GPWF
Cambridge
2026
From Visibility to Economic Power.
From Conversations to Implementation.
Theme: Women-Powered Economies: Capital, Trade, and the Future of Economic Governance
Convened by the Centre for Economic & Leadership Development (CELD) in Strategic Partnership with Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
6
Strategic Tracks
40+
Nations Represented
150+
Senior Delegates
100%
Invitation Only
The Shift We Are Making
A Global Stage.
A Working Platform.
GPWF London 2026 elevates the Forum as a marketplace where the world engages with women who participate, shape, lead, finance, regulate, and trade in global economies.
"These problems are not solved by rhetoric. They are solved by leaders who design, fund, govern, and execute solutions."
Across the world, women in leadership positions are visible in leadership spaces — but visibility has not translated into solved problems. Communities are still grappling with fragile livelihoods, broken systems, exclusion from capital and policy, climate, security, and economic instability.
This Forum moves women out of the theatre of leadership into transformative leadership that changes lived realities — for their institutions and for the nations where those institutions engage.
Design Solutions
Leaders who architect systems, not narrate problems — building frameworks that outlast their tenure.
Fund Change
Capital deployed with purpose and precision, connecting women-led enterprises to institutional investors.
Govern Institutions
Women as system designers and risk-governance experts shaping policy from the inside.
Execute Outcomes
Measurable economic transformation at scale — documented, tracked, and built upon.
The Proposition
A Curated,
Invitation-Only
Global Marketplace
Where women leaders, nations, institutions, and investors move beyond symbolic leadership into measurable economic transformation. Every seat in this room is earned, not purchased.
Moving beyond the stage into structured solution design
Converting conversation into agreed action plans
Repositioning women as architects of institutions
Translating presence into capital and influence
This Forum Is For Women Who Are
Responsible for Outcomes
Already accountable for decisions that affect institutions, communities, and national economies.
Operating at the Highest Level
Leading governments, institutions, markets, and communities — not aspiring to do so.
Building Solutions, Not Narratives
Ready to design, fund, and execute — not simply to appear at forums and panels.
This Forum convenes women not as beneficiaries of systems — but as economic architects, deal-makers, system designers, and nation-builders.
What We Set Out to Do
Six Forum
Objectives
Each objective is designed to generate lasting institutional and economic change, not symbolic participation.
Mobilise Capital
Mobilise institutional and private capital for women-led enterprises and economies, creating structured investment pipelines that outlast the Forum itself.
Reposition Leadership
Reposition women's leadership from visibility to institutional leverage and economic power — from performance to problem-solving.
Cross-Border Partnerships
Facilitate structured cross-border investment partnerships and trade pathways with clear market-entry steps and transaction-ready positioning.
Measurable Outcomes
Launch measurable Women Leadership & Capital outcomes with documented impact that goes beyond aspirational statements.
Academic-Government Bridge
Connect First Ladies and women heads of government to Cambridge academic frameworks through the Insight-to-Action Roundtable.
Deal Pipelines
Produce active deal pipelines, signed partnerships, and transaction-ready positioning that generate economic outcomes post-Forum.
Programme Overview
Six Strategic
Tracks
Participation across all components is by invitation and strategic alignment only.
Women, Power & the Architecture of Global Economies
Designing Systems That Deliver Growth, Stability, and Resilience
Strategic Focus
To reframe women's leadership as economic infrastructure, institutional design capacity, and risk-governance competence — not symbolic representation.
What This Addresses
- How women in authority shape national growth models and industrial policy
- How capital allocation and investment systems are designed for productivity
- How trade, supply chains, and global positioning are negotiated
- How economies absorb shocks and remain resilient
Who Participates
- Women Heads of Government (Standalone Keynotes)
- Ministers of Finance, Economy, and Trade
- Central Bank Governors
- Heads of DFIs and institutional investors
- CEOs of systemically important institutions
- Wolfson College academia representatives
Who Convenes
High-Level
Delegates & Speakers
Full delegate list confirmed by invitation only. Every seat in the room is earned, not sold.
Government & Policy Leaders
The highest tier of public leadership — those who set the rules, allocate national budgets, and determine economic direction.
Confirmed Delegate Types
- Women Heads of Government (Standalone Keynotes)
- Ministers of Finance, Economy & Trade
- Central Bank Governors
- Heads of Development Finance Institutions
- Senior Legislative & Cabinet Officers
First Ladies Who Lead
First Ladies as institutional catalysts — bridging academic research, policy influence, and national delivery priorities.
Confirmed Delegate Types
- First Ladies with national flagship initiatives
- Heads of Presidential & Prime Ministerial Offices
- Champions of community and institutional reform
- National initiative leads and development advocates
Investment & Enterprise Leaders
Capital deployers and enterprise leaders who convert strategy into transactions — from DFIs to venture capital to listed corporates.
