, and International Women in Business (IWIB). A Harvard University graduate, she currently teaches global marketing and public relations at New York University’s School of Professional Studies.
Nationality: Nigerian
Industry: Philanthropy
Q: How has Skype facilitated your organization’s global outreach? on blogs.skype.com
A: I still recall working with our partners at Taungana on a STEM for Girls project in South Africa. All of our interactions took place on Skype and it really helped us collaborate more efficiently. The other thing is that the platform allowed us to build a closer friendship with one another. One that extended beyond just working on a program. As an organization, we have been successfully able to reach into several global communities including West Africa, South Africa, parts of Europe and Asia and the United States through this platform. ‘Thank God for Skype’ is an expression my team and I frequently use.
