Ambassador Dr. Margaret Dureke is a recipient of one of the highest civilian honors in America, the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award; The Major League Soccer (MLS), 2023 All-Star Hometown Hero; and an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration, 2022. She is also a recipient of the Maryland Daily Record Top 100 Women 2023. Dr. Margaret Dureke is the Founder, President, and Executive Director of an economic empowerment educational nonprofit organization called WETATi Academy located at and in partnership with Nyumburu Cultural Center, University of Maryland, College Park. She is also the founder and managing principal of MargaretSpeaks. Dr. Dureke is a renowned international “moxie motivational speaker” --Washington Post, and known as a “How-to-and entrepreneurship Guru” for her expertise and natural ability to empower her clients through her MargaretSpeaks, Inc. platform.

Ambassador Dr. Dureke received her B.A. degree with honors from Howard University and a Juris Doctorate degree in law from American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, DC. She is serial entrepreneur, publisher, and bestselling author of several personal and business development books such as “How to Succeed Against All Odds”, “The Power of Consistency”, “7 Drivers for Success”, “Think, Believe, Act and Grow Rich”, “I Am: The Power of Self Awareness”, “11 Keys to Finding The Seed of Opportunity in Any Adversity”, and many more.

For over 30 years Dr. Dureke has been training, empowering, coaching, mentoring and inspiring corporations, government agencies, business leaders, community leaders, diplomatic corps, students, and the public about the importance of believing in themselves to achieve their respective impossibilities in any area of their lives. Her passion is to teach others how to turn adversities or disadvantages into achievements.

• Maryland The Daily Record Top 100 Women 2023
• National League Soccer All-Star Hometown Hero 2023
• Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award 2022
• Honorary Doctorate Degree of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration 2022
• Appointed Goodwill Ambassador to the Republic of The Gambia in recognition of her philanthropic and humanitarian work in Gambia and around the world 2016
• Recipient of the United States Army MacArthur Woman of Excellence Award
• Ambassador Dr. Margaret Dureke and WETATi Academy were awarded the Maryland Governor’s Citation in honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, October 2017. The Citation recognized: “The amazing work that you do and for the significant impact you are making to Maryland’s economy and the community you serve” 2017
• MEA-Heart & Soul Magazine Woman of Power Award 2018
• A Fellow at the Venture Philanthropy Partners-DC, Ready to Work Nonprofit Capacity Building 2019-2023
• A Fellow at the Catalog Philanthropy (Spur Local) 2023-2027
• Senior Vice President in marketing in the Direct Sales industry 2006-2011
• Presenter and Speaker at the 58th Anniversary, Montgomery Bus Boycott honoring Rosa Parks, alongside Dr. Bernice King 2017

Dr. Dureke has been happily married to her husband and best friend John Dureke for more than 37 years, and together they have three beautiful and talented daughters: Chidinma, Chukwunonso, and Destiny.