Top 10 African Under 40 Ivy League Graduates Making Impact in Africa and Beyond

Summary

• Here are the top ten Under-40 African Ivy League Graduates making an impact in Africa.
• The current number of African students studying abroad will quadruple by 2050.
• Our ranking is comprehensive and contains some first-time mentions.

Every year, the number of Africans seeking international degrees increases exponentially. Our article, titled ‘African Countries with Highest Harvard Graduates 2025’ highlighted the rising number of Africans studying abroad, with sub-Saharan Africa leading the pack.

Here, we have compiled perhaps the most comprehensive and unbiased list of Africans who have graduated from Ivy League schools and are making a tangible impact on the continent and beyond.

Why Ivy League Schools?

One aspect of this ranking that would likely spur conversation is the focus on Ivy League schools. The reason for this focus is not far-fetched – one is obviously due to the availability of accurate data, which is important in creating accurate rankings.

Another is the issue of accreditation, which has become a big issue in the continent. In recent times, there has been increasing concern of Africans spending thousands of dollars to get degrees that turn out to be unaccredited.  

Ivy League refer to a group of research universities in the United States of America with a track record of prestigious reputation, academic excellence, and a selective admission process.  Currently comprising of eight schools, namely; Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University, the Ivy League schools are considered as the most prestigious higher institutions globally.

Methodology for Ranking

To ensure that we create an accurate ranking, we have focused on young African graduates who are under 40 years old and whose actions directly impact the African continent positively.

We have also taken active measures to focus on ensuring that we covered as many countries of Origin and Ivy League schools as possible rather than focusing on the famous ones only. The issue of political backing was also considered, we were careful to steer clear of notable politically exposed persons, and ensure that only those whose impacts and interventions were social catalysts worthy of note, are considered.

10 Top African Ivy League Graduates Making Impact in Africa and Beyond

10. Cynthia Wandia (Kenya)

Cynthia is a Kenyan electrical engineer, entrepreneur, and corporate executive. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Yale University. Upon graduation, she focused on bridging the gap of the unbanked in Kenya. She is the co-founder and CEO of Kwara Limited, a Kenya-based online and mobile banking platform for financial cooperatives, credit unions, and community banks. She is also the managing director of ASTRA Innovations, a German-based enterprise she co-founded.

9. Jeph Acheampong (Ghana)

A graduate of Economics from New York University, Jeph went to Harvard University for his Masters degree. After graduation, he established Blossom Academy, Ghana's first data science academy, aiming to nurture talent in Africa's tech industry. He is also a 2023 Acumen Fellow and a 2024 Cheng Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.

8. Hugo Van Vuuren (South Africa)

Hugo is a South African entrepreneur and investor who bagged a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Harvard in 2007 and a Masters in Design Studies from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2012. He is the co-founder of Work-Bench, an early-stage enterprise technology venture fund. He has been involved in various entrepreneurial ventures bridging art, science, and commerce.

7. Maryana Munyendo (Kenya)

Maryana is a seasoned Kenyan social entrepreneur. An alumna of a Harvard Kennedy School custom executive program, she is the founder and Executive Director of Missing Child Kenya, the only toll-free line dedicated to the search, rescue, reunification, and aftercare of missing Kenyan children. In 2019, she was recognized on the Top 40 under 40 Kenyan Women list for her continued work to improve the lives of people in her country.

6. Yasmin Belo-Osagie (Nigeria)

Yasmin is a Nigerian entrepreneur. She graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in History and a minor in Finance in 2011. She is the co-founder of She Leads Africa, an organization dedicated to supporting and empowering female entrepreneurs across Africa. She has been recognized among Forbes' 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa and has received numerous accolades for her contributions to women's empowerment and entrepreneurship.

5. Yeshimabeit Milner (Ethiopia)

Yeshimabeit is a technologist and activist. She bagged a bachelor's degree in Africana Studies from Brown University. She is the founder and Executive Director of Data for Black Lives, an organization that uses data science to address racial and social justice issues. She has been recognized in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for Social Entrepreneurs and received the Roddenberry Foundation Fellowship.

4. Shadrack Frimpong (Ghana)

A graduate of biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015, Shadrack returned in 2018 for a master's degree in nonprofit leadership. He is the founder of Cocoa360, a nonprofit organization that leverages cocoa farming to fund educational and healthcare services in rural Ghana. He has received numerous awards, including the Queen's Young Leader Award and the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award.

3. Nthabiseng Mosia (South Africa/Ghana)

A South African-Ghanaian entrepreneur, Nthabiseng bagged a Master's degree focused on Clean Energy Finance and Policy from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. She is the co-founder of Easy Solar, a company providing affordable solar energy solutions in Sierra Leone. She has been recognized in Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30 (Tech Category) and awarded the Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the World Economic Forum and Schwab Foundation.

2. Chude Jideonwo (Nigeria)

Chude has elevated himself to become a household name in Nigeria. He is a Nigerian lawyer, journalist, and media entrepreneur. He graduated from Yale University and is the Co-founder of Red Africa, a leading media and communication company in Nigeria. He has been recognized in Forbes' 30 Under 30: Africa's Best Young Entrepreneurs and has received numerous awards for his contributions to media and entrepreneurship.

1. Dominic Akandwanaho (Uganda)

Unarguably one of the finest scholars Africa has produced, Dominic is one of the every few Africans, under 40, with three Harvard degrees under his belt. He is a serial media entrepreneur focused on telling the African story properly and empowering Africans to tell their story. He is the Founder & CEO of Dissimilar Media, a pan-African Media company that seeks to champion the African story through a number of publications they own and operate.

To contribute his quota to ensuring that African narratives are told right, he recently published “The good life in traditional Africa” – a book that reflects on wisdom from traditional African cultures and their relevance to today’s world. Currently, Dominic serves as a management consultant at the prestigious Boston Consulting Group – one of the most elite management consulting firms globally, where he focuses on Biotech and MedTech companies.

Conclusion

With reports suggesting that the current data of 430,000 outward mobile students from the region will quadruple by 2050, critics are concerned about the impact of foreign education in Africa. In a recent study titled, Les grandes tendances de la mobilité étudiante en Afrique Subsaharienne, or in English, ‘The major trends in student mobility in Africa’, it was noted that apart from the desire for qualifications with worldwide recognition, Africans should consider the impact of foreign degrees in the continent before making decisions to study abroad.

Educational tourism has become a major revenue-spinning channel for Europe, America, Oceania and Asia – with Africa, as their major target. With this in mind, Africans need to ensure that they are making informed decisions to follow in the footsteps of successful Africans with international degrees making an impact in Africa and beyond.