Meet Elizabeth Elango

Hi Elizabeth, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a non-profit professional, leader, and lifter of people. People are my passion, and joy is my superpower. I am honored by my role as a leader and the ability to inspire willing followers. I love to see ideas come to life and grow. I enjoy seeing people achieve things they did not think they could. I am fulfilled by seeing my teams succeed.

I have over 25 years of experience working in global organizations. Born and raised in Cameroon and educated in the US, I’ve traveled the world extensively (over 50 countries) and have worked in over 30 of Africa’s 54 countries. Through those experiences, I have gained a considerable understanding of the power and richness of diversity when it is properly leveraged.

In my current role, I lead the only school for refugee girls in the US. Previously, as CEO at JA Africa, I was honored to work with young people across Africa in shaping their futures and the future of the continent. Prior to that, I worked for 15 years at Heifer International, leaving there as Vice-President of Africa programs.

I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs from Kennesaw State University and have a Master’s in African Studies from Yale University. I was a Fulbright Scholar in Zanzibar and worked in South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania for GlobaLearn, an educational organization. I started my career at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, GA.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Challenges are some of the things that build who we are. I’ve had my fair share. My earliest memory of a challenge was as a small child starting school. I was left-handed. Being left-handed in my home country of Cameroon was very much frowned upon then. It was seen as a trait that needed to be corrected so in order to “correct” me and make me comply with societal norms, teachers forced me to learn to write with my right hand. It was very difficult but I learned. I think functioning as a right-handed person when in reality, I am left-handed still affects me to this day. My fine motor skills and my gross motor skills are not in the same hand. Another challenge was coming to the US as a teenager. Adjusting to a new culture is a very difficult thing. Even though I spoke English as my first language, I was “othered” and sometimes dismissed because of my accent so in some ways, learning to assimilate was like learning a different language.

But these challenges have helped make me a more compassionate person and a more effective leader, especially in my current role as CEO and Head of School for Global Village Project, which is a school for refugee girls. A big part of me can relate to the challenges our students face and I think that makes me better able to represent their needs.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the CEO and Head of School at Global Village Project, which is a school for refugee girls based in Decatur, GA. I’ve been in this role for three years. I am an educator and a leader. I’ve worked in non-profits my whole career, and many of those years have been working with young people. I value education highly, especially girls’ education. I love working in teams, and I really enjoy being a leader because of the opportunities it gives me to teach, to grow people, and to be an agent of change. For that, I refer to myself as a “peopleculturist.” The thing I am most proud of as a leader is creating safe spaces where people can bring their whole selves and where they can thrive. I am a big proponent of people defining, harnessing, and using their power in positive ways. I am proud of my role as a mentor – I have mentees all over the world from South Africa to Saudi Arabia.