CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
We express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the members of the Campaign Committee: passionate and volunteer leaders, decision-makers and change-makers who come together to support our global campaign.
CO-CHAIRS
Denise Epoté
France/Cameroon
Campaign Committee Chair and a leading figure in French and African television, Denise was the first journalist to present news in French on Cameroon's national public television. She is currently a journalist, host and Director of TV5 Monde Afrique, a renowned French television channel.
Aïcha Bah Diallo
France/Guinea
International President of Action Education and co-chair of the campaignAïcha is a renowned women's rights activist and champion of girls' education. She served as Guinea's Minister of Education from 1989 to 1996, and was responsible for implementing major reforms to improve girls' education. For nearly a decade, she served as a senior education official at UNESCO and from 2005 to 2009, she was Special Advisor to the Director-General of UNESCO for Africa.
MEMBERS
Carole Da Silva
Canada/France
Passionate about women's empowerment, Carole is the host and producer of "Femme&Pouvoir", a documentary series that promotes multicultural diversity and women's leadership to create a more just and inclusive society.
Carole Gaillard
France
After having been a teacher for several years, Carole decided to become an entrepreneur and to create "Chais Elles", an event and communication agency that puts women winemakers in the spotlight, out of admiration for these women who evolve in a universe where the values of transmission and knowledge are so essential.
François Thiellet
France
An agent of change and entrepreneur, François initiated with Edouard De Broglie and Action Education the "A Light for Africa" project, which aims at electrifying schools in Africa. He is also the founder of "THEMA", a company specialized in the distribution of thematic television channels on pay TV platforms.
Rhunah Soriano
Canada
Rhunah is the director of Prolifiq, an event agency based in Canada. Born in the Philippines, Rhunah saw poverty as a symptom of social and gender inequality, especially in developing countries. Girls and women are the most affected by different types of discrimination and continue to face difficulties in accessing education, and once in school, in the workplace and in society. Believing that education is the best way to transform lives, ensure peace and social and economic stability in marginalized communities, Rhunah joined the Education for Women Now campaign and contributes to its promotion and development.
Stephenie Foster
United States
Stephenie is a recognized voice in women's leadership and empowerment, with a career spanning government, nonprofit and law. She is a founding partner of Smash Strategies, a consulting firm for businesses, institutions and philanthropists that ensures effective and transformative investments in the development of women and girls.
Edouard De Broglie
France
Change agent, entrepreneur and investor, Edouard specializes in social innovation and inclusive management. Creator of the "A Light for Africa" project, Edouard, in partnership with Action Education, has helped bring electricity to schools in Africa. This project has expanded throughout Africa and is currently being deployed by Action Education in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD). As founder and president of Ethik Investment Group, Edouard promotes solutions for the integration of people with disabilities in the workplace.
Joëlle Pacteau
Switzerland
Joëlle is Director of the French-speaking market in Europe at Lombard Odier Group, a Swiss banking group based in Geneva, named the best bank in Western Europe for wealth management in 2017 by Euromoney.
Nanouchka Homawoo
Canada/Togo
Nanushka is an international organizational consultant and strategic advisor for senior executives. She
defines herself as a multicultural person who takes "a little something" from all the
She has lived in Europe, the Americas and Africa. She is an active campaigner for
education for all, gender equality, women's empowerment, youth development through
entrepreneurship and innovation. Just like in the legend of the little hummingbird, it does its part and contributes to the
economic and social development through its various actions.
Sanjeev Kotnala
India
Sanjeev is a member of the Board of Directors of Action Education International, an entrepreneur and a brand and marketing consultant with over 30 years of experience. He is the founder of INTRADIA World which organizes specialized workshops in the field of ideation and innovation.
Sharyanne Mcswain
United States
Sharyanne is the Chief Operating Officer at Echoing Green, a nonprofit organization that funds social entrepreneurship and innovation. She has over 30 years of experience in financial services and business operations, working in nonprofit management, financial engineering, financial services marketing, and municipal finance.
Sylvie Combe
France
Sylvie is a consultant in sustainable development and communication. She has been responsible for communications and sustainable development in international companies such as Lafarge, Primagaz and Kingfisher. Sylvie is also a donor of Action Education.
Lauranie Nonotte
France
Lauranie is the Director of Training and Brand Experience for a wine & spirits group. She works between Paris and Cognac. Working for this group for 4 years, she has dedicated the last few years to the implementation of a global training strategy for internal teams, and to the development of tailor-made experiences for the brand's VIP clients. From 2010 to 2016, she led Esprit Chocolat, an event agency dedicated to the art of chocolate, wine and spirits tasting. During the first part of her career, Lauranie worked as a communications consultant, specializing in media impact assessment. She used her analytical skills and her multilingualism to her advantage. Besides her job, she devotes her free time to accompanying young graduates in their early career. She also coaches people in difficulty in their reintegration into the working world.
Lahou Keita
Canada/France
Lahou is an inspector and expert in aviation maintenance. In 2011, with her sister Fatou Keita, she co-founded Keitas Systems, a a company specializing in expertise, consulting and publishing of aeronautical software. Lahou Keita and Fatou Keita created the Ground Data Black Box Tempeus®, the third black box, which did not exist in aviation before, to prevent plane crashes. In 2019, Keitas Systems opened its subsidiary in Quebec City, Canada, to conquer the North American market. With a degree in Applied Foreign Languages, Lahou is multilingual and speaks Finnish.
Pascal Gally
Switzerland/France
Pascal Gally is a legal counsel in Switzerland. In parallel to his legal activities, he is involved in numerous initiatives for the African continent (economic and educational projects, etc.). Pascal also created the "Clash of Legends", a unique eloquence festival, which brings together every year in Paris high-level personalities from all fields to celebrate culture.
