Meet our speaker - Omenaa Mensah

Omenaa Mensah

Omenaa Mensah

Omenaa Foundation

Omenaa Mensah

Omenaa Foundation

BIO

Dedicated to bringing American philanthropic values to Poland and promoting education. As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Tolerance, empowerment, and education of both her homelands: Europe and Africa, are her priorities, just as providing humanitarian help for Ukraine.

Omenaa Foundation

Founder of Omenaa Foundation, one of the most active and important charitable and educational organizations in Poland, swiftly allocated over a million dollars to aid Ukrainian refugees, delivering vital psychological and educational support. Together with her husband Rafał Brzoska organized the largest privately funded transport containing 1,000,000 lb of food and humanitarian aid for civilians immediately after Russian aggression.

OmenaArt Foundation

Her second foundation, OmenaArt Foundation, committed to the restoration and revitalization of architectural treasures across Poland, Italy and Malta, which will host an accompanying exhibition for the inaugural maltabiennale.art 2024 themed “Space & Time” and thematic pavilion “Other Geographics, Other Stories”.

Rafał Brzoska Foundation

Initiator of her husband’s foundation – the Rafał Brzoska Foundation – which was established to support young talented people in their further development at the best foreign universities, including: at Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Wharton School of Management in Pennsylvania, New York University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Grand Charity Auction TOP CHARITY

The annual Grand Charity Auction TOP CHARITY event, which she originated, brings together influential business leaders to support philanthropy with a total value of approximately USD 30 billion. To date, the two editions of the event have raised USD 9 million.

Career

Growing up, she faced racist moments and encountered closed doors of Polish society. Despite discrimination, she pursued a 20-year career in Polish TV, collaborating with top media like Forbes and TV Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Her interviews with figures like Phyllis Newhouse and Jolanta Kwaśniewska, former First Lady of Poland, have inspired many and promoted philanthropy.

Ghana, the birthplace of Omenaa’s ancestors and her father’s hometown, holds a special place in her heart. Her father was an excellent student and received a scholarship, which enabled him to emigrate and study in Europe. He is now a distinguished/prominent heart surgeon. Omenaa is deeply committed to supporting underprivileged children of the streets, dedicating significant efforts and resources to their cause. She founded and built The Kids’ Haven School, a safe and educational school. Last year USD 150,000 was devoted to upgrading its facilities for empowering the next generation’s leaders. Her initiatives are equally important for supporting children in Polish orphanages and advocating for youth education, fostering lasting change. Establishing the Rafał Brzoska Foundation with her husband, they provide scholarships to aspiring young talents who lack the means to attend top global universities, pivotal in empowering tomorrow’s leaders.

Awards

In recognition of her exemplary contributions, Omenaa has been honored by the President of Poland with the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland and the prestigious Stars of Charity Award from the Academy of Philanthropy Development in Poland.

Omenaa is a happy wife and the proud mother of two children. Her eldest daughter, Vanessa, is pursuing a career in medicine – just like her grandfather.