Meet the 2026 graduates: Brook Leulseged Tadesse

Before joining Sciences Po as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar to pursue a Master's in Public Policy, specializing in Social Policy and Social Innovation, I studied Law at Addis Ababa University and Accounting at Bahir Dar University.

After completing my law degree, I interned with the Danish Refugee Council, where I was exposed to humanitarian and protection work and began to realize that my interests extended beyond traditional legal practice. This realization deepened during my time at Precise Consult, a development consulting firm, where I worked on projects related to economic development, market systems, and job creation, and began to clearly identify public policy as my professional calling.

I further honed this focus at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where I worked as a Senior Delivery Analyst supporting the Ethiopian government on digital transformation and public sector reform. Working closely with senior decision-makers gave me clarity on my career direction and strengthened my decision to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy at Sciences Po, with a focus on building deep expertise in social policy.

I chose Social Policy and Social Innovation because I believe that sustainable development begins with people. Growing up in Addis Ababa, I witnessed how unequal access to education, healthcare, finance, and employment opportunities shapes people's lives and limits economic potential. I wanted to better understand how governments can design evidence-based policies that expand opportunity while fostering inclusive growth.

My time at Sciences Po helped me clarify the kind of impact I want to have throughout my career. While I entered the program with interests in public policy, I left convinced that human capital development should be my primary focus. Studying social policy helped me appreciate that investments in nutrition, healthcare, and early childhood education have some of the highest long-term and intergenerational returns, yet they often receive insufficient attention in developing countries.

Sciences Po also changed how I think about delivering impact. An entrepreneurship course challenged me to move beyond analyzing policy problems and start building practical solutions. That experience inspired me to co-found DukaCredit, a fintech startup that helps small retailers in Ethiopia digitize their businesses and build financial identities to improve access to finance.

Be intentional about connecting your studies to the problems you genuinely want to solve. Sciences Po offers exceptional opportunities, but the value of the experience depends on how actively you engage with them.

Above all, develop a vision that continually propels you forward. Spend time reflecting on your purpose and the "why" behind your work. Having a clear sense of direction will help you navigate uncertainty, make difficult decisions, and remain resilient when challenges arise.

In the short term, my focus is on entrepreneurship. I am working to scale DukaCredit, a fintech startup that helps small retailers in Ethiopia digitize their businesses, build financial identities, and improve access to finance. Through this work, I hope to demonstrate how technology can expand economic opportunity and support inclusive growth.

In the long term, I aspire to serve in the Ethiopian government and help deliver ambitious, evidence-based reforms that accelerate human capital development. I hope to contribute to policies that strengthen nutrition, healthcare, education, and economic opportunity, recognizing that investments in people generate lasting intergenerational benefits. My goal is to help build institutions that enable every individual to reach their full potential and contribute to their country's development.