“Creativity has the power to restore dignity and beauty to the lives of those who have been forgotten.”

Okito Wedi is the founder and CEO of Crtve Development, a pan-African organization that champions change across the continent through visual storytelling and advocacy campaigns. She is also a medical doctor, global health and development specialist, and academic researcher with over 10 years of experience working across development issues.

Okito has worked on a wide range of critical issues—including health security, climate change, gender, conflict, and public policy—for numerous organizations and institutions, including the United Nations, the African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases, and Global Citizen. Her work with global organizations has strengthened her belief that previously disenfranchised communities are an essential part of successful development, especially as the world continues to rebuild from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Okito believes strongly in the transformative power of creativity, storytelling, and research, and in the ability of young people and Africans everywhere to imagine and shape the world they want to see and inhabit. She is fueled by her love for the African continent, and she strives to imbue a sense of optimism, purposefulness, and gratitude to the work and people she has been called to serve.