An inspiration to anyone he meets, Mawi Asgedom overcame numerous disadvantages as an African refugee and ascended to remarkable heights in entrepreneurship and higher education. He now leverages his executive leadership background, abundant business insight, and moving story of triumph over adversity as a MyNextSeason Advisor.

After graduating with top honors from Harvard University, Mawi founded and spearheaded the growth of Mawi Learning. In 2019, after impacting millions of students globally and receiving multiple award recognitions for excellence and innovation in educational technology and social-emotional learning, it was acquired by the global non-profit ACT.

In 2023, Mawi launched his latest venture, Inner Heroes Universe, a media company empowering youth, parents, educators, and therapists with transformative mental health and social-emotional tools and support.

Mawi has applied his expertise to deliver solutions within multiple board roles. Since 2019, he has served as an Advisory Board Member for The Menkiti Group, a multi-billion-dollar real estate firm. Former board engagements include the Florida Virtual School Foundation, Harvard Club of Chicago, Mercy Homes of Chicago Young Professionals Board, and a politically appointed role with the Illinois Student Assistant Commission.

A sought-after speaker, Mawi has presented to more than 1,000 audiences at leading organizations, such as McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, School Superintendents Association, Bank of America, Chase, and multiple prestigious universities. He was named “One of the 40 Most Inspiring African Americans” by ESSENCE magazine in 2002 and featured in “Oprah’s Top 20 Moments” in Oprah Magazine, highlighting his interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2001.

A talented writer, Mawi is a published author with a portfolio of eight books, which have sold more than 500,000 copies.