Bio

Dr. Maavi A. Norman is a social entrepreneur, development consultant, leadership coach, and scholar whose research focuses extensively around issues of African political governance, leadership, economic development, and social entrepreneurship. His professional interests lie in working with the next generation of leaders and social entrepreneurs to create value and social impact - locally, nationally, and internationally.

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Dr. Norman provides advisory and consulting services to non-profit leaders and business executives in the areas of fund development, strategic partnerships, and global expansion in a range of industries. He is keen on working with minority-owned organizations/businesses, particularly in underserved communities - and has raised millions of dollars in support of various social impact initiatives and sustainability programs.

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Dr. Norman completed his secondary education at the International Community School of Abidjan (ICSA), in Cote d’Ivoire and has a BA in political science and international studies from McDaniel College. He began his professional career at the Africa-America Institute and subsequently the Phelps Stokes Fund in Washington, DC, where he played a key role in administering the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program - amongst other educational, cultural, and empowerment initiatives.

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In 2008, Dr. Norman relocated to Chicago to pursue a Masters in Public Policy & Administration at Northwestern University. The following year, he was admitted into Northwestern’s PhD Program in Political Science (concentrating in comparative politics and international relations) - and was the recipient of  the distinguished Gwendolyn Carter/Kofi Annan Fellowship, awarded to two outstanding students admitted to The Graduate School.

 

While completing his graduate work at Northwestern University, he co-directed a Sudan Good Governance Fellowship Program under the auspices of the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs. The initiative was funded by Humanity United and was recognized as an official Clinton Global Initiative University Commitment. In 2010, Dr. Norman was selected for a highly competitive year-long Fellowship in Leadership (developed by Northwestern's Center for Leadership). During the fellowship year, Dr. Norman studied the theory and practice of leadership, developed various leadership programs and services, and worked with undergraduates to develop their leadership skills. He subsequently served as a research fellow at two think-tanks (the Sagamore Institute and the ISOKO Institute) and assumed the role of Country Coordinator for Liberia for the Varieties of Democracy Project (V-DEM).

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In 2013, Dr. Norman was selected to serve as a White House Young African Leadership Program (YALI)/Mandela Washington Fellowship Peer Collaborator in Northwestern's Business and Entrepreneurship Institute. This USAID sponsored initiative was co-administered by Northwestern’s Program of African Studies and the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and has impacted hundreds of emerging entrepreneurs throughout Africa.

 

Dr. Norman earned his PhD from Northwestern University in 2015. He was also awarded a Leadership Coaching Certificate from Northwestern University’s Center for Leadership and a Certificate in African Studies from the Program of African Studies.

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Upon graduation, Dr. Norman established a boutique consulting firm to continue his work in the social entrepreneurship space. In 2018, he took a position as a management consultant at AARETE LLC, a global management consulting firm specializing in strategic profitability improvements, data-driven solutions, and market intelligence. After a successful run at the firm, delivering results and adding value to the organization, Dr. Norman decided it was time to pursue his passion and return to independent consulting work - focusing on social entrepreneurship, leadership development, and economic empowerment.

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Dr. Norman has contributed to several publications, including Palgrave MacMillan’s Leadership in Post-Colonial Africa: Trends Transformed by Independence, Varieties of Democracy Project’s (V-Dem) “Media in West Africa: A Thematic Report Based on Data 1900-2012.”, and It Is Time for Change: Selected Speeches of William R. Tolbert, Jr. His dissertation was entitled The Leadership Factor and the Quest to Reform the African State.