Gisele Mekuate-Defo is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Impact Hub Yaoundé, a platform dedicated to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development in Cameroon. As a social innovation leader and technology professional, she is committed to contribute to strengthen innovation ecosystem in Cameroon.
She oversees strategic partnerships, organizational growth, resource mobilization, programme design, and the development of services that support entrepreneurs and emerging businesses in overcoming barriers to growth and sustainability.
Alongside her entrepreneurial role, Gisele brings more than 15 years of international experience in digital transformation, humanitarian innovation, data governance, and information systems management. Her career spans leadership positions with the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), where she has led large-scale digital initiatives supporting humanitarian and development programmes.
A strong advocate for technology as a driver of social impact, Gisele focuses on leveraging digital innovation, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and collaborative ecosystems to create sustainable solutions for Africa’s development challenges. Through Impact Hub Yaoundé, she works to empower entrepreneurs, strengthen local innovation ecosystems, and foster partnerships that contribute to a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable Cameroon.
Gisele holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science, is ITIL v4 certified, and is fluent in both French and English. She combines strategic vision, operational leadership, and deep expertise in technology and development to support organizations and entrepreneurs in achieving meaningful and lasting impact.