Freda Yawson
Program Lead

Ms. Yawson is problem solver who is passionate about the application of engineering to critical challenges societies face today. With over 10 years of combined experience in international development, mechanical engineering, management consulting and project/portfolio management, her interests lie in the development of industry, manufacturing, and skills development in STEM. 

Her experiences have led her to work in a wide range of sectors across government (9 African countries), private sector (GM, Toyota, PwC), and in the development world (Engineers without Borders, Millenium Promise, UNIDO). Recently she served as the Senior Programs Manager for the African Center for Economic Transformation where she was responsible for overseeing the annual portfolio and driving strategic initiatives such as the Manufacturing Chapter of the Pan-African Coalition for Transformation.

She currently serves as the Program Lead for Innovate Ghana Program at GREMKAY International where she leads the annual Innovate Ghana Competition. Since it’s inception in 2015 the program has generated over 35 product concepts and trained nearly 200 students in human centered design/design thinking, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. Her vision is to empower today’s youth to solve challenges in their own communities while equipping them with the necessary skills to drive innovation on the continent. 

Sessions