Dr. Philip Pande is a globally recognized youth leader, mentor, and inclusion advisor with extensive experience across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. He currently serves as the Special Youth Envoy for the All Africa Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (AAASME), championing youth-led economic development and implementation of AfCFTA protocols.

He is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the Corporate Career Academy (CCA), which addresses youth unemployment in Africa through employability programs, career services, and entrepreneurship. He leads key initiatives such as the East African Employability Summit and the Uongozi Career Awards and played a pivotal role in launching the AU-backed “1Million Next Level” initiative in Kenya.

Dr. Pande has held leadership roles in major African youth policy forums, including the World Bank’s IDA Summit and the Pan-African Forum. He previously served in Kenya’s Cabinet Office, leading youth de-radicalization and rehabilitation programs. He also led youth engagement in Raila Odinga’s 2022 presidential campaign.

He has mentored over 130,000 youth across Kenya and the Global South and helped establish multiple youth innovation hubs to drive entrepreneurship and counter-terrorism. Notably, he led UNICEF’s Gen Unlimited 2.0 and GIZ’s Rural Jobs programs, creating thousands of jobs and supporting youth in agribusiness.

As Chairperson of Kisumu’s Youth, Women, and PWD Fund, he facilitated over KES 26 million in disbursements and lobbied for a KES 500 million enterprise fund during the COVID-19 crisis.

Academically, Dr. Pande holds a PhD in Social Services (Maryland State University), a BA in Economics & Sociology (Chuka University), and is pursuing an MSc in Leadership & Governance (JKUAT). He is a certified EMCC Mentor, an Ashoka Changemaker, and was a European Union Youth Champion in 2014.