Awamary is the Founder, CEO of Innovate Gambia and The Woman Boss; initiatives created to help revitalize economic development in The Gambia and region, and to be a catalyst for Innovation for Girls and Women. She left her corporate America 9 to 5 job, to focus on giving back to the community where it all started for her. She is also the CEO of AKHAN, Inc.; a management consulting company and President/ Co-Founder of PointClick Technologies, LLC; an IT cloud hosting and dedicated managed services company, operating in 4 continents. She was the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial + Operating Officer for Carolina Small Business Development Fund (CSBDF), managing their social impact investment portfolio.
She has over 20 years of working in the financial, nonprofit, management, and innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem. She is the influencer behind CSBDF’s Black Entrepreneurship Week, and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center - a partnership with Shaw University. She was awarded Leaders in Diversity by the Triangle Business Journal in Raleigh, NC, USA, and in 2015, was nominated for Woman of the Year by Spectacular Magazine. Prior, she worked for the American Red Cross, as their Regional Finance Executive, and as the Chief Financial Officer for Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities.
Awamary is a sought-after speaker for numerous conferences and workshops relating to investment, leadership, women, innovation, and entrepreneurship. She has participated in forums at the White House, U.S. Congress, and State level government, to impact policy for Minorities and Small Businesses. She served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for CASA Esperanza Montessori School in Raleigh, NC, USA, the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Reinvestment Partners in Durham, NC, USA, and as an Advisory Board Member to Innovate Raleigh. She received her MBA from Upper Iowa University, Executive Education Program from Harvard University and Duke University, and her Bachelor of Science from Shaw University.