Ms. Hermina Johnny - Founder

Hermina Johnny is a humanitarian specialized in gender, human rights, sustainable development, inter-agency coordination and internal communications. Ms. Johnny has worked in several capacities within the United Nations system and its specialized agencies and programmes on a wide array of economic, social and political affairs.

She has given a global lens to combining the humanities and arts with the sciences and reshaping the STEAM educational concept to revolutionize, revitalize and reinvent the educational system. She focuses on partnership and holistic educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth. This has empowered and trained young people in career enhancing life skills.

She has successfully piloted a set of Global innovation & digital transformation symposia in collaboration with global industry leaders and through a multi-stakeholder partnership approach, which includes the likes of industry leaders & Private sector companies, civil society organizations and different UN organizations.

Ms. Johnny has written several reports for the UN Secretary General as well as served as focal point on inputs to drafting sessions for reports, outcome documents, and other United Nations instruments, including for high level conferences. She conducted substantial research studies as well as wrote guidance notes and papers, which had strong implications for the future of inter-agency coordination. Ms. Johnny formulated key partnerships with stakeholders, the private sector, civil society and businesses on climate change policy and coordination. 

Ms. Johnny has worked with the European Parliament and the International Organisation for Migration as well as had extensive experience working in the private sector. She conducted a substantial amount of outreach activities for the private sector and supported CEOs and Executive management in elaborating strategies for market expansion managing all pre-launch aspects of new business development including sales, marketing, product design, risk assessment and compliance. She has taught English and written chapters for English language learning books, as well as for skits, intensive programmes and listen-and-learn tapes. Her teaching experience ranges from teaching English at John Cabot University and the American University of Rome, law firms, as well as to diplomats, and executives at big banks and pharmaceutical companies in the Czech Republic. Ms. Johnny has also worked in the area of Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions and other legal areas.

As the Founder and Executive Director at the Aspire Artemis Foundation she works with UN, NGOs, royalty, heads of state and Government Ministers through a Multi-stakeholder partnerships approach to advance development goals for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations.

She has excelled at enhancing coordination and coherence as well as providing leadership on issues of relevance to the International Development agenda for various governments across the globe. 

Currently, she plays a key role in encouraging decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies, practices and technologies that promote the United Nations SDGs. She has had demonstrated success in leveraging partnerships with private sector, government, NGO, Civil society and grassroots organizations to work on actionable solutions to national emergency response, Ed-Tech and innovation programming. During the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Member States found a strengthened value in the authentic actions, storytelling, programs and events that she has conceived, curated, and facilitated. She has trained over 2000 trainers to have lasting spillover effects in communities in which she has engaged. 

Ms. Johnny has convened and participated in several programs and events centered on integrating the business community in planning and execution of training programs and product donations to ensure access to life saving care, PPE, learning materials, access to mentors, digital up-skilling and lifelong learning, educational resources, training, and mental health resources.

Ms. Johnny believes passionately in youth development and building strong communities. She also volunteers her free time to community service, mentoring youth, leadership development, and speaking out on the need for equality, justice, human rights, and women's empowerment.  A native of Saint Lucia who has lived in several countries at different stages of development, her multiracial background, and her passion for playing her small part in building a better world for all, has given her unique insight into finding local solutions to facing global challenges. 

Ms. Johnny has lived in her home country of Saint Lucia as well as in New York, Connecticut, Paris, Brussels, Prague, Madrid, Rome, and Copenhagen.