African philanthropist, social entrepreneur, and gender equality champion Tsitsi Masiyiwa P’17 will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Bryant University during the Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 18.  

Masiyiwa is the co-founder and chair of Higherlife Foundation, which she established with her husband, Strive, in 1996. A social impact organization that supports African countries, Higherlife Foundation invests in initiatives across education, health, food security, and disaster preparedness to build thriving and sustainable communities.

In 2017, Masiyiwa established Delta Philanthropies, a U.K.-registered charity and impact investor that funds human capital development in Africa through grant-making. She serves as the board chair of Co-Impact, a global philanthropic collaborative focused on building just and equitable systems, and as the board chair of the END Fund, an organization that mobilizes resources and delivers treatments for neglected tropical diseases. She is also a founding board member of the African Philanthropy Forum.  

Through her extensive experience in the philanthropic sector — particularly her work establishing and growing Higherlife Foundation over the last 26 years — Masiyiwa has become an advisor and thought partner to universities, national leaders, and social entrepreneurs on issues relating to education, health, leadership development, gender equity, and youth empowerment. Masiyiwa is the proud parent of her daughter, Vimbainashe, a 2017 graduate of Bryant.