Leadership
Dawit M. Dame Founder and Executive Director
Biruktawit B. Sinegiorgis Head of Partnerships
Biruktawit B. Sinegiorgis Head of Partnerships
Dawit M. Dame is a public sector transformation leader with 15 years of experience advancing institutional reform, digital innovation, and inclusive development across Ethiopia and the region. His work spans digital identity, labor mobility, taxation, agriculture, and entrepreneurship—consistently bridging policy, technology, and partnerships to deliver scalable solutions that strengthen government systems and expand citizen access through a systems-thinking approach. His notable achievements include launching FaydaPass (a public-private partnership connecting Ethiopia’s digital ID to essential services), leading the country's first government-led overseas employment reform and securing bilateral labor agreements, contributing to Ethiopia's startup proclamations, driving tax administration debt management reforms, and strengthening agricultural value chains to improve storage infrastructure and market access for smallholder farmers
Biruktawit B. Sinegiorgis Head of Partnerships
Biruktawit B. Sinegiorgis Head of Partnerships
Biruktawit B. Sinegiorgis Head of Partnerships
Biruktawit B. Sinegiorgis is a strategic partnerships and high-value fundraising professional with over twelve years of experience driving resource mobilization and donor relations across the Middle East and East Africa. Having supported the mobilization and management of more than USD 90 million for humanitarian and resilience portfolios, she has authored over 100 high-impact proposals, pitch decks, and strategic analyses. Her distinguished career includes leadership roles with organizations such as Relief International, the International Rescue Committee, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam GB, and Ethiopia's Ministry of Labor & Skills. Renowned for her analytical depth and rigorous cross-functional coordination, she excels in donor prospecting, award management, and building robust partnerships with UN agencies, governments, and institutional donor
Perennial Circle
Nigussu Tilahun
Blene Aklilu Betemariam
Blene Aklilu Betemariam
Nigussu Tilahun is a senior policy leader and development practitioner with over 26 years of experience in public service, education, and private sector development. He has held key roles including State Minister for Jobs and Employment, Commissioner of the Job Creation Commission, and Head of the Press Secretariat at the Office of the Pr
Nigussu Tilahun is a senior policy leader and development practitioner with over 26 years of experience in public service, education, and private sector development. He has held key roles including State Minister for Jobs and Employment, Commissioner of the Job Creation Commission, and Head of the Press Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister. He currently leads Galaxy Research and Consultancy PLC and has served on the boards of nine national organizations.
He played a pivotal role in shaping Ethiopia’s MSME Policy and Start-up Proclamation, aligning them with national strategies to promote inclusive, innovation-driven growth. Nigussu led major initiatives like the African Job Summit and youth employment programs such as the Bikat Program. He also contributed to the Enabling Ethiopia Project, which aims to create 14 million jobs by 2025. He holds a Master’s in Educational Psychology and is a Certified Project Management Professional.
Blene Aklilu Betemariam
Blene Aklilu Betemariam
Blene Aklilu Betemariam
Blene Aklilu Betemariam is a human capital strategist who has worked in a wide range of environments. Dr. Betemariam is a highly qualified leader with over twenty years of combined experience as a consultant, program designer, developer & evaluator, educator, and operational manager. Her career interest is to instill a love of lifelong le
Blene Aklilu Betemariam is a human capital strategist who has worked in a wide range of environments. Dr. Betemariam is a highly qualified leader with over twenty years of combined experience as a consultant, program designer, developer & evaluator, educator, and operational manager. Her career interest is to instill a love of lifelong learning and appreciation for learning to learn, create a culture of continuous improvement, and provide strategic support for social entrepreneurs to develop new products, services, and markets that help generate social impact.
Dr. Blene is impact-driven, forward-thinker, motivated, and passionate about skills/talent development to improve skills and talents through re-skilling, up-skilling, micro-skilling, and skill adjacencies for the youth and women. She holds a Doctorate in Education and leadership and an MBA
Prof. Baylie Damtie
Blene Aklilu Betemariam
Prof. Baylie Damtie
Baylie Damtie has served as Vice Chancellor of Kepler and Kepler College in Rwanda since 2019, leading efforts to deliver affordable, job-focused education. He co-founded the Graduate Employment Programs, which supported over 6,200 graduates in Rwanda and Ethiopia, with 85% securing jobs within a year. Kepler College graduates from regula
Baylie Damtie has served as Vice Chancellor of Kepler and Kepler College in Rwanda since 2019, leading efforts to deliver affordable, job-focused education. He co-founded the Graduate Employment Programs, which supported over 6,200 graduates in Rwanda and Ethiopia, with 85% securing jobs within a year. Kepler College graduates from regular academic programs achieved a 90% employment rate within six months.
From 2011 to 2018, Baylie was President of Bahir Dar University, where he expanded enrollment from 12,663 to 52,900 and established a major medical school with a 500-bed teaching hospital. He grew PhD programs from 2 to 32 and facilitated international job placements for over 2,000 graduates. He holds a PhD in Space Physics and has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles.
Kalkidan T. Deribe
Blene Aklilu Betemariam
Prof. Baylie Damtie
Kalkidan T. Deribe is a senior finance and investment strategist specializing in education systems, skills ecosystems, and development finance, with over a decade of experience leading large-scale national and regional programs in Ethiopia. Bridging government systems, multilateral institutions, and private capital networks, she has steer
Kalkidan T. Deribe is a senior finance and investment strategist specializing in education systems, skills ecosystems, and development finance, with over a decade of experience leading large-scale national and regional programs in Ethiopia. Bridging government systems, multilateral institutions, and private capital networks, she has steered major World Bank-backed operations, including serving as the National Project Coordinator for the USD 177 million EASTRIP program and National Focal Person for the USD 200 million EASE project.
Beyond public sector programs, her expertise spans investment structuring, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), and cross-border capital mobilization. She has led initiatives such as an USD 80 million+ National Tourism Training Institute PPP and advised on strategic cross-border investment partnerships connecting domestic opportunities with international capital standards