In addition to being the Executive Chair of the Women’s Enterprise Development Initiative, Sharron L. McPherson, is also a Founding Member of the New Faces & New Voices Network, an organization spear-headed by Graça Machel which advocates greater utilization of the power of Africa’s women to enhance sustainable investment.

Dr McPherson is also a Special Advisor to the World Bank on the African Diaspora Project and to the African President’s Archive & Research Center at Boston University. In 2011, she was awarded the honour of “Intelius Fellow” and completed post-graduates studies at Singularity University (NASA Ames Research Center) where she focused on Policy, Law, Ethics & Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets.

For over a decade, she has worked to transform communities across sub-Saharan Africa via economic development with a particular focus on harnessing the economic power of women and youth. The hybrid investment organization that she founded, WEDI, was recognized by the G20 in June 2011 as innovative model for small and medium enterprise development.

Prior to forming WEDI, she was the CEO of Tanaka Investments Pty Ltd (SA), an affiliate of the Tanaka Group which has in excess of $US 5 billion under management. She is formerly a Corporate Finance Manager with Mettle Merchant Bank in Johannesburg where she has resided for over a decade; having served as a Judicial Clerk at South Africa’s Constitutional Court during the mid 90’s.

In addition to undergraduate degrees in economics and finance, Sharron McPherson has a Doctorate’s Degree in Juris Prudence from Columbia University in NY. Prior to relocating to South Africa, she worked as investment banker on Wall Street

In addition to being a successful social entrepreneur, author and lecturer, Dr McPherson has served as an advisor to numerous governmental agencies and multilateral organizations including the South African Reserve Bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the British Commonwealth Secretariat where she advised on the formation of its gender responsive investment policies.

She is the co-author of a recently published book, From Gifts to Greatness, (Lulu Publishing 2010), and has written numerous articles on enterprise development opportunities in emerging markets for both local and international organizations including the African Women’s Economic Summit, The World Economic Forum on Africa and the Time/Fortune/CNN Global Alliance.

She continues to speak, write and travel throughout Africa and globally to raise awareness of investment opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa and as an advocate for more innovation in financing sustainable development.

Funding the Future

Developing an “Empowered” Mindset

The Latest Developments in Finance in Emerging Markets

A Snapshot of Global Economic Trends that Impact Investment

How to Attract Direct Foreign Investment – Making the Case for Investing in Africa

How to Develop “In-House” Leadership & Resiliency Coaches to Maximize Institutional Performance

Innovations in SME Funding

Breakthroughs in Unlocking the Entrepreneurial Spirit in Women and Youth from Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Dr McPherson is a Christian who has worked for over a decade in Muslim communities throughout East and West Africa. Her success in reaching out to different communities is in part attributable to her style, which derives from a deep passion for community up-liftment. Her material is generally fact-based and hard-hitting, but she juxtaposes hard-hitting content with personal compassion. The result is a delivery style that ultimately engages and challenges listeners to action.

As a successful attorney/investment banker turned social entrepreneur, Sharron has a speaking style that is engaging, informative, provocative and often humorous. She has a high level of commitment to utilizing her skills and resources to enhance life for others and that comes through in her speaking engagements. She is well travelled and has over 3 decades of experience at the cross section of law, finance and entrepreneurship. This experience comes through in her delivery style which is confident, informed, well-prepared and engaging.

All audiences are interested in transformational development, whether it is at an individual or institutional level. In addition, most people want to know how to live better whether at home or at work. Those who are in positions of leadership be it institutional, national or international want to know what is happening in the world of policy, law, ethics, finance and technology and what they can do to be better.

Dr McPherson’s knowledge base and experience combines a host of topics that the list in a “Post-Crisis” world. Audiences are fascinated about the world of exponentially growing technologies that Dr McPherson recently studied at Singularity University (NASA). They want to know how these new technologies will impact their future. Audiences want to be entertained, but they also want to be informed and given relevant guideposts in these uncertain times.

In short, audiences are also looking for are experienced leaders who have a breadth of experience and who are willing to share their insights and knowledge about the world of finance, entrepreneurship, organizational design and development, policy law and ethics in a manner that is informative, engaging, uplifting and inspiring to each individual.

What is Transformational Development?

How Individuals Can be Inspired to Greatness

Unlocking the Power of Individuals to Transform Communities

The Role of Faith-Based Institutions in Transformational Development

Funding the Future

Investing Differently in Women

Advancing Technologies & the Future Workforce

Policy, Law, Ethics and Finance in the World of Advancing Technologies

The fundamental of successful enterprise development

How individuals can have more impact in their personal and professional lives (“The Power of i” Leadership Series Talks)

The rubrics of Transformational Development – individuals and institutions

How to develop resilient leadership within your organization

The business case for investing differently in women

Steps we, as society, must take now to ensure a viable future for our youth

What are exponentially growing technologies and how they will impact our future across all societal pillars

What are some of the policy, law and ethical concerns raised by advancing technologies

A greater understanding of “The Power of i”

Increased inspiration to make more of a difference in the world

A better understanding of how successful community development works

More knowledge of resiliency training as a missing component in education

A greater appreciation for the role of women and youth in transformational development

A deeper commitment to doing more to enhance the lives of others

Knowledge of the impact of advancing technologies – what they are and how members of the audience can prepare themselves for a changing world

Increased knowledge base of policy, law, ethics and finance

Better appreciation of how these subject areas impact their everyday lives

Insights into developments in global organisations that will impact them personally and professionally

An opportunity to participate in a speaking engagement that actually engages, informs, entertains, educates and inspires

Participants exposed to cutting edge technology that will cause them to think differently no matter what sector their organisation operates in

Challenging information that causes individuals to assess their impact on the organisation

Speech that is appealing across age, race, gender and culture

Content and material that can be modified to meet the specific objectives o the organisation