W. Lawrence Yealue, II
I am a passionate advocate and practitioner of social change, a commitment that has led me to my current role as country director at Accountability Lab, a global network that supports active citizens, responsible leaders and accountable institutions. I am also a co-founder of the organisation.
My work dates back to 2001, when I fled to Ghana amid Liberia’s civil war. There, I studied and began advocating for youth development, inclusion, peace, and integrity in Buduburam Refugee Camp. Over the years, I have gone on to volunteer with a number of organisations across Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, and Nigeria. From 2003 to 2005, I was a peace ambassador in Ghana for Apeadu Peace.
Upon returning to Liberia in 2013, I supported entrepreneurs through the University of Liberia’s Business Start-Up Centre in Monrovia as assistant director. I was also a crucial member of the team that organised the first Micro, Medium and Small Enterprises Conference Liberia in 2013 and I established the country’s first angel investment fund. In 2014, I won Transparency International’s first Social Entrepreneurs Initiative for West Africa competition.
In addition to my work as a business development expert and coach, I work on numerous other projects related to advancing justice. In 2017, I organised the first-ever Liberian Youth Peace Building National Conference, and in 2019, I worked on the first all-women film festival in Liberia. I also received training as a diplomat from Foreign Service Institute in 2019 and participated in the Implementing Public Policy Executive Education Program at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2020. I serve on the National Media Council of Liberia.