Confirmed Delegate Types
- CEOs of systemically important institutions
- Institutional investors and DFIs
- Top 10 women CEOs per featured country
- Corporate and diaspora business leaders
- Venture capital and private equity principals
Academic & Multilateral
Research-backed voices who translate intellectual capital into policy tools, governance frameworks, and development outcomes.
Confirmed Delegate Types
- Academic leaders at Wolfson College, Cambridge
- Policy researchers and think-tank directors
- Multilateral and development partners
- Gender policy and governance experts
- International development finance specialists
Full speaker and delegate list to be announced. Attendance is by invitation and strategic alignment only.
Confirmed Participants
Confirmed & Institutionally Aligned
High-Level Speakers / Participants
Participation has now been confirmed by an exceptional and carefully curated group of global leaders and institutions, including:
Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
H.E. Diana Nausėdienė
First Lady of Lithuania
Baroness Sandip Verma
UK House of Lords
Hon. Dr. Emma Kantema (MP)
Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Republic of Namibia
Amy Barklam
HM Trade Commissioner, Latin America & the Caribbean · British Consul General, São Paulo
Solange Amichia
Managing Director & CEO, Investment Promotion Centre of Côte d'Ivoire (CEPICI)
H.E. Ambassador Prof. (Mrs.) Olufolake Abdulrazaq
First Lady, Kwara State & Chairperson, Nigeria Governors' Spouses Forum
Mrs. Oghogho Gwabin Musa
Co-Founder, Christopher Oghogho Foundation & Wife of the Minister of Defence, Nigeria
Dr. Jane Kiemia
CEO of Optiva Capital Partners
Dr. Renuka Thakore
Founder & CEO, Global Sustainable Futures Network CIC, UK
Prof. Tolullah Oni
Clinical Professor, University of Cambridge & Founder, UrbanBetter
Rachel Blackburn MBE
Founder and CEO, US2U Consulting Ltd
Joan Asante
Managing Director, The Asante Group
Senior Representatives
Economic Development Board of Mauritius
Senior Representatives
CEPICI, Côte d'Ivoire
Senior Academics
University of Cambridge Ecosystem
The Venue
London,
United Kingdom
A world-class diplomatic setting befitting the calibre of heads of government, institutional investors, and global policy leaders convened at GPWF 2026.
Venue Facilities
500+ Senior Delegates
World-class capacity for heads of state, institutional leaders, and investors
Secured VIP Access
Diplomatic-grade security and access management throughout the Forum
Media Centre
Full international broadcast and press facilities
VIP Lounge & Breakout Rooms
Private meeting spaces for closed-door negotiations and deal structuring
Ceremonial Spaces
State-level reception venues for the gala and recognition evening
Participation
Who Is
In the Room
Every delegate in the room has been assessed for strategic fit, institutional weight, and readiness to engage. The composition of the room is itself a statement.
Leadership
Community
Delegates
RecognitionWhy This Platform Works
Built for Outcomes,
Not Optics
Every structural decision in this Forum is made to produce real economic and institutional results.
Respects Readiness
Only participants who are operationally ready and strategically aligned are invited to engage. The room is curated, not crowded.
No open registration. No participation trophies. Only institutions and leaders who are ready to commit to outcomes.
Rewards Credibility
Being in the room signals credibility, readiness, and seriousness at the highest institutional level.
Your presence is a statement. Every delegate in this room has been assessed for strategic fit and institutional weight.
Converts Visibility into Leverage
Transforms presence into power — positioning women as brokers, not just participants.
We design every session for action, not optics. From keynotes to closed-door roundtables, the output is always a next step.
Aligns Purpose with Profit
Every session is structured to produce measurable outcomes, not just memorable moments.
Impact is tracked. Deals are followed up. Partnerships are formalized. Community outcomes are documented.
Legacy of Every Edition
What the Forum Leaves Behind
Every edition of the Global Power Women Forum produces tangible, documented economic and institutional outcomes — not just memories and hashtags.
Active deal pipelines
Investment commitments structured and tracked post-Forum
Signed partnerships
Formal cross-sector and cross-border agreements executed
Documented community impact
Measurable outcomes tied to national development initiatives
Strengthened national reputations
Countries elevated as credible investment destinations
Women as power brokers
Positioned beyond participation — into institutional leverage
Convened By
The Institutions
Behind the Forum
Lead Convener
Centre for Economic & Leadership Development
CELD
A UK-based social impact enterprise focused on how transformational leadership is developed, exercised, and converted into outcomes — particularly in relation to women's leadership, economic participation, and institutional influence.
CELD is renowned for high-level institutional convenings attended by First Ladies, Prime Ministers, Presidents, CEOs, and entrepreneurs from across the globe.
