WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 9th, 2025 – Vital Voices Global Partnership is proud to welcome the second annual cohort of the Vital Voices Global Fellowship, a transformative 10-month program that supports women leaders from across the globe in amplifying their impact.
The fellowship brings together fellows across two key pillars – VV Venture (Social Entrepreneurship) and VV Engage (Public Leadership). Now in its second year, the program will convene 25 women social entrepreneurs (VV Venture fellows) and 26 women public leaders (VV Engage fellows) from 39 countries spanning 6 continents, to support fellows in advancing their leadership, building a collaborative network, and strengthening pillar-specific skills and knowledge. Founded on a belief that cross-pillar collaboration drives more sustainable solutions, these leaders are paving the way towards an inclusive future for all. By investing in these changemakers along their leadership journeys, we aim to accelerate their impact on the world’s most pressing challenges.
“The second annual cohort of the Vital Voices Global Fellowship reflects the bold, innovative solutions women leaders are driving around the world,” said Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices. “We’re honored to support these visionary changemakers as they work to lead systemic change on a global scale.”
Fellows will engage in a hybrid learning experience, beginning with online programming in June and gathering for an in-person convening this fall. The curriculum draws from the Vital Voices Leadership Journey, a framework developed from the practices of the Vital Voices Global Network and is complemented by specialized training from global experts in each pillar. Throughout the fellowship, fellows will also engage in curated sessions designed to foster collaboration across sectors, ultimately equipping them with the tools to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their communities and beyond.
The outstanding women leaders selected for the second Vital Voices Global Fellowship cohort are as follows:
- Alice Stollmeyer, Founder and Executive Director, Defend Democracy, Netherlands
- Andrea Mariana Dominguez Noriega, Law Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Perú
- Anna Petrova, Founder and CEO, Startup Ukraine, Ukraine
- Antonia Orellana, Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Government of Chile, Chile
- Aradhana Rai Gupta, Co-Founder, Project Baala, India
- Archana Kotecha, Founder and CEO, The Remedy Project Limited, Hong Kong
- Breeze Liu, Founder and CEO, Alecto AI and Alecto Foundation, United States
- Byambadulam Enkhbayar, Chief Executive Officer, TV9 Mongolia, Mongolia
- Catalina Martinez Coral, Vice-president, Center for Reproductive Rights, Latin America and the Caribbean, Colombia
- Christiana Okere, Co-Founder and Executive Director, MYSTASH, Nigeria
- Dansari Anasuya Seethakka, Minister for Panchayati Raj & Rural Development, Rural Water Supply, and Women and Child Welfare, Telangana Legislative Assembly, India
- Diana Yafi, Co-Founder and Operations Manager, Find A Nurse, Lebanon
- Enkhuun Byambadorj, Co-Founder and Director of Operations, Breathe Mongolia – Clean Air Coalition, Mongolia
- Fana Haregot Hailemichael, CEO and Founder, Fana Hygiene Solutions, Ethiopia
- Farah Kanbi, Co-Director, Politics4Her, Tunisia
- Gaelle Gisubizo, Chief Executive Officer, Dope Initiatives, Rwanda
- Hannah Phillips, Civility Commission Manager, The Jo Cox Foundation, United Kingdom
- Hilal Ulukaya, Founder, Society Mano, Turkey
- Ibtissame Azzaoui, City Councilor, Rabat City Council, Morocco
- Irene Etyang, Founder and CEO, Mamlo Foods, Kenya
- Josiane Faubert, Founder and CEO, Picha Stock, Kenya
- Liza Gashi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Republic of Kosovo, Kosovo
- Ludmilla Oliveira, Chief Executive Officer, Juicyhub, Brazil
- Marcela Fujiy, Founder and CEO, Be.Labs Aceleradora, Brazil
- Mariana Ribeiro, Chief Executive Officer, Clarice, Brazil
- Mary Lancelot, Executive Director, MLC Fashion, Ghana
- Maya Rupert, Writer and Democratic Strategist, United States
- Ngateina Mackenzie, President, Te Ipukarea Society (TIS), Cook Islands
- Nuraizah Binti Shamsul Baharin, Founder and CEO, Madcash Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
- Ontifile Gaokgorwe, Founder and Director, The Bees Hive Academy, Botswana
- Pham Cam Tu Nguyen, Chief Executive Officer, Cas Energy, Vietnam
- Quinter Achieng, CEO and Shareholder, WeCharge Solutions, Kenya
- Regita Putri, Founder and Education Development Lead, EduEmpati, Indonesia
- Rez Gardi, Co-Managing Director, Refugees Seeking Equal Access to the Table (R-SEAT), United States
- Ruby Igwe, Country Manager, ALX Nigeria, Nigeria
- Rudina Hajdari, International Democracy Program Lead, Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group
- Rusudan Tevzadze, Member of the Political Council, For Georgia, Georgia
- Salinee Hurley, Founder and CEO, SunSawang Company Limited, Thailand
- Samara Castro, Chief of Staff of the Secretariat for Social Communication, Presidency of the Republic of Brazil, Brazil
- Shallah Shaiq, Co-Founder, Shaiq Network, United States
- Simone Diouf, African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace, African Union, Senegal
- Sobita Gautam, Member of Parliament, Nepal House of Representatives, Nepal
- Sohee Yang, Founder, Younan Movement and VALID, South Korea
- Supriya Paul, Chief Executive Officer, Josh Talks Pvt Ltd, India
- Susannah Rodgers, Technical Advisor on Disability Inclusion, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, United Kingdom
- Tage Tage, Chief Marketing Director, Lambu Subu Food and Beverages, India
- Thokozile Nhlumayo, Secretary General, International Youth Parliament, South Africa
- Valeria Rodriguez Codina, Managing Director, VRF SL, Spain
- Winnie Najjuma, Founder and Team Lead, Ccupa Creations, Uganda
- Wunmi Hassan-Bello, Deputy Executive Director- Politeracy, Electoral College Nigeria, Nigeria
- Yasemin Eda Erdal Öcal, Founder and CEO, ECO Consulting, Turkey
To learn more about the Vital Voices Global Fellowship, visit [insert website]and follow the program on social media using the hashtag #VVGF.
The VV Venture pillar of the Vital Voices Global Fellowship would not be possible without generous support from FedEx. The VV Engage pillar is made possible by the Freeport McMoRan Foundation.
About Vital Voices Global Partnership
For more than 25 years, Vital Voices Global Partnership has been investing in women leaders solving the world’s greatest challenges. We are “venture catalysts,” identifying those with a bold vision for change and partnering with them to make that vision a reality. We scale and accelerate their impact through long-term investments to expand the skills, connections, capacity, and visibility of women leaders.
Vital Voices provided early support for leaders who went on to become Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, U.S. Youth Poet Laureates, prime ministers, and breakthrough social entrepreneurs. Since its founding in 1997, Vital Voices has directly supported more than 47,000 women change makers across 188 countries and built the most powerful global network of women leaders who are daring to reimagine a more equitable world for all.
Partner of the VV Venture Pillar:
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce, and business services. With annual revenue of $88 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions utilizing its flexible, efficient, and intelligent global network. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 500,000 employees to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards, and the needs of their customers and communities. FedEx is committed to connecting people and possibilities around the world responsibly and resourcefully, with a goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. To learn more, please visit fedex.com/about.
Partner of the VV Engage Pillar:
The Freeport McMoRan Foundation supports programs and projects that benefit communities in workforce development, economic opportunity, and capacity and leadership. Their programs and projects also include investments in education, Native American programs, and women’s development initiatives.