Vanessa Mukhebi

Vanessa Mukhebi is a dynamic leader in behavioral change communications and creative strategies at ReFED, a U.S. nonprofit tackling food waste. With a rich background in the international NGO sector, she has crafted multimedia 'edutainment' and spearheaded interventions to enhance climate-smart agriculture, youth empowerment, gender equity, and poverty alleviation across sub-Saharan Africa. She directed Budget Mkononi, a web-based agribusiness budgeting tool that inspired 87% of Kenyan and Tanzanian youth to pursue farming as a business. As a food anthropologist, she explores the cultural dimensions of food security and has taught at the University of Chicago. Vanessa is the Vice Board Chair of Inspiration Corporation, advisor for Food for Soul’s Chicago Refetterio, recognized as an Emerging Leader by Trellis Group, and a TEDxYouth speaker.