Lesley aims to advance African leadership for inclusive and sustainable change. She is an international process facilitator specialising in dialogue moderation, developing innovation and leadership capacity, design and facilitation of large group processes, participatory policy development as well as science and cultural diplomacy. Lesley has worked on solving complex problems for over two decades by orchestrating multi-stakeholder dialogues and networks, launching innovation hubs and designing experiential learning experiences. She founded the first Impact Hub in Africa to promote social innovation on the continent and was the founding Chief Executive Officer of Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, aiming to create world-leading African digital entrepreneurs.Lesley currently serves on the boards of the Innovation Foundation for Democracy, Power Grids Education Trust (Chair), Hitachi Energy South Africa (Chair of the Social and Ethics Committee), South African Women in Dialogue, Civic Tech Innovation Network, Games for Change Africa, and Amis de l’IFAS/Friends of the French Institute of South Africa. A career highlight for Lesley was moderating a dialogue on Nelson Mandela’s legacy and the Future of Africa between President Barack Obama and Graça Machel in Washington DC in 2019. Lesley has been awarded Chevalier de l’Ordre national du mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit) by the President of the French Republic for the extent of partnerships she has developed between France and South Africa in the Creative and Cultural Industries. Lesley is a TEDx speaker. She contributed to the poetry anthology "A Better World, Hope from Africa" by young leaders across Africa. She is an Aspen Ideas Fellows for her ability to transform ideas into action and in 2018 she participated in the inaugural class of the Obama Foundation Leaders Progam: Africa and has subsequently been a mentor to other cohorts. Lesley is a recipient of the 2018 InspiringFifty award, an initiative by the Kingdom of the Netherlands to recognise the 50 most inspiring women in South Africa’s STEM industries. She became a recipient of a 2015 Unashamedly Ethical Award in the Business Category and in 2011 was selected onto the list of the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans. In 2009 she was selected as one of 60 young global leaders on a BP Antarctica Expedition focusing on Climate Change.