Debola Deji-Kurunmi is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, ministry gift, public policy advisor and transformational coach for visionary leaders. Through her work of coaching, consulting and capacity building, Debola deploys her extraordinary gift of unlocking potential in people, institutions and nations.
She is Founder of IMMERSE Coaching Company (a professional coaching practice), Executive Director at Ideation Hub Africa (a public policy and impact advisory firm) and President at Kingdom Leaders Global Alliance (a non-denominational Christian Ministry).
She is a Certified Visionary Leadership Coach by the Oleg Konovalov Global Coaching Certification, a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and a Certified Masteries Practitioner by the International Association of Coaching, USA. She is also a Thomas International Certified Workplace Personality Profile Analyst, Certified Job Evaluation Analyst and an experienced Corporate Trainer. Debola was Learning Consultant at Phillips Consulting, and has been on the Faculty of organisations including the Lagos State Government, World Bank, OANDO Foundation, FATE Foundation, LEAP Africa, VFD Bridge, Olaniwun Ajayi LP amongst others.
Debola sits on the Board of a number of organisations, including Mandela Washing Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria, Sickle Cell Advocacy and Management Initiative, and the Mindset Transformation and Aid Organization, where she provides strategic advisory on organizational design, senior leadership development, policy analysis as well as program execution.
At IMMERSE Coaching Company, Debola leads a 70,000+ strong tech- driven global community of change-makers living in over 100 countries, using her breakthrough coaching methodology to elevate their impact, authority and legacy leadership. Since 2014, IMMERSE has produced over 100 courses, and expanded into three different subsidiaries.
Through Ideation Hub Africa, she runs a social profit accelerator, which supports Africa’s non-profits, innovators, civil society organisations and public sector agencies, with executive education, collaborative platforms, funding opportunities and advisory. Ideation Hub is also the host of Development Dialogue, Nigeria’s leading development sector conference since 2015.
At Kingdom Leaders Global Alliance, she oversees a non- denominational Christian ministry, with presence in 10 countries, providing spiritual discipleship and leadership development for believers. The Alliance is a network of ministries including the Kingdom Leadership Institute, FIREBRAND Movement and Kingdom Women Global Alliance, providing empowerment through ministry training, book publishing, medical and welfare missions as well as mentorship bootcamps for Generation NEXT.
Debola has been severally recognized for her outstanding leadership impact, with her transformational work featured on TV, international news and media. She has received several awards including 2014 New Leader for Tomorrow in the order of business, government, and parliaments at the Crans Montana Forum in Geneva; an award conferred before several Presidents and world leaders.
She served twice as a Mentor on the Queen’s Young Leader Awards (a UK Government fellowship that honors exceptional young leaders in the Common Wealth). In 2018, she was selected by the US Government as one of Africa’s most promising young leaders and a Mandela Washington Fellow. In 2019, she was listed as one of 100 Most Inspiring Nigerian Women and announced as Nigeria’s Leading Coach at the 2021 Motherland Awards. Recently, DDK was honored as one of Nigeria’s 50 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria 2022 by BusinessDay.
At the 2018 Mandela Washington Annual Summit in Washington DC, Debola delivered the electrifying viral speech on “How to Fry Fish to Solve a Wicked Problem” where she shared heartfelt insights for African young leaders willing to fix the continent’s toughest challenges.
DDK as she is fondly called, is an author of 21 books till date, and has spoken in three continents to emerging leaders, teams of multinational corporations, global development practitioners, SME owners, and purpose-driven people.
She is married to her lover, Ayodeji Kurunmi and they are blessed with children.