Board of Directors
Founder, President & Chair
MERCY NGOZI AJUONU
As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Inspire the Journey to Enhanced Lives (“IJE Global”), Ms. Mercy Ngozi Ajuonu has dedicated her life to multiple charitable organizations with an international focus on helping women and children, including the Rural Women Foundation (“RWF” – Nigeria), where she also acts as their CEO. Mercy offers over twenty-four (24) years of experience in non-profit administration and seventeen (17) years of experience as an educator. She believes that ‘Empowerment’ is the key to closing the gaps of equity, equality, access, livelihood, and quality of life. She is a Public Health Specialist, an Educator, and a Consultant in Not-for-profit management.
Mercy holds an educational administrative credential, a single-subject credential in Mathematics, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration, a Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics, Master of Arts in Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Management, and a Master of Arts in Women Studies. She also holds a master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) and is a candidate for doctoral degree in Public Health (DrPH).
As a dedicated educational leader with valuable experiences in classroom administration, a compassionate social change administrative leader with capabilities in planning and implementing projects, delivering professional developments, and managing people, she creates and plans programs, implements programs and projects, and delivers Professional Developments (PDs) to both instructional and organizational staff.
She has collaborated in her position as CEO of RWF with organizations such as Winrock International, a US-based organization, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), a Nigeria-based research institute, World Bank Projects, European Union small grant project, FHI, ARLF, and Ministries of Women Affairs and Social Development in Nigeria. In her work with RWF, Mercy has developed a strong belief that education is one of the keys to empowerment. She brings her education, professional experiences, instructional background, technological skills, and her values to IJE Global as a quickly growing internationally recognized charitable organization.
Director & Vice-Chair
SHANNA LIVERMORE
IJE Global board member, Ms. Shanna Livermore, MPH, MCHES, FRSPH is the Co-Director of the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center, and Director of Operations for the HIV Clinical Leadership Fellowship Program. She is pursuing a DrPH at Claremont Graduate University with an emphasis in global health.
Shanna offers IJE Global a career and reputation as public health professional beginning over twenty (20) years ago, when she started at the California Department of Public Health, Office of HIV/AIDS. Additionally, she has performed as a consultant to the Pan African Parliament and has held multiple leadership positions with the American Public Health Association and the Society for Public Health Education.
IJE Global welcomes Shanna and her wealth of knowledge in public health matters given our focus and mission in improving the health of world citizens.
Treasurer
CHINWE ASHIBUOGWU
As the Treasurer for IJE Global, Ms. Chinwe Ezeunala Ashibuogwu is an experienced International Business Consultant with over fifteen (15) years’ of experience in successfully managing a variety of projects and people in a multifunction environment. With a proven ability to identify and capitalize on business opportunities. She has good understanding of international business capabilities and limitations with an emphasis on international business development and markets.
As an experienced professional, she has helped in the organization of projects within the non-profit industry and her expertise is founded in her passion for numbers as she pursues her recent studies in accounting. She serves in IJE as the treasurer.
Chinwe holds a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences, an MBA in International Business, an M.Sc. in International Hospitality Management and most recently, she has become a Doctoral Candidate. Her vast knowledge in education is rooted in her passion in ensuring that young children are enrolled in schools in the developing countries. This passion led to her pursuit for a doctoral degree with a focus on education. Her positive contribution to this group changes the world around her. Her interests align with the principles and concepts of IJE Global. Her personal life journey is an inspiration and will help to promote the journey we plan to achieve in IJE Global.
Chinwe has worked in different fields and has gained experience as a Marketing Manager, Graphic Designer, Project Supervisor and she has written many proposals to organizations to fund orphanages and ensure children are receiving the basic education they need. The value of her passion was recognized when she was chosen to lead an inner-city mission in Nigeria where orphanages are visited with contributions of food and resources, and in raising funds for the orphans and organizing the distribution of books and materials for the communities and prisons. Her pursuit of education has given her the opportunity to travel throughout Africa, Europe, and the United States where her passion still continues. Chinwe possesses deep knowledge of the business cultural environment in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. She is a disciplined self-starter who enjoys new challenges, a good team player with proven ability to work with both internal and external stakeholders, excellent analytical and listening skills, the ability to communicate clearly across cultures as well as a proven track record of delivering results within agreed timescales in a fast paced and quickly changing business environment. Thus, Chinwe will only complement and improve the charitable work we face at IJE Global.
Corporate Secretary & Director
SOPHIE NWAEFULU
As the Corporate Secretary and Director of IJE Global, Ms. Sophie Nwaefulu is dedicated to motivating teams, building consensus, and inspiring innovation. Sophie understands that by putting people first, performance improves, and results follow. With a high degree of emotional intelligence, she leads by example and champions the performance and success of her team. Adept at transforming ideas into actionable programs and breaking down complex concepts into easily understandable parts, she enjoys the well-deserved reputation of being a superior communicator and a leader who gets things done.
Sophie began her tenure with American Airlines over twenty-five (25) years ago on the front lines as a Passenger Service Agent and has progressed to become a Senior Manager in Workforce Planning. This early experience enables her to listen empathetically, to communicate clearly, and to defuse tense situations. In the intervening years, her superior performance was rewarded with multiple, successive promotions in her customer service and human resources roles.
A graduate of the Executive Leadership Program of the Saïd Business School at Oxford University in England and the McKinsey Black Executive Program, Sophie is high-performing, purpose driven leader with the character, competence and judgement needed to formulate value-based leadership.