Global Event Footprint
Academic Partner
Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
Cambridge, United Kingdom
One of the most internationally diverse and intellectually interdisciplinary colleges of the University of Cambridge — bringing together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners across disciplines to address complex global challenges.
Renowned for its inclusive ethos and strong engagement with global leaders — operating at the intersection of academia, public policy, innovation, and international development.
Areas of Engagement
Heads-of-State Engagement
Trusted at the
Highest Levels of Power
GPWN has been privileged to engage, advise, and collaborate directly with Presidents, Prime Ministers, Vice Presidents, and First Ladies across five continents — a testament to the network's unmatched reach, credibility, and global gravitas.
Heads of State · Vice Presidents · First Ladies
Presidents & Prime Ministers
Prime Minister
H.E. Judith Suminwa Tuluka
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Engaged on economic development and transparency, governance and regional security, and advancing women's representation at the highest government level.
President
H.E. Sylvanie Burton
Commonwealth of Dominica
Collaborated on Caribbean women's leadership and sustainable development agendas bridging island-state and global power networks.
Fmr. Prime Minister
Silveria Jacobs
Sint Maarten
Engaged on women's empowerment and rights, sustainable development and resilience for small island states, and governance stability and progress at the highest government level.
President
Dr. Vjosa Osmani Sadriu
Republic of Kosovo
Keynote Speaker at GPWC 2023 on the theme 'Advancing Resilience for Transformative Leadership for Global Impact,' emphasising democratic resilience, women's leadership, and global cooperation for sustainable development.
Prime Minister
Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja
Republic of Uganda
Received the Female Impact Award for Championing women's economic empowerment, rural development, and inclusive governance while strengthening Uganda's socio-economic transformation agenda in GPWF 2024.
First Ladies of the World
These distinguished First Ladies have lent their voices, platforms, and convening power to amplify GPWN's mission — transforming the role of first ladies from ceremonial to catalytic.
First Lady
H.E. Rossana Maria Briceño
Belize
First Lady
H.E. Mrs. Ann Marie Davis
The Bahamas
First Lady
H.E. Mrs. Zita Oligui Nguema
Gabon
First Lady
H.E. Dr. Lucrecia Peinado
Guatemala
Fmr. First Lady
H.E. Mellisa Santokhi-Seenacherry
Republic of Suriname
First Lady
H.E. Lordina Mahama
Republic of Ghana
First Lady
H.E. Leticia Ocampos de Peña
Paraguay
First Lady
H.E. Arya Ali
Guyana
5
Continents Engaged
25+
Heads of State & First Ladies
10+
Presidential/Prime Ministers Offices
Collaborate With Us
Partnership
Opportunities
We welcome organisations committed to advancing women's leadership in policy, business, and investment at the highest institutional level.
Headline Partner
Maximum visibility across all Forum touchpoints — from opening ceremony to closing gala and media coverage.
Includes
- Keynote speaking slot
- Premium brand placement on all materials
- 20 delegate passes
- Exclusive investor introductions
- Post-Forum media feature
- Year-round CELD platform visibility
Strategic Partner
Positioned alongside government and institutional delegates with branded session ownership.
Includes
- Panel or breakout session ownership
- 10 delegate passes
- Curated investor introductions
- Logo on all Forum materials
- Media recognition
- Post-Forum partnership follow-up
Supporting Partner
Visible participation with strong networking access and targeted brand exposure.
Includes
- 5 delegate passes
- Brand visibility on selected materials
- Networking reception access
- Forum communique recognition
- Social media and digital coverage
What This Forum Delivers
Expected
Outcomes
Every outcome listed here is structural and measurable — not aspirational or symbolic.
Active Deal Pipelines
Investment commitments are structured, announced, and tracked. Every Forum produces documented capital commitments — not aspirational pledges.
Signed Partnerships
Formal cross-sector and cross-border agreements executed during or immediately after the Forum, with follow-through structures built in.
Market-Entry Pathways
Clear next steps for enterprise market expansion — from trade routes to regulatory navigation and diaspora distribution partnerships.
Documented Community Impact
Measurable outcomes tied to national initiatives championed by First Ladies and women heads of government — tracked and reported.
Strengthened National Reputations
Countries elevated as credible investment destinations — with global media coverage and institutional endorsement from attending bodies.
Women as Power Brokers
Positioned permanently beyond participation and into institutional leverage — as economic architects, not conference attendees.
What This Forum Is
Not a
Conference.
This is a global marketplace where women lead economies, design institutions, and deploy capital.
A platform where women move from participation to power.
Request Your
Invitation
Global Power Women Forum · London 2026
Convened by CELD · In Partnership with Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
© 2026 CELD / Global Power Women Forum. All rights reserved.