I am Lerato Mashianoke. I am a black woman and a child of the southern soil who grew up in a world characterized by various forms of inequality. My lived experiences and observation of issues such as patriarchy, oppression, inequality, and injustice shape a big part of who I am, how I think, and how I see and experience the world I live in. I see myself as an international development and grantmaking specialist, an African feminist thinker, and a global strategic leader. Amongst many other things, I am also a Global South convener, writer, scholar, philanthropist, feminist leader, change agent, and overall challenger of all forms of inequality and social injustice. Throughout my career, I have done work at the intersection of philanthropy, women’s rights, and social justice. Through my work, I utilize dialogue and strategic philanthropy as tools to challenge inequality and promote systems change and social justice across the globe. I have extensive experience in leading, designing, and implementing philanthropy, development, and grantmaking strategies at a global and regional level. This includes but is not limited to strategies on human rights, gender and racial justice, healing justice, natural resources, climate change, civic space, and global governance. Through the design and implementation of institutional strengthening, capacity building, and technical assistance programs, my work also supports the resilience and capacity of communities, movements, and organizations working at the frontlines of social justice in the Global South.

I hold a Master of Management in African Philanthropy from the University of the Witwatersrand’s Business School; a Postgraduate Managerial Finance Certificate (Summa Cum Laude) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Bachelor of Administration with Honors in Public Administration (Cum Laude) from the University of South Africa, and a Bachelor of Administration in International Relations (with distinctions) from the University of Pretoria.