Amini C. Kajunju, who led the transformation of the Africa-American Institute into a vital hub of African talent and thought leadership as the first African-born president and CEO of the 63-year-old nonprofit, has taken on another landmark role elsewhere.
In July, New York City investment firm Africa Integras appointed Kajunju to the newly created position of director of strategic partnerships. Kajunju now works closely with the firm’s university partners to help them enhance and expand their own network of partnerships with academic, financial, private, nonprofit, and governmental organizations.
Africa Integras invests in the development of education infrastructure, including academic classrooms, student hostels, faculty housing and related commercial and leisure facilities, through a build-operate-transfer structure that helps African governments and universities achieve financial sustainability while addressing their infrastructure expansion needs. The nine-year-old firm is managed by the Christie Company, which serves as the developer for each project.
“Africa Integras is a pioneer in using affordable private sector financing to close the Africa education infrastructure gap, which now stands at over $48 billion,” says Kajunju. “When this opportunity was presented to me, I knew I had to take it. I could not pass up the chance to play a role in solving a critical problem facing African universities today as they work hard to accommodate exponentially increasing enrollment of students and prepare them for a 21st century global economy.”
A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kajunju is the first person to hold the position of Director of Strategic Partnerships — one that Africa Integras created to underscore its commitment to developing world-class learning environments through physical and social investments. With its $64 million investment in the University of Ghana well under way, Africa Integras saw the need for a dedicated individual within the firm to direct support for the University’s effort to translate that investment into an enhanced academic and social experience for students and faculty alike.
Dedicating resources to this critical relationship-building work, demonstrates commitment to structuring projects with balanced mutual benefits, both social and financial, that encourage other universities on the continent to explore similar private sector investments, the firm says.
Kajunju brings 15 years of experience as an entrepreneurial nonprofit leader to her new role. She previously was president and CEO of the Africa-America Institute, a U.S. nonprofit dedicated to strengthening human capacity in Africa through education, training and dialogue, where she spearheaded AAI’s transformation into an innovative, vital hub of African talent, a convening forum for prominent thought leaders on issues related to Africa, and a repository of extensive information on the continent. She initiated and directed the implementation of new programs to support higher education in Africa, including the Future Leaders Legacy Fund and the East African Development Bank STEM Scholarship Program.
Prior to AAI, Kajunju was executive director at the Workshop in Business Opportunities (WIBO), a New York-based nonprofit with a mission to educate, train and inspire under-resourced entrepreneurs in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. She served in that role for 10 years, and before that served in program positions at the International Executive Service Corps and Social Science Research Council. She also interned at the Center for Humanitarian Outreach & Intercultural Exchange, and The Carter Presidential Center.
“Amini Kajunju is passionate about investing in the academic and infrastructure needs of African universities. Her creativity, relationships, and extensive experience working with a variety of for-profit and nonprofit stakeholders is exactly the right fit for what we had in mind for this critical work,” says Andrea Pizziconi, managing director of Africa Integras.
She adds, “Africa cannot realize its economic potential without expanding its educated middle class. Our university partners are some of the oldest and most respected institutions in the countries where we invest. They are centers of excellence attracting funding, research grants and quality employment opportunities for their students. Kajunju’s efforts will help these institutions realize more ambitious goals in these key areas to complement the additional physical infrastructure they desperately need to expand enrollment.”
Kajunju holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations, with emphasis on economic development, from Brigham Young University, and a master’s in public administration, with a concentration in finance and management, from New York University. She is a founding member and vice-president of the board of ANGELAFRICA, a nonprofit that seeks to build a network of business and professional leaders, and promote economic growth in Africa.
In 2005, The Network Journal, a leading U.S. business publication targeting Black professionals and entrepreneurs, named her to its annual list of 40 Under Forty Achievers.
