{{short description|American entrepreneur}} {{Infobox person | pre-nominals = | name = Afua Osei | post-nominals = | image = Afua_Osei_-_November_2017.jpg | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | pronunciation = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name above --> | birth_date = <!-- {{birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} for living people supply only the year with {{Birth year and age|YYYY}} unless the exact date is already widely published, as per WP:DOB. For people who have died, use {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}}. --> | birth_place = Washington, DC | baptised = <!-- will not display if birth_date is entered --> | disappeared_date = <!-- {{disappeared date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (disappeared date then birth date) --> | disappeared_place = | disappeared_status = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | death_cause = | body_discovered = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} --> | burial_place = <!-- may be used instead of resting_place and resting_place_coordinates (displays "Burial place" as label) --> | burial_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} --> | monuments = | other_names = | citizenship = | education = Allegheny College<br>University of Chicago Booth School of Business<br>Harris School of Public Policy Studies | alma_mater = Allegheny College | occupation = Entrepreneur | years_active = 2014–present | era = | employer = | organization = | agent = <!-- Discouraged in most cases, specifically when promotional, and requiring a reliable source --> | known_for = co-founding She Leads Africa | notable_works = <!-- produces label "Notable work"; may be overridden by |credits=, which produces label "Notable credit(s)"; or by |works=, which produces label "Works"; or by |label_name=, which produces label "Label(s)" --> | style = | height = <!-- "X cm", "X m" or "X ft Y in" plus optional reference (conversions are automatic) --> | television = | title = <!-- Formal/awarded/job title. The parameter |office= may be used as an alternative when the label is better rendered as "Office" (e.g. public office or appointments) --> | term = | predecessor = | party = | movement = | opponents = | boards = | criminal_charge = <!-- Criminality parameters should be supported with citations from reliable sources --> | criminal_penalty = | criminal_status = | spouse = <!-- Use article title or common name --> | partner = <!-- (unmarried long-term partner) --> | children = | parents = <!-- overrides mother and father parameters --> | mother = <!-- may be used (optionally with father parameter) in place of parents parameter (displays "Parent(s)" as label) --> | father = <!-- may be used (optionally with mother parameter) in place of parents parameter (displays "Parent(s)" as label) --> | relatives = | family = | callsign = | awards = | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | module = | module2 = | module3 = | module4 = | module5 = | module6 = | signature = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | footnotes = }}
'''Afua Osei''' is an entrepreneur, investor and public speaker who co-founded ''She Leads Africa'', a media company for millennial African women.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/west-africa/2015/03/09/yasmin-belo-osagie-billionaires-africa/|title=How two young West African women are creating Africa's next billionaires - CNBC Africa|date=2015-03-09|work=CNBC Africa|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208070820/https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/west-africa/2015/03/09/yasmin-belo-osagie-billionaires-africa/|archive-date=2017-12-08|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Born in Washington, DC,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://trueafrica.co/article/the-repats-from-chicago-to-lagos-social-entrepreneur-afua-osei/|title=The 'repats': from Chicago to Lagos, social entrepreneur Afua Osei {{!}} TRUE Africa|date=2016-08-05|work=TRUE Africa|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en-US}}</ref> Osei spent her formative years in Prince George's County, Maryland. Osei graduated cum laude from Allegheny College with degrees in Political Science and was the first student to design their own major in Black Studies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sites.allegheny.edu/smp/previous-recipient-details-and-statistics/osei-08/|title=Afua Osei '08 Receives Fulbright Award « Nationally Competitive Fellowships {{!}} Allegheny College - Meadville, PA|website=sites.allegheny.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> She was awarded the Ray Smock Political Science Award for showing promise in municipal and state politics as well as the Faculty Prize for the Best Interdisciplinary Senior Thesis.
In 2013, she graduated from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagobooth.edu/magazine/spring-2017/features/global-entrepreneurship|title=Entrepreneurs without Borders|website=www.chicagobooth.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> and Harris School of Public Policy Studies with a Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Policy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mag.uchicago.edu/economics-business/she-leads|title=She leads {{!}} The University of Chicago Magazine|website=mag.uchicago.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref>
== Career == After graduating from college, Osei was a Fulbright Scholar in Malaysia and also served in the Office of First Lady Michelle Obama.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2015/02/01/who-are-the-women-to-look-up-to/|title='Who Are The Women To look Up To?' - Forbes Africa|date=2015-02-01|work=Forbes Africa|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en-US}}</ref> After business school, Osei moved to Lagos, Nigeria to serve as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/McKinseyWomen/posts/700844833346515|title=McKinsey Women|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> providing strategy and operations expertise to clients in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and the United States.
