LEADERSHIP
Our Team
Cross-sector leaders united by a shared commitment to education, dignity, health, and long-term opportunity for girls and young women.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Visionary leaders guiding our mission.
Our Board
Sefanit Tadesse
BOARD MEMBER
Sefanit Tadesse is a multifaceted leader with 15 years in talent development, workforce readiness, and civic innovation. At Apple, she hired software, AI, and machine learning engineers for teams like Siri and Safari, collaborating with MIT, Stanford, UCLA, and Carnegie Mellon. Now, as Chief of Staff in East Cleveland, she leads smart city initiatives and major grants, partnering with NOACA and JobsOhio.Inspired by housing refugees through Airbnb, she launched a nonprofit for at-risk girls, offering trauma-informed care and skill development. Sefanit remains dedicated to empowering communities, driving innovation, and shaping brighter, opportunity-rich futures.Anwarii Musa
BOARD MEMBER
Anwarii Musa is a Curator, founder of ArtMatic Advisory, and sits on the Queens Museum board of trustees. With exceptional and diverse skills in the arts, he brings over a decade of experience in the contemporary art market advising private collections and acquisitions from across the country.
Musa started in the art industry by interning at Sotheby's in 2008. His ambition, drive to learn, and hard work landed him a full-time position where he worked for the contemporary department until 2013, gaining hands-on knowledge about historical pieces across a variety of categories. The experience and knowledge he retained from Sotheby's continues to follow him to this day.Sefanit Tadesse
BOARD MEMBER
Sefanit Tadesse is a multifaceted leader with 15 years in talent development, workforce readiness, and civic innovation. At Apple, she hired software, AI, and machine learning engineers for teams like Siri and Safari, collaborating with MIT, Stanford, UCLA, and Carnegie Mellon. Now, as Chief of Staff in East Cleveland, she leads smart city initiatives and major grants, partnering with NOACA and JobsOhio.Inspired by housing refugees through Airbnb, she launched a nonprofit for at-risk girls, offering trauma-informed care and skill development. Sefanit remains dedicated to empowering communities, driving innovation, and shaping brighter, opportunity-rich futures.PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
Leading What Will She Become — our flagship storytelling and mentorship project.
Program Director
Oluwapelumi Abdulsalam
PROGRAM DIRECTOR — WHAT WILL SHE BECOME
Oluwapelumi is an award-winning Nigerian film director and storyteller whose work centers the lived experiences of young women navigating safety, education, and opportunity. As Program Director of What Will She Become, he leads the on-the-ground creative and educational programming that brings Gift to Dream into schools — directing film screenings, facilitating safe-space conversations, and coordinating mentorship pairings across Lagos and, soon, beyond.His leadership has anchored our Phase 1 pilot, reaching 3,000+ students across 20 Lagos schools, and will guide the national expansion launching April 20, 2026.FOUNDER
Hiyab Tadesse
Founder of Gift to Dream — a decade of social impact, civic engagement, and youth-centered program leadership.