Anna Teye-Kasongo is the Director of Community Partnerships for the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio. In her role, she provides strategic planning for CONVERGENCE Columbus’ work to close the racial wealth gap and support for AHACO’s initiatives to promote affordable housing.

Anna began her advocacy and program development career as an International Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies double major at Denison University. She cultivated a keen interest in empowerment initiatives and embarked on the Young Scholar Program’s very first international research project in Ghana, her home country. Before graduating, Anna was awarded the Presidential Medal, the highest honor bestowed to a senior for their academic achievement and service to the community.

After graduating from Denison, Anna pursued a Master’s of Public Administration at The George Washington University to acquire the practical tools to build, implement, and monitor sustainable social programs. Living in Washington, D.C. and learning from renowned practitioners in the program evaluation and policy arenas, Anna focused her studies on data analysis, policy analysis, and nonprofit management. Anna overcame her “fear of numbers” because she recognized the power of data in informing holistic and effective programs. She worked for the Global Women’s Institute assisting practitioners at the U.S. State Department, Save the Children, and KAFA Lebanon on best practices to combat gender-based violence in the delivery of humanitarian aid. She also consulted for Women’s In International Security (WIIS), serving as the data analyst and client liaison on their project to increase member engagement and retention across their 12 U.S. chapters and 27 international affiliates.

Returning to Ohio in 2019, Anna served as a program manager for developmental disabilities’ services at Alvis Inc. and an assistant director at Goodnews Messengers Inc.’s assisted-living facility. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Anna cultivated essential skills in crisis management and advocacy in both these roles, recognizing the importance of respecting the autonomy of underserved populations while fighting for their rights amidst a rapidly changing national landscape.

Anna loves to sing, performs with local Ghanaian gospel choirs Nii Addo Ministries and Danny Toffey Ministries, and is an avid member of The Connection Church praise and worship team. She is also a facilitator for Family Foundations International, a faith-based counseling program. She loves exploring parks and international cuisines with her husband Waseka and travelling the world. She has visited 17 countries on 4 continents and is actively striving to reach 35 countries by 35.