Kidist Tesfaye

Kidist Tesfaye is a strategic leader with over 12 years of experience across banking, healthcare, and business development. Born in Ethiopia and moving to the USA at the age of two, Kidist has always been driven by a commitment to one day be able to return to her birth country and contribute to Africa’s development. This mission was realized after her successful five-year career in the banking industry and her transition into healthcare—a field she is deeply passionate about—and founded YeneHealth in 2022. 

YeneHealth is a leading femtech startup committed to supporting African women in gaining self-agency and control over their reproductive health. With operations in Ethiopia and Rwanda, YeneHealth aims to become the first African unicorn in the women’s health tech space. Kidist's ambition is to provide culturally responsive, innovative, and accessible healthcare services and tools to over 280 million women of reproductive age across Africa, tackling a critical gap and unmet need for women’s sexual, reproductive and maternal health in the continent. 

Kidist’s leadership experience spans both the private and public sectors. She has held senior positions in the financial sector in the US and also in the healthcare institutions she worked at in Ethiopia, including Director of Innovative Strategies and Operations at a leading government hospital and medical college, as well as serving as an Advisor to the Minister of Health. Kidist has also founded two other businesses in Ethiopia and worked as a management consultant supporting businesses grow & achieve their targets. 

During her time at Harvard, Kidist was the Co-director of Harvard Innovation and Ventures in Education (HIVE) where she supported students with business plan development, pitch deck reviews, organized hackathons and think about creative problem solving. Entrepreneurship has always been a cornerstone of her academic and professional journey. 

A proponent of design thinking and strategic operations, Kidist is committed to empowering African women through her current role and past experiences. In addition to her role as the CEO of YeneHealth, Kidist is also the Co-President of the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs - Africa Chapter, an organization she helped establish to amplify Harvard Alum-founded African startups and foster discourse on entrepreneurship and innovation across the continent with like minded professionals and broadly to provide insights to the larger global startup ecosystem. Beyond her professional endeavors, Kidist is passionate about mentoring young entrepreneurs and supporting initiatives that promote innovation and economic growth.

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