In 2014, Osei co-founded She Leads Africa, a "community for smart ambitious young African women," with Yasmin Belo-Osagie.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/21/africa/she-leads-africa-business-women/|title=She Leads Africa: Supporting female entrepreneurs |first=Jacopo |last=Prisco|work=CNN|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.one.org/us/2015/11/24/she-leads-africa-how-african-millennial-women-are-paving-the-way-for-each-other/|title=She Leads Africa: How African millennial women are paving the way for each other|date=2015-11-24|work=ONE|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208174746/https://www.one.org/us/2015/11/24/she-leads-africa-how-african-millennial-women-are-paving-the-way-for-each-other/|url-status=dead}}</ref> She Leads Africa provides women across more than 35 countries with business and career advice and has been featured in several international publications including The Financial Times,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/981c19ba-a4db-11e6-8898-79a99e2a4de6|title=African start-up helps and inspires young female entrepreneurs|last=Green|first=Matthew|date=2016-11-27|work=The Financial Times|access-date=2016-11-27}}</ref> CNN,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/21/africa/she-leads-africa-business-women/|title=She Leads Africa: Supporting female entrepreneurs |first=Jacopo |last=Prisco|work=CNN|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> CNBC Africa,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/west-africa/2015/03/09/yasmin-belo-osagie-billionaires-africa/|title=How two young West African women are creating Africa's next billionaires - CNBC Africa|date=2015-03-09|work=CNBC Africa|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208070820/https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/west-africa/2015/03/09/yasmin-belo-osagie-billionaires-africa/|archive-date=2017-12-08|url-status=dead}}</ref> Huffington Post,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-olushoga/how-technology-is-transfo_b_9586484.html|title=How Technology is Transforming Women-Owned Businesses in Africa|last=Olushoga|first=Mary|date=2016-04-01|website=Huffington Post|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> and Black Enterprise.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/how-one-question-fostered-business-opportunities-budding-female-entrepreneurs-africa/|title=How One Question Fostered Business Opportunities for Budding Female Entrepreneurs in Africa|website=www.blackenterprise.com|date=22 January 2015|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref> On December 9, 2016, She Leads Africa rang the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://livestream.com/NYSE/SheLeadsAfrica/videos/143931311|title=Live Feed - from She Leads Africa Rings the NYSE Closing Bell|website=Livestream|access-date=2017-12-07|archive-date=2019-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701033542/https://livestream.com/NYSE/SheLeadsAfrica/videos/143931311|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In her personal business, Afua teaches digital entrepreneurship and coaches people on how to use networking to scale their business.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-01|title=Interview with Afua Osei: The powerhouse behind She Leads Africa|url=https://www.worldremit.com/en/blog/community/afua-osei-she-leads-africa/|access-date=2021-11-05|website=Blog {{!}} WorldRemit|language=en|archive-date=2021-11-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105100251/https://www.worldremit.com/en/blog/community/afua-osei-she-leads-africa/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Awards and recognition == Osei has been recognized by Forbes Africa<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2014/12/04/the-20-youngest-power-women-in-africa-2014/3/#3bfc8bd6774f|title=The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa 2014|last=Nsehe|first=Mfonobong|work=Forbes|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en}}</ref> as one of the youngest power women in Africa (2014), named by Ventures Africa <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://venturesafrica.com/innovators#/asma-mansour|title=Ventures Africa {{!}} 42 Africa Innovators To Watch|website=venturesafrica.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-07|archive-date=2019-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107072648/http://venturesafrica.com/innovators/#/asma-mansour|url-status=dead}}</ref> as one of the top 25 African innovators to watch in 2016 and one of the 30 Quartz Africa <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://qz.com/973199/quartz-africa-innovators-2017/#3|title=Quartz Africa Innovators 2017|work=Quartz|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en-US}}</ref> innovators in 2017. She was selected as a judge for the Chivas Venture competition, "a global search to find and empower the next generation of young entrepreneurs determined to succeed while changing the world for the better."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://guardian.ng/life/on-the-cover/four-extraordinary-nigerians-with-inspiring-ventures/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|title=Four Extraordinary Nigerians With Inspiring Ventures|access-date=2017-12-11|language=en-US|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/10/chivas-empower-young-entrepreneurs-1m/|location=Lagos, Nigeria|title=Chivas to empower young entrepreneurs with $1m - Vanguard News|date=2017-10-07|access-date=2017-12-11|language=en-US|newspaper=Vanguard}}</ref>
She has been a featured speaker at TEDxEuston <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/24613|title=TEDxEuston {{!}} TED|website=www.ted.com|language=en|access-date=2017-12-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/tedxeuston-show-best-african-entrepreneurship|title=TEDxEuston to show the best in African entrepreneurship|access-date=2017-12-07|language=en|archive-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042743/http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/tedxeuston-show-best-african-entrepreneurship|url-status=dead}}</ref> in London, G20 Africa Partnership Conference <ref>{{Cite journal|date=June 2017|title=G20 Africa Partnership - Investing in a common future|url=https://www.compactwithafrica.org/content/dam/Compact%20with%20Africa/g20investincommonfuture/conference_report_17-08-25.pdf|journal=G20 Africa Partnership Conference Report}}</ref> in Germany, Essence Festival Durban in South Africa, and Thomson Reuters Foundation Trust Conference<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.trustconference.com/videos/i/?id=9ac34731-ffc4-4b33-a53c-59958a5be326&confYear=2016|title=Trust Conference|website=Trust Conference|access-date=2017-12-07|archive-date=2017-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208231410/http://www.trustconference.com/videos/i/?id=9ac34731-ffc4-4b33-a53c-59958a5be326&confYear=2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> in the UK.
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://sheleadsafrica.org/ She Leads Africa] *[https://www.afuaosei.com/about Her personal website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osei, Afua}} Category:Ghanaian businesspeople Category:Living people Category:People from Prince George's County, Maryland Category:Allegheny College alumni Category:University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people)