About ASF
ASF connects African talent to global education, mentorship and career pathways, equipping scholars to pursue meaningful work and contribute to Africa's development wherever their careers take them.
Our ethos
We earn trust through extraordinary output: showing up for the people we serve, solving real problems, and doing it consistently. ASF should be an experience people are proud to be part of and eager to tell others about.
Why now
Africa is home to the world's largest young population, formal jobs remain scarce, and the skills work demands are changing fast. ASF exists to open those pathways.
Africa's youth population
532 million
young people
Africa is home to approximately 532 million people aged 15–35 — a generation with enormous potential.
Africa Youth Employment Outlook 2026.
The jobs gap
10–12 million entrants
3 million formal jobs
Each year, 10–12 million young people enter Africa's labor force, while approximately 3 million formal jobs are created.
World Bank, March 2026.
The skills shift
39%
of core skills expected to change by 2030
Globally, surveyed employers expect substantial changes to the skills workers need between 2025 and 2030.
World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025.
Global employer forecast, 2025–2030
Our broad definition of scholar
The changing world of work calls for technical capabilities alongside creativity, leadership, adaptability and lifelong learning — all highlighted in the World Economic Forum's findings.
African talent is coming of age as the skills, tools and pathways to meaningful work are changing. Across academia, the arts, athletics, the trades and other fields, promising people need opportunities to develop their craft, learn from experienced mentors and connect their abilities to real possibilities.
ASF brings these pathways together, equipping scholars to contribute to Africa's development wherever their careers take them.
Leadership
President & Executive Director
Founder of ASF, with 25+ years managing budgets and delivering programs at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the World Bank Group, the U.S. Department of Defense and the FAA. He also founded Africa Index and ScholarshipHippo, and holds degrees from the University of Maryland and Andrews University.
Chairman of the Board
Technology and business leader with 20+ years guiding strategy, governance and digital transformation at Novartis, MacroGenics, Elsevier, Deloitte and Hewlett Packard. He holds an MBA, an MS in Biochemistry from Georgetown University, and is pursuing a doctorate in organizational leadership.
Secretary & Treasurer
Associate Professor of Marketing Management at Koitaleel Samoei University College, a constituent college of the University of Nairobi, where he heads the Business Administration department and leads the MBA/PhD programme. He brings teaching experience going back to 2007 and holds a D.Phil. from Moi University.
Our hubs
Kenya
Nairobi
Africa hub — partner schools, scholars and programs on the ground.
United States
Washington, DC
Global hub — donors, diaspora network and governance.
Newsletter
Occasional, plain-language updates on the pilot and our scholars.
