GPF 2025 Highlights
Fostering Global Collaboration
& Empowerment
Where dialogue translates into direction, and presence translates into purpose
From Right: HE. Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas & HE. Judith Suminwa Tuluka, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at GPWF 2025 New York Event
From its opening moments, GPF 2025 carried a distinct energy—one that moved beyond rhetoric into intentional, solution-oriented dialogue. The Forum became a living architecture of collaboration, where conversations on trade, climate resilience, and digital transformation were anchored in real-world applicability and cross-border partnerships.
Guiding this dynamic exchange were two accomplished conveners whose expertise and presence shaped an atmosphere of strategic depth, ensuring that every panel, fireside chat, and bilateral conversation translated into actionable pathways.
Ebony Young
Master of Ceremonies
Igxtelle Mbah-Acha Dopgima
Co-Moderator
Their stewardship helped shape an atmosphere where dialogue translated into direction, and presence translated into purpose. Together, Ebony Young and Igxtelle Mbah-Acha Dopgima ensured that GPF 2025 was not merely a forum for discussion, but a catalyst for lasting impact—where partnerships were forged, commitments were made, and the architecture of global collaboration was strengthened.
Strategic Alliances
Africa-Caribbean Synergy:
Building Strategic Alliances
From Right: HE. Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas & HE. Judith Suminwa Tuluka, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at GPWF 2025 New York Event
At the heart of the Forum was a renewed commitment to Africa-Caribbean collaboration—an alliance rooted not only in shared history, but in shared economic futures.
Led by Vincent Nmehielle, this high-level business panel explored how both regions can move from cultural affinity to structured economic cooperation.
Discussions centered on:
- Trade corridors and market access
- Climate resilience financing
- Institutional partnerships for sustainable growth
What emerged was a clear insight:
✧ The Africa-Caribbean relationship is no longer symbolic—it is strategic, investable, and urgent. ✧
GPF 2025 Highlights
Key Highlights & Transformative
Discussions
Interconnected conversations shaping a vision of shared prosperity and women-powered economies
The Forum unfolded through a carefully curated sequence of sessions—each designed not as standalone conversations, but as interconnected building blocks within a larger vision of shared prosperity and women-powered economies.
Philip Edward Davis, The Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Hon. Reta Jo Lewis, Co-Chair GPWN, Immediate Past Chair, US Export-Import Bank during the Awards presentation at GPWF 2025 New York
From Right: Philip Edward Davis, The Prime Minister of the Bahamas; HE. Sylvanie Burton D.A.H, President of the Common Wealth of the Dominica & Hon. Reta Jo Lewis, Co-Chair GPWN, Immediate Past Chair, US EXIM Bank during the awards presentation at GPWF 2025 New York
Right: Hon. Reta Jo Lewis, Co-Chair GPWN, Immediate Past Chair, US Export-Import Bank; Prime Minister Philip Davis of The Bahamas & HE, Judith Suminwa Tuluka, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the Awards presentation at GPWF 2025 New York
Opening Plenary Session: Voices of Global Leadership
The Opening Plenary set the tone with unmistakable authority and gravitas.
Jakaya Kikwete delivered a welcome address that framed leadership not as positional power, but as responsibility to shape systems that endure beyond tenure.
This was followed by compelling keynote interventions from:
H.E. Philip Davis
Prime Minister of The Bahamas
H.E. Sylvanie Burton
President of the Commonwealth of Dominica
H.E. Judith Tuluka Suminwa
Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Together, they articulated a unified message: that global development must be reimagined through inclusive leadership, economic cooperation, and intentional partnerships across the Global South.
Digital Economy & Leadership
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
in the Digital Age
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the Digital Age panel — GPF 2025, New York City
This session brought the Forum's central thesis into sharp focus: women are not participants in the global economy—they are architects of its next phase.
Led by Dr. Ibifuro Ken-Giami and moderated by Igxtelle Mbah-Acha Dopgima, the panel explored how digital tools, trade frameworks, and innovation ecosystems are unlocking new frontiers for women entrepreneurs.
With contributions from global leaders including Reta Jo Lewis and other distinguished voices, the conversation advanced beyond theory into practical mechanisms for capital access, cross-border trade, and digital inclusion.
Dr. Ibifuro Ken Giami
Executive Director, CELD & Founder of GPWN
Visionary leader driving digital inclusion strategies across emerging markets, championing women-led tech entrepreneurship.
Igxtelle Mbah-Acha Dopgima
Moderator
Co-Moderator of GPF 2025, steering the dialogue toward actionable pathways for women's economic empowerment.
Reta Jo Lewis
Moderator for the First Ladies Panel
Co-Chair GPWN, Immediate Past Chair, US Export-Import Bank — advancing capital access for women entrepreneurs globally.
✦ The future of women's economic power lies at the intersection of technology, policy, and capital.
