DIFFvelopment is committed to its mission of re-empowering the global Black community through historically centered re-education that empowers aspiring Black visionaries to develop their world differently. Since its founding in 2015, the organization has been dedicated to equipping ambitious young Black people with the mindset, knowledge, and tools necessary to build personal, generational, and communal wealth.
At the core of DIFFvelopment’s work is the belief that understanding history is essential to overcoming systemic Black economic disempowerment. Through its innovative programs, such as the flagship Consultrepreneurship program, DIFFvelopment provides participants with the historical context of Black economic disparities along with clear direction on how to overcome them, leadership training, and community-minded business concept development.
The organization’s other programs deliver equally transformative and lasting impact. The Black Generational Wealth Program deepens participants’ understanding of global Black wealth disparities, their historical and present-day implications, and practical strategies to close the gap. The Council on Global Black Development, DIFFvelopment’s research initiative, advances this mission by conducting solutions-driven research that addresses the root causes of core Black issues and outlines actionable strategies for sustainable change.
To expand its reach, DIFFvelopment is preparing to launch the DIFF Center, an online resource platform that will broaden access to its transformative curriculum for a global audience.
By prioritizing visionary entrepreneurship, wealth-building, and philanthropy, DIFFvelopment is creating a future where Black individuals worldwide are empowered to take ownership of their economic futures and drive sustainable change in their communities.
Esi Kagale Agyeman Gillo is a US-born, Ghanaian and Ugandan visionary nonprofit leader, strategist, scholar, and healer of people committed to re-empowering the global Black community through holistic re-education that equips aspiring Black visionaries to break generational cycles through personal development, wealth-building, and community-minded entrepreneurship. With over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, program development, and impact strategy, her work lies at the intersection of historically centered re-education, economic empowerment, and global Black social impact.
She co-founded DIFFvelopment with her husband, Peter Markeeo Gillo, to address the systemic exclusion of Black people from decision-making spaces and economic opportunities. Under her leadership, DIFFvelopment has masterminded its flagship Consultrepreneurship program, launched the Black Generational Wealth Program, spearheaded the Council on Global Black Development, and is preparing to launch the DIFF Center, an online resource platform that will make its transformative curriculum globally accessible.
Prior to DIFFvelopment, she gained extensive experience in nonprofit administration, program coordination, and research, working with organizations such as Ghana’s Panafest Foundation, Newark’s Center for Collaborative Change, and the SIFMA Foundation, where she managed programs impacting over 20,000 students.
A Jefferson Awards for Public Service honoree and Education 2.0 Outstanding Leader, she is also the co-author of Understanding How to Build Black Generational Wealth, recognized by Investopedia as the “Best Primer on Building Black Wealth.”
Esi holds an MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford and a BA in Afro-American Studies and Psychology from Smith College, with research experience in Uganda, Rwanda, and Ghana. As a global leader with residency in Uganda, Ghana, and the U.S., she facilitates DIFFvelopment’s organic expansion, ensuring its impact remains deeply rooted in the diverse realities of Black communities across the world.
Through her work, she continues to drive strategic initiatives, shape policy conversations, and build global partnerships that empower Black individuals to reclaim their economic futures and develop their world differently