Leadership

Brice Ngameni, President & Co-Founder

Brice Ngameni is President and Co-Founder of Pembe. Brice is a Cameroonian citizen who immigrated to the United States to further his studies. He graduated from American University in 2012 where he majored in Business Administration. He then went to work for Citigroup ultimately holding the position of Assistant Vice President in Citi’s Export and Agency Finance group. In that capacity, Brice helped several emerging markets governments and corporate clients of Citigroup raise funding for important infrastructure or capital expenditure programs. Brice graduated from Harvard Law School in 2021, and now works at Skadden as an Energy and Infrastructure Projects Associate. Brice is passionate about the development of energy infrastructure in Africa and its nexus with sustained and inclusive economic growth on the continent. In his spare time, Brice enjoys watching soccer, reading classic African novels, and playing basketball. Brice also enjoys mentoring teenagers from disfavored economic backgrounds.

Dani Makia, Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder

Dani Makia is Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Co-Founder of Pembe. Cameroonian by heritage, she was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 2013, where she majored in Government and English Literature. Upon graduating from UVA, she worked as an antitrust litigation paralegal at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. She graduated from William & Mary Law School in 2019, and currently works as a Vice President and Data Privacy Compliance Officer at a mid-sized bank, where she focuses on data privacy and data protection compliance matters. In her spare time, she enjoys long-distance running, listening to music, trying new restaurants in the city, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Raissa Ebeh, Co-Director of Mentee and Mentor Engagement

Raissa Ebeh is Co-Director of Mentor & Mentee Engagement. Raissa was born and raised in Cameroon and moved to the United States when she was 18. She graduated from the City College of New York with a degree in Political Science and Biology. She is currently attending Fordham University School of Law, where she is a 2L and the President of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA). She is also a recipient of the New York City Bar Association Diversity Fellowship. She is interested in corporate transactional law. She enjoys, running, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Youssef Aziz, Co-Director of Mentee and Mentor Engagement

Youssef Aziz is the Co-Director of Mentor & Mentee Engagement. Youssef was born and raised in Egypt and migrated to California at the age of 12. He graduated from Cornell University in 2022 with degrees in Sociology with Honors (summa cum laude) and Psychology and a minor in Inequality Studies (Health Concentration). Youssef is currently a 2L at NYU Law where he is a staff editor on the NYU Law Review and holds various other leadership roles on campus. This past summer, Youssef interned at the UN International Law Commission in Geneva where he developed his interest in public international law and international organizations. He is also currently serving on the Bureau of the African Society of International Law as a Student Commissioner and helping plan the Annual Conference in Addis Ababa this October. Youssef hopes to build bridges between international law and regional law in Africa to put the continent's interests at the forefront of our global society.

Upon graduating from Towson University in 2017 with a degree in Sport Management, Nancy Kyei [pronounced "Chay"] began her professional career in New York City working as a social media coordinator for the KIPP Foundation. She was quickly promoted to managing the alumni-facing digital communications & programming strategies reaching over 40,000 alumni in the network. During her time at KIPP, she partnered with the Government Affairs & Policy team, and subsequently developed a passion for law and policy. In 2021, Nancy was awarded the Rose and Fred Salvucci Scholarship to attend Boston College Law School where she is currently a Teacher's Assistant for a first-year legal writing class, and on the board of the Black Law Students Association. Nancy is also an ambassador for the law program where she represents the school at various events connecting with prospective students and professors. Upon graduation, Nancy will be joining Cooley LLP in their New York office. When she's not reading case law, you can find Nancy at the gym or practicing her skills as a home chef.

Nancy Kyei, Director of Mentor Recruiting

Naya Coard, Director of Programming

Naya Coard serves as Pembe's Director of Programming. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Naya attended Spelman College, from where she graduated in 2016. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2021. Naya is currently an associate at Skadden, where she works on real estate matters. In her spare time, she also volunteers as a Board Member for Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.

Hassan Abdelhalim, Webmaster

Hassan Abdelhalim is the Webmaster at Pembe. He is from Sudan originally and grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia. He attended the University of Mary Washington where he studied cognitive neuroscience. After graduation, he worked as a web developer in New York and Los Angeles. He graduated from William & Mary Law School in 2019. Hassan currently serves as JAG in the United States Navy. In his free time, he is passionate about performing standup and improv comedy, listening to podcasts on behavioral economics, and Crossfit.