Drumming

Leo spent eight years in refugee camps in Ivory Coast and Ghana, having fled from civil war in his native Liberia. In 2006, he resettled in Canada as a government-assisted refugee. In 2007, Leo founded Empowerment Squared, a charitable organization committed to building a world where everyone is empowered with the tools and opportunities to thrive and contribute to society through mentorship and access to education. Under Leo’s leadership, the organization has assisted over 10,000 newcomer youth and families with settling in Canada. The organization recently completed the ground-breaking ceremony for Liberian Learning Center which will house the only public library in the West African Nation of Liberia.

Leo’s work has been recognized for its impact all over the world. He has received the J.C. Holland Award for Youth Leadership and Excellence and the YMCA Peace Medal, been named one of the Hamilton Spectator’s Top Forty Under 40 and one of the top 75 immigrants in Canada, he also served as guest lecturer in the University of Toronto’s Global Health course and is an instructor currently at the Degroote School of Business – McMaster University. He was recently awarded the World Citizenship Award by the City of Hamilton, Gandhi Peace Award, McMaster University Global Community Impact Award and the Afroglobal TV 2018 Visionary Award. In 2019, Leo was one of 14 people selected globally as a Fellow for the International Decade for People of African Descent by the United Nations.