Dr. Laila Macharia

Head of Kenya Programs, Imaginable Futures | Chair, Aspen Initiative for Africa | Board Member, Centum Investment, Absa Life Assurance Kenya & Africa Digital Media Institute

Dr. Laila Macharia is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and thought leader with over two decades of leadership experience across Africa and the United States. Raised in Kenya, Namibia, and Somalia, she has built a distinguished career at the intersection of investment, technology, and systems change.

She currently serves as Head of Kenya Programs at Imaginable Futures, where she leads regional strategy and partnerships to create inclusive learning-to-earning pathways for young people across Africa. In addition, she is Chair of the Aspen Initiative for Africa, part of the Aspen Institute’s global network that promotes values-based leadership and dialogue across the continent.

Dr. Macharia also sits on the boards of Centum Investment Company Plc, Absa Life Assurance Kenya, and the Africa Digital Media Institute, contributing her expertise in governance, innovation, and strategic investment.

Admitted to practise law in Kenya, Maryland, and New York, she holds a B.A. in Planning and Public Policy from the University of Oregon, a J.D. and LL.M. from Cornell University, and a Doctorate in Law (J.S.D.) from Stanford University.

Recognized among Kenya’s Top 100 Most Influential People (2021), a Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Africa Leadership Initiative (2010), and one of the Times (London) “Top 20 Women to Watch in Africa” (2012), Dr. Macharia continues to champion education, entrepreneurship, and innovation as engines of inclusive growth and sustainable impact across the continent.