Born to Sierra Leonean and Guinean parents, Mariama is a third culture kid (TCK) who grew up in 10 countries across 5 continents—including Zambia, the UK, Sudan, Ethiopia, the US, Italy, Yemen, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Canada.

Mariama has since worked in Canada, Sierra Leone, the UK, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania and, Mozambique,

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English and Sierra Leonean Krio are Mariama’s two native tongues. She is fluent in French, and a beginner in Arabic, Fulani, and Mende.

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Holding a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in International Development and Political Science from McGill University, Mariama’s career began at the intersection of public policy, gender rights, education, public health, and storytelling as tools for change across Africa and global majority countries. After five years of professional experience, she returned to academia to pursue a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Media, Communications and Critical Practice, graduating with First Class Honours from the University of the Arts London. Mariama also holds a Master of Education (Ed.M.) in Learning Design, Innovation, and Technology—graduating summa cum laude—from Harvard University.

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The bulk of Mariama’s mid-career has been with the World Bank and the UN, in Education Financing, Policy, and Development—reimagining classrooms, curricula, and inclusive education systems—with a significant specialization in gender-equality, girls' and women's rights, and ending global gender-based violence. She has also designed survivor- and youth-centered programs to tackle school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) and advance healing-centered, gender-transformative approaches to education, particularly in fragility and emergency contexts.

 

In parallel, Mariama has worked as an international journalist, leading production for BBC’s award-winning programs including 100 Women, Focus on Africa, and the Emmy-nominated What’s New/Actu Jeune. She has also served as a lead Sierra Leonean freelance journalist for CNN’s flagship African shows such as Inside Africa, African Voices Changemakers, Marketplace Africa, and Connecting Africa—focusing her storytelling on solutions, innovators, survivors and leaders in business and tech, food and travel, policy, arts and culture, education and health, and more. 

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In her free time, Mariama is a filmmaker, creative director, and serial social entrepreneur. She is a two-time founder of ventures that have disrupted employment and education barriers for underserved Sierra Leonean youth. From 2017–2019, Mariama founded and led Foodies SL Ltd., a bizdev and marketing consultancy that shifted hiring practices in Sierra Leone’s foreign-dominated hospitality sector—helping 21 businesses triple their profits in six months and tap into international markets during an economic recession. In 2021, she founded The Women’s Career Collective (TWCC)—a mentorship, resourcing, and venture incubation hub for vulnerable young women in Sierra Leone. The collective’s pilot cohort supported women in STEM and creative industries in securing formal employment, breaking cycles of exclusion from the formal economy.

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In 2024, Mariama released her debut short film series, Slow Mornings—a critically acclaimed creative project that continues her lifelong journey of advocating for gender rights, championing African creatives, and connecting diasporic cultural movements. Her creative work spans music and film production, fashion showcases, cultural festivals, and museum exhibitions around the world.

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A millennial polymath and multidisciplinary visionary leader, Mariama’s lifelong ambitions include tackling the most complex challenges facing African education, gender justice, and socio-economic development—while also making a few unforgettable romantic films, and (hopefully) being credited with crafting the world’s most perfect Americano coffee.

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