She is highly skilled in the development of long-term organizational strategy, analyses of operational effectiveness and strategic alignment, and an expert in assessing market trends, identifying threats and opportunities, and in presenting findings, projections and recommended actions.
Sophie has been instrumental in planning, implementing, managing, monitoring, and reporting on a variety of merger related projects at American Airlines. Sophie is a widowed but proud mother of two residing in Dallas, Texas, as both her children are Post-Graduate Engineering students. In her personal time, she loves to hike, golf and spend time with family. Given her past work on the Board of Directors of the Rural Women Foundation in Abuja, Nigeria, the leaders of IJE Global can confidently trust in Sophie sharing the vision of making a positive impact on international communities and families.
Director
DR. ETHEL NWANDU
As a board member committing her time to IJE Global, Ms. Ethel N. Nwandu is a Registered Nurse with over twenty-eight (28) years of experience. Ethel has a long and variegated shade of experiences in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health settings. During this period, she gathered formidable interests, honed her skills at the bedside, and became even more passionate over how she would participate further to improve care for patients and the policies of the profession.
In the last eighteen (18) years, she has been with the Riverside County Department of Mental Health where she has worked as a Case Manager for fifteen (15) years. Within the Mental Health Department, she has acted as a liaison between Riverside County Department of Mental Health and the Mental Health State Hospitals for the State of California. In this capacity, she was involved on a minute-by-minute level with health care workers at different points of the spectrum. It was her responsibility to counsel, advocate for, and monitor the progress of members of society who are unfortunate to be indisposed of mind. Changing and empowering the less privileged youth and children gives her great gratification.
Ethel was a member of the Riverside County Cultural Competency Committee. This high powered and directorial position particularly helped her to inculcate a remarkable level of interpersonal skill, vast patience, appreciable concord, and harmony with which to deal and teamwork with others. From going to court to represent these people, to dealing with their living arrangements, and all their other issues in all its ramifications, she was exposed to diverse interests and endeavors.
Ethel holds a Masters’ degree in nursing, graduating with a dual degree of Master’s in nursing (MSN) and a Master’s in health care administration (MHA) from the University of Phoenix. She obtained her Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Grand Canyon University. Ethel is currently working with Riverside County Department of Mental Health Inpatient Quality Improvement unit as a Utilization Nurse. As IJE Global impacts the world, Ethel’s contribution will be immense.
Director
DR. CHIKA EZEANYA ESIOBU
In her role as a board member of IJE Global, Dr. Chika Ezeanya Esiobu is convinced of the ability of Africans to transform Africa. She is of the view that the acknowledgement of the significance of Africa’s indigenous knowledge – in all fields of human endeavor – is key to the continent’s advancement. A researcher, teacher, non-fiction and fiction writer, and a public intellectual, Chika holds a Ph.D. in African Development and Policy Studies from Howard University in Washington D.C.
Chika has been invited to present her ideas across cultures, countries, institutions and platforms, including the London School of Economics, Pan-African Parliament, United Nations Development Program, African Union, Social Science Research Council, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, United Nations Public Service Awards Ceremony, Standard Bank South Africa, to mention few.
Chika has worked as a consultant for the World Bank on education and sustainable land management in Africa. Among her other research works include an International Development Research Center (IDRC) Canada commissioned project on utilizing indigenous technology to create employment for women in rural areas in Rwanda. Chika has conducted research for such organizations as the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC).
Dr. Chika Esiobu is the Principal of Julani Varsity and the founder of African Child Press. After serving as the College Director of Research and Postgraduate Studies, she is now a visiting senior lecturer with the University of Rwanda, College of Business and Economics, as well as an adjunct professor with California State University Dominguez Hills, Department of Africana Studies. Chika has lived and worked in four countries spread across three continents. Through her travels, Chika has learned to value integrity, dignity, respect for self and others, cooperation over competition, to be open to knowledge and to smile often with her heart. Thus, Chika’s intellect and passion for progress will help IJE Global execute in their mission to help women and children.
Director
ULOMA NWOGU
IJE Global board member, Mrs. Uloma Nwogu, MPH, CHES, MCHC is an entrepreneur and public health practitioner with over ten (10) years of experience in health education and in promoting and addressing issues of poverty, health inequities and access to healthcare for marginalized communities. Mrs. Nwogu is currently the Manager at the Community Resource Center in SAC Health. In her current role, Mrs. Nwogu utilizes social determinants of health to analyze health equity and access to health for the community. She is responsible for directing fiscal operations and oversees departmental programs that tackle issues of homelessness, poverty, food insecurity, and a lack of access to health care. Mrs. Nwogu also founded STL Coaching and Consulting, a company which provides wellness coaching to individuals, families, and businesses. Mrs. Nwogu has worked in various settings including higher education, non-profit organizations, and the private sector locally and internationally. She is an adjunct faculty member at Chaffey College. Mrs. Nwogu is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Coach (MCHC). Utilizing social determinants of health, Mrs. Nwogu analyzes health equity and access to healthcare for communities. She has extensive experience with community outreach, health behavior change, and health disparities research with the goal of ensuring people are educated about their health, have the tools needed to thrive, and have equitable access to healthcare and resources within their community. IJE Global shares Uloma’s purpose and drive to improve the health and quality of life of individuals and communities around the world.
