Dorothy Tuma

Governance | Uganda

2019 New Voices Fellow

dorothy tuma

Dorothy’s family fled her native Uganda during the reign of Idi Amin, joining hundreds and soon thousands of Ugandan exiles in neighboring Kenya where they literally rebuilt their live from scratch, through the generosity of friends and family. This experience taught her two essential truths, she says – women are economically crucial to family welfare, and “you can make transitions easier for people if you give them a helping hand.” Dorothy went on to get an MBA at UCLA and an MPA at Harvard. During that time she began a corporate career in brand management, later transitioning into international development consulting with a focus on women’s entrepreneurship in East Africa. Currently the chair of the 20,000-women strong East African Women in Business Platform, Dorothy is often sought out as a speaker and runs her own podcast – telling the kinds of stories that make a difference.