About

Jamie Cooper

Advisory board member

Founder and President of Big Win Philanthropy

Jamie Cooper is the founding Chair and President of Big Win Philanthropy, an operating foundation that partners with driven and committed African leaders to deliver on their transformational visions for children and young people. Big Win seeks to improve lives directly and to build demographic dividends for equitable economic growth, peace, and security. Under her direction, Big Win’s work has a strong focus on leadership development. AMALI, focused on African urban leadership, is the third leadership initiative under Big Win’s umbrella. Other initiatives include the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program, which has convened approximately 300 ministers progressing human capital development agendas for an intensive programme focused on envisioning big wins and exploring the political navigation, effective implementation, and multi sector collaboration required to achieve them. Cooper and Big Win also codeveloped the Amujae Initiative, the flagship programme of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center). The initiative aims to inspire and prepare women to unapologetically take up roles and excel in the highest echelons of public leadership, and to bring other women along.

Cooper has more than 25 years’ experience in roles supporting and bringing leaders together from the public, private, and philanthropy sectors to pursue innovative policy and programming around a broad array of economic and social issues. Prior to launching Big Win, she co-founded The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer. She serves on the boards of several organisations, including the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, The African Center, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, as well as on several advisory councils including the Dean’s Council for the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program.