Every student’s path to Harvard Kennedy School is unique, and what our alumni go on to do after graduating is equally varied.
We asked several HKS alums to tell us about their experiences before, during, and after HKS, and to reflect how their time at HKS has shaped their careers and lives.
After spending her early career as a financial auditor, Djénéba Gory MPA 2020 came to HKS to turn her passions for development and social impact into a career.
Here’s what she shared.
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“HKS offered the ideal environment to sharpen my ability to drive systemic change, with its focus on leadership, evidence-based policy, and global development. I saw it as the place where I could transform analytical experience into strategic action.”
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2023
At HKS, Djénéba was exposed to powerful tools and ideas; through the Obama Leaders program, she had the chance to apply them in real-world settings.
“Being selected as an Obama Leader felt like a natural and meaningful continuation of my leadership journey. The program’s strong, practice-oriented curriculum built on the foundation I had developed at HKS—especially in areas like communication and systems thinking—while rooting those skills more firmly in the African context.”
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2021
She continued to develop Suadela, a social venture with a mission of empowering Malian girls by building their negotiation skills. She co-founded Suadela with fellow HKS alumna Anne Thibault MC/MPA 2019 and received support from the Harvard Innovation Labs. Together, they led the venture’s strategy and secured funding from the U.S. Embassy in Mali to launch its first pilot programs. These pilots successfully trained local coaches and hundreds of girls aged 12–18, with 90% demonstrating improved negotiation skills based on assessment results.
“I co-managed all aspects of the venture, including communications, human resources, field operations, partnerships, and financial planning.”
The HKS co-founders paused Suadela activities in 2024 due to personal and professional commitments.
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2021Works as a consultant the World Bank
Djénéba returned to the World Bank, focusing on gender equality and education across Africa and other regions. She contributed to the design, day-to-day implementation, and evaluation of education initiatives spanning early childhood, basic education, higher education, and technical and vocational education and training. She also supported efforts to close gender gaps in both education and digital access.
“As part of this work, I became certified as a Gender Tag Expert, serving as a key resource for project teams seeking to assess and strengthen gender responsiveness in World Bank projects across sectors.”
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2020Graduates from HKS
After graduation, Djénéba became a Human Rights Fellow at the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights, where she explored digital solutions to support adolescent girls' negotiation skills through her venture, Suadela. She also co-authored “Implementing Deeper Learning and 21st Century Education Reforms” (Springer, 2020), deepening her focus on educational equity and systems reform.
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2019
During the summer between her two years at HKS, Djénéba worked as a human development consultant at the World Bank, where she contributed to multiple initiatives, including a regional project aimed at empowering women and adolescent girls in the Sahel through improved access to education, health, and nutrition services.
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2018Becomes involved in student life
Djénéba participated in the From Harvard Square to the Oval Office Program through the Women and Public Policy Program, contributed to conversations around gender and policy as a member of the Women’s Caucus, and served as co-chair of the Africa Development Conference 2020—although the event was ultimately canceled due to COVID-19.
“The conference’s organization process itself offered valuable lessons in collaboration and stakeholder engagement.”
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2018Begins the two-year MPA Program
Djénéba’s time at the Harvard Kennedy School was transformative. Given the MPA program’s flexible course curriculum, she designed her schedule to focus on two core areas: hard skills—with courses in education policy, entrepreneurship, economics, and gender policy—and soft skills like negotiation and leadership.
“These courses not only sharpened my analytical abilities but also deeply shaped my approach to influencing change and leading with purpose.”
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2017
“While my job gave me deep insights and allowed me to contribute to transparency and accountability, I increasingly felt that my impact was confined to the scope of each audit mission. I wanted to do more than evaluate existing structures—I wanted to help shape them. I realized that to move from identifying problems to designing solutions, I needed to build a broader policy and leadership toolkit.”
Djénéba was able to fund her studies through several scholarships including Fulbright France, making HKS more accessible.
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2017Moves to Switzerland to expand her impact
In Switzerland, she led service delivery for five United Nations agencies, coordinated cross-border projects involving 45 country offices, and conducted evaluations of major health and humanitarian initiatives.
“This progression—from business education to auditing of humanitarian and development projects across continents—shaped my commitment to public policy and enhanced social impact, ultimately leading me to pursue a Master in Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School.”
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2014Continues her role in Cote d’ivoire
Djénéba audited over 50 development and humanitarian projects in more than 15 English- and French-speaking countries, managed large teams, and delivered advisory services for major international organizations and foundations.
“Throughout my time working in consulting, I saw the strengths and best practices that enable impactful programs, but I also witnessed the systemic inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and structural gaps that limit progress.”
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2009Begins working as a financial auditor at a Big 4 consulting company in France
In this role, Djénéba conducted audits of corporate financial statements. During a volunteer mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she had an “aha moment” and realized that she needed to find a job that would allow her to merge her passions for development work and social impact. She began negotiations with her employer to continue working as a financial auditor in Africa.
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2009Graduates from ESCP Europe with a master’s degree in auditing and consulting
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2008Graduates from Institut de Management International de Paris, OMNES Education with a bachelor’s degree in business administration
“Thanks to HKS, I’ve been able to dedicate myself to what matters most to me: education and gender equality. I’ve been able to do good at an international organization, as a social entrepreneur with Suadela, and as a volunteer for a major institution.”
