Caterina De’ Medici Africa’s CEO Foluke Michael is at the forefront of Africa’s green economy movement. A project management expert, SDGs implementer, and Green Economy specialist, her work assists governments, businesses, and entrepreneurs in advancing social development, environmental sustainability, and economic growth.
The shift
Before Foluke Michael emerged as a leader in Africa’s sustainability sector, she worked as a civil engineer with a passion for social impact. While many professionals concentrated solely on career advancement, she dedicated over half of her income to youth development, women’s empowerment, and cultural initiatives.
Then, in 2015, everything shifted. Michael started paying closer attention to climate change, recognising its devastating impact on Africa’s future. The more she learned, the more she realised that economic growth and environmental sustainability had to go hand in hand.
By 2021, Michael was designing impactful programs focused on climate action and participating in high-level discussions at global events like the Leaders’ Summit on Climate.
Caterina De’ Medici Africa
In February 2024, Foluke Michael was appointed CEO of Caterina De’ Medici Africa, an organisation primarily focused on propelling Africa’s transition to a Green Economy. There, she leads a movement grounded in six core principles: Profit, People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnerships. The end goal is to ensure Africa’s transition to a green economy in a way that uplifts communities and drives economic growth. To achieve this, the organisation works directly with key stakeholders to launch sustainability projects.
Before becoming the CEO of Caterina De’ Medici, Michael spearheaded several standout initiatives:
- Solution17 for SDGs: This program nurtures young innovators to develop sustainable solutions. The UN has twice recognised it as a model for SDG implementation, reflecting Michael’s commitment to creating impactful change.
- Art for Climate Change: Launched in 2020, this initiative creatively blends art, storytelling, and digital media to raise awareness and influence climate policy.
- Trees from Art (TfA): Combining creativity with practical action, TfA aims to plant 10 million economic trees by 2030, showcasing an innovative approach to environmental stewardship.
- Ekiti Green Economy Transition: Recently, Michael led this partnership with Ekiti State to promote agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture, and circular economy solutions, further demonstrating her dedication to sustainable development.
A leader in education
Beyond her hands-on projects, Foluke Michael is deeply invested in education and thought leadership. She holds an MSc in Project Management from the University of Salford, a certificate in Design Thinking from The University of Sydney, and a BBA in building a Tech Startup from Nexford University.
She has also collaborated with Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka on youth-focused initiatives like The Vision of the Child, using creative platforms to inspire the next generation.
Her work has been recognised globally, earning her awards such as the United Nations SDG Award, the University of Salford Alumni Achievement Award, and the Hero of Climate Action Award 2020 by the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD)
Foluke Michael has also authored several books, including The Green Entrepreneurs and The Book of Acts: In the Beginning, The Planet, to enable more young Africans to understand sustainability.
