WITH DIANA WILSON

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who
am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a
child of God. You’re playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about
shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as
children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in
some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give another
people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence

automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson

Hope saves lives. Hope saved my life. I am a first-generation Ghanaian-American woman from
Newark, NJ who was raised by a single mother, categorized as a low-income student and a rape
survivor. Based off of various studies: I was predetermined to be a teen mom, have a criminal
background and at most receive a high school diploma. My identity stands as the intersectional
site in which I combat and interrogate ideas of nationalism, feminism, capitalism, and racism.
Nevertheless, my faith and passionate immigrant mother instilled in me that I was created to
defy, not to be defined. It is the very limitations of my existence, that allowed me to perceive
and identify with my greater purpose. Every setback formulated an environment that obligated
me to learn new and inventive ways to thrive. My trauma became seeds for the vision of this
revolution I am undertaking. I am working to see the day when young Black girls understand
their beauty and importance, which I struggled to perceive. I am working to see the day when
potential meets opportunity for underprivileged peoples, specifically women. I am working to
create a successful business model that will champion in minority and female employment. I
am working to live in a world with true gender and racial parity.
Like my African forefathers, my beautiful and intricately entwined identity and the oppression
that it undertakes, allows me to consistently craft a new creative frame of what freedom looks
like. As I enter into this board position with the African Women Development Fund, I plan to
dream and work towards a better future for myself, my nieces, my girlfriends, and strangers
because I want to leave the road to self-actualization a little less cluttered for girls who look like

me. I plan to support other African women who dare to dream and enact change for the socio-
economic development of our present day and the generations of African women to come. I

will work tirelessly in harmony with AWDF’s mission to, “Amplify and celebrate African
women’s voices and achievements…… and promote African women as active agents of
change.” I believe that women, specifically African women, can change the world. Through this
position, I plan to see to it that we do.

……

Biography of Author:
Diana Wilson is a Christian, global speaker, social entrepreneur, feminist and eco-system
builder. She graduated from the University of Virginia earning a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology
with a minor in Women Gender Studies, yet has $0 in student loans/debt! She attended UVA

with a full scholarship from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and had over $100,000 dollars
in other scholarships. Due to her passion for understanding the global sphere, she has traveled
to 11 countries within 4 continents for free through scholarships. Her travels span from South
Africa to France.
She is a marketing strategist at Google. She has completed prestigious programs with Goldman
Sachs, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, PwC, Accenture, McKinsey & Company, and J.P.
Morgan. Through the opportunities she had in college, she created Yielding Accomplished
African Women to provide other women with these experiences. Named after Yaa Asantewaa
(Ghanaian feminist heroine), Yielding Accomplished African Women aims at erecting and
delivering the largest community of African female developers and financial analysts who are
passionate about using STEM to revolutionize Africa and beyond. Face2Face Africa has named
her “The Next Mark Zuckerberg”. She has won the Future of Ghana 30 Under 30 Award, Forbes
30 Under 30 Scholar Award, The Coca-Cola Company Scholarship, McKinsey’s Woman Impact
Award, etc.

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