Featured Speaker(s)

Ndeye Absa Gningue is a speaker, a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, and a passionate technology advocate with an impressive record in global leadership. She began her career at just 20 years old, holding key managerial positions at renowned multinational corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Samsung Electronics, and IBM. In these roles, she led diverse teams and managed Sales, Marketing, and Business Development across more than 70 countries spanning Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey.

At the age of 30, Absa transitioned into the development world and became a Diplomat by joining the African Development Bank as a Senior Innovation Platform Officer, where she supports technology-related operations. She also leads the Bank’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab, overseeing a team of consultants focused on inclusive innovation and resource mobilization in support of the Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy (JfYA).

A firm believer in the power of youth and community, Absa founded JEADER in 2014 - a dynamic “do-tank” centered on volunteering and youth empowerment through entrepreneurship in over 25 African countries. Known for her creativity, she launched ABC - Aduuna Bul Comprendre in 2011, a brand that champions the creative economy, especially in fashion design, arts, and crafts. The brand gained international recognition and was awarded the Bronze International Design Award in Los Angeles in 2017.

In addition to her entrepreneurial initiatives, Absa is a content creator and social media influencer, widely recognized for her productivity planners around SERENDIPITY and the SPIRITU’ELLES podcast series mixing personal development & spirituality for women. According to publicly available data from Favikon, she has a strong digital presence across multiple platforms, underscoring her growing influence in the Digital Economy.

Most recently, she co-authored the book “Modern Leadership: Inspired by Mother Nature”, which became an Amazon #1 Best Seller in the U.S. within just 3 days of its release, ranking first in the “New Releases in Business Management Science” category. In France, it secured best-seller status in 3 categories: Educational Leadership Theory, Management Science, and Systems & Planning.

In February 2025, Absa was reappointed by presidential decree to Senegal’s Conseil National du Numérique, where she plays a key advisory role on the country's New Deal Technologique strategy. This marks her second nomination to the council, this time under the newly elected President of Senegal.

Absa's leitmotiv is to inspire à new generation as she demonstrates a profound commitment to innovation, education, and social transformation across the African continent.