Meseret “Mesi” Haileyesus is a global executive leader, multi-award-winning economic security and justice futurist, and a recognised Canadian pioneer in advancing public policy responses to women’s economic harm. She is widely recognised as the first Canadian to bring economic harm into public policy discourse and call for national and international policy responses in the Canadian Parliament.
She is the Founder and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment (CCFWE), President of AI Nexus for Black Innovators, Global Executive of the Global Institute for Inclusive Financial Futures, and co-founder of the International Coalition Against Economic Abuse. She has founded multiple national and global initiatives advancing financial inclusion, survivor-centred policy reform, and systemic economic justice for women.
Her work connects governments, regulators, financial institutions and community organisations to address coerced debt, ethical banking, fraud and technology-enabled financial harm. She has testified before Canadian parliamentary committees, the Senate and provincial legislatures, contributing to policy discussions on financial safety, consumer protection and economic justice.
Her policy contributions include discussions concerning Ontario’s Bill 41: Protection from Coerced Debts Incurred in relation to Human Trafficking Act, 2023, Senate Bill S-206: National Framework for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income Act, Bill C-16: Protecting Victims Act, Bill C-223: Keeping Children Safe Act, and Bill C-29: Financial Crimes Agency Act, which proposes establishing the Financial Crimes Agency.
Over the past year, Meseret has advