Korotoumou Katy Ballo
In 2022, Impactful Education was established in the town of Anyama by Korotoumou Katy Ballo, whose personal experiences and aspirations fueled its creation. Growing up amidst the turmoil of Ivory Coast's civil war, Katy witnessed the struggles of her community firsthand, with many young people facing limited opportunities and economic hardships. Determined to make a difference, Katy founded Impactful Education to provide young people with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive while also contributing to peacebuilding efforts in her community.
Despite migrating to the United States, Katy's passion for her community remained steadfast. She believes that education is a fundamental human right and is committed to ensuring that every young person, regardless of their background, has access to education. Today, Impactful Education is impacting thousands of young people in Anyama by providing them with a space to be exposed to literacy and technology resources.
Katy is currently a Financial Risk Consultant at Ernst & Young. Prior to founding Impactful Education, Katy received the Davis Project for Peace Grant, which allowed her to build the first library in her town, and was recognized with the President's Awards for Leadership and Service. Additionally, she served as the first Ambassador and intern for the Literate Earth Project, where she traveled to Uganda to support one of the organization's libraries.
Katy's dedication to Impactful Education led her to become one of TheirWorld Global Ambassadors and awarded Books for Africa Container Captain of Ivory Coast for shipping the most books to the country in 2023. She is also an Alumni of the State Department Benjamin A Gilman Scholarship and Harlem Y Bai Corporate Recipient. Through her tireless efforts, Katy is making a meaningful impact in her community and beyond, providing educational resources and opportunities for young people that are based on an approach of using “local solutions to solve local problems”.
