HB4 Elder and on-board Leadership facilitator
Musimbi is the former President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women (GFW). This role was the genesis of a lifetime spent advocating for girls’ and women’s health and human rights. From national student leader working towards the abolition of apartheid in South Africa, and serving on United Nations and other international youth forums, to becoming the first non-white woman to be appointed CEO of the World YWCA in 1998, which she transformed into an organisation led predominantly by young women under 30.
Prior to joining GFW, Musimbi’s passion for philanthropy and technology as vehicles to drive social change saw her managing a $30m grant-making portfolio as Director for Population and Reproductive Health at David and Lucile Packard Foundation. In her time at GFW, grants have surpassed $100m and she has elevated the organisation’s influence through a significant media presence and speaking engagements globally.
Musimbi has a PhD in Linguistics and a doctorate in Feminist Theology. In 2014, she was named one of the 21 women leaders for the 21st century by Women’s E-News. In 2015, Forbes magazine named her one of 10 women ‘power brands’ working for gender equality. She serves on numerous Boards, has done a TED talk with over a million views, and now follows Christiana Figueres as the second Homeward Bound ‘elder’, on HB4.