About WEIForward

Learn about our mission, leadership, and the dedicated team of experts.

Who We Are

WEIForward is a global, non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women and youth to achieve economic equality. We work through evidence-based approaches, strategic partnerships, and systems change to unlock opportunity, agency, and dignity for women and youth across the world.

Our Mission

To contribute to innovative, bottom-up solutions that unlock opportunity, agency, and dignity for women and youth across the world through evidence-based approaches, strategic partnerships, and scalable systems.

Our Vision

A world in which every human being can flourish in justice, security, and peace, where women and youth have equal access to economic opportunities and can help grow inclusive economies.

Our Core Values

The principles that guide everything we do

Inclusion

We believe in creating opportunities for all, especially those who have been historically marginalized and underrepresented.

Innovation

We explore and advance new approaches to addressing economic and social challenges through evidence-based solutions.

Partnership

We build cross-sectoral coalitions to co-create solutions and align action toward common goals.

Justice

We work toward economic justice and social progress, advocating for economic development that benefits all members of society equitably.

Our Journey

Key milestones in our mission to advance women and youth economic empowerment 

2017
Foundation

WEIForward was established with a vision to create inclusive economic opportunities for women and youth worldwide.

2020
WEI Global Institute Launch

Launched our knowledge hub to generate research, convene dialogues, and influence policy design for systemic change.

2025
GroundUp Alliance

Introduced our flagship platform connecting reality to policy actions, impacting people, planet, and markets.

Join Us in Creating Change

Whether you are a policymaker, partner, funder, or ecosystem leader, there is a role for you in accelerating inclusive economic transformation.

Board of Directors

Advisory Board

Our board of directors provides strategic leadership and governance to advance WEIForward’s mission

Dr. Margo Thomas

Founder and CEO

As Founder and CEO of the Women’s Economic Imperative (WEIForward), Dr. Margo Thomas serves as a catalyst for initiatives aimed at increasing opportunities for the economic empowerment of disadvantaged and under-represented groups around the globe.

Throughout her career spanning more than two decades as a senior official at the World Bank Group, Dr. Thomas has provided policy advice to over fifty national and sub-national governments.

Dr. Thomas successfully completed her appointment as the Chief of Secretariat for the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment in 2017. Under the Argentinian Presidency of the G20, she was appointed as Co-Chair of the 2018 Think 20 Task Force on Gender Economic Equity. Dr. Thomas was invited by the Japanese Presidency to continue her work and serve as Co-Chair of the 2019 Think 20 Task Force on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Under the 2020 Saudi Arabian Presidency of the G20, Dr. Thomas is a member of the COVID-19 Response Task Force and the Social Cohesion Task Force. Dr. Thomas has been appointed as an inaugural Global Solutions Fellow.