Transformative Leadership
First Ladies Roundtable:
Economic Architects for Equity
Reframing the role of First Ladies from ceremonial figures to institutional catalysts of economic transformation
First Ladies Roundtable: HE, Dr. Lucrecia Peinado, First Lady of the Republic of Guatemala (From Right); HE Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; HE, Rossana Briceño, Spouse of the Prime minister of Belize; HE, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President of OAFLAD during the Strategic dialogue on economic equity and institutional impact at GPWF 2025, New York City
A cross-section of First Ladies in high-level engagement during the First Ladies Roundtable: Economic Architects for Equity, anchored by Hon. Reta Jo Lewis, Co-Chair GPWN and Immediate Past Chair of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, at the GPWF 2025 New York event.
From right: HE Dr. Lucrecia Peinado, First Lady of the Republic of Guatemala; HE Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; Dr. Ibifuro Ken-Giami, Executive Director, CELD and Host of GPWF 2025; HE Rossana Briceño, Spouse of the Prime Minister of Belize; HE Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President of OAFLAD; and Hon. Reta Jo Lewis, Co-Chair GPWN and Immediate Past Chair, US EXIM Bank—during official unveiling of Amazons Watch Magazine, a flagship publication of CELD, at the GPWF 2025 New York Event.
One of the most defining moments of GPF 2025 was the First Ladies Roundtable—an extraordinary convening that reframed the role of First Ladies from ceremonial figures to institutional catalysts of economic transformation.
Moderated by Reta Jo Lewis, the session featured an influential cohort of First Ladies who are redefining leadership across their nations.
H.E. Fatima Maada Bio
First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President of OAFLAD
H.E. Lucrecia Peinado
First Lady of the Republic of Guatemala
H.E. Rossana Maria Briceño
Spouse of the Prime Minister of Belize
HE, Mrs. Ann Marie Davis
Spouse of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas
H.E. Zita Oligui Nguema
First Lady of Gabon
The dialogue was clear and compelling. Each First Lady shared not only the initiatives shaping their nations but also the structural barriers that persist—and the pathways they are forging to overcome them. From education reform and maternal health to digital inclusion and women's economic empowerment, the conversation revealed the depth and breadth of their influence.
👉 The influence of First Ladies must move from advocacy to architecture—from visibility to measurable economic outcomes.
Honouring Excellence
Global Power Awards:
Celebrating Visionary Leadership
Recognition as reinforcement of impact — honouring those who shape economies, institutions, and communities
As the Forum transitioned into celebration, the Global Power Awards provided a powerful reminder that recognition is not the end of leadership—it is the reinforcement of impact.
The ceremony honoured exceptional women leaders and champions of Africa-Caribbean collaboration whose work continues to shape economies, institutions, and communities across the Global South and beyond.
A defining highlight was the Global Power Women Network (GPWN) induction, recognising two extraordinary leaders as anchors of a growing global ecosystem dedicated to women's leadership and influence:
Dr. Ibifuro Ken-Giami
Executive Director, CELD & Founder of GPWN
Visionary leader driving digital inclusion and women's entrepreneurship across emerging markets. Her work has unlocked pathways for thousands of women entrepreneurs to access capital, markets, and technology.
Reta Jo Lewis
Co-Chair GPWN | Immediate Past Chair, US EXIM Bank
Immediate Past Chair of the US Export-Import Bank, Co-Chair of the Global Power Women Network. A tireless advocate for women's economic empowerment and cross-border trade financing.
The Global Power Awards also honoured champions of Africa-Caribbean collaboration, recognising leaders who have built bridges of economic cooperation between the two regions. From trade facilitation to climate resilience financing, these honorees exemplify the transformative power of intentional partnerships.
✧ "Recognition is not the end of leadership—it is the reinforcement of impact. The Global Power Awards remind us that when we celebrate visionary leadership, we inspire the next generation of changemakers." ✧
✦ Moments from the Global Power Women Awards ✦
✦ ✦ ✦
The Global Power Awards reaffirmed that leadership amplified is leadership realized. As GPF 2025 drew to a close, the message was clear: the architecture for a more equitable global economy is being built—by women leaders, by cross-regional partners, and by those who dare to reimagine what is possible.
Looking Forward
Conclusion & Future Outlook
From powerful conversations to a shared agenda for action
As the Forum drew to a close, what remained was not just a memory of powerful conversations—but the emergence of a shared agenda for action.
The presentation of the GPF Communiqué on Africa-Caribbean-Women Cooperation crystallised key commitments into a forward-looking framework—one designed to guide policy alignment, investment engagement, and institutional collaboration.
📜 GPF Communiqué: Africa-Caribbean-Women Cooperation
The Communiqué establishes three foundational pillars:
(1) Structured trade and investment corridors between Africa and the Caribbean;
(2) A dedicated facility for women entrepreneurs' capital access; and
(3) An annual institutional mechanism to track progress on commitments made at GPF 2025.
“The true measure of this Forum is not what was said, but what will be built from here.”
GPF 2025 did not end in New York. It set in motion a continuum—one that now extends toward deeper partnerships, structured investment pathways, and the next phase of global engagement.