Will Smith: Using academics and sport to build Africa’s future leaders

Meredith met Will Smith when they both did their Masters in African Studies at Oxford University in 2014. Since then, Will has either founded or co-founded three nonprofits and one social enterprise. Will co-founded his first organization, LEAD Monrovia Football Academy, in 2015 with former Liberian national soccer team player Sekou Dgeorges Manubah. LEAD MFA is a leadership academy in Monrovia, Liberia which trains Liberia’s youth in soccer, academics, and leadership skills. After LEAD MFA’s amazing success, Will helped co-found another leadership development organization, LEAD Morocco, in 2019. Now, Will has created LEAD Edu, a global initiative that establishes, supports, and grows programs that empower future leaders around the world. In this episode, Will talks with us about his journey co-founding the initial academy, how he co-created the academy to be self sustaining and run by Liberians, and how he has thought about the evolution of this movement on a global scale to fit the needs and context of local communities.

Will Smith: Using academics and sport to build Africa’s Future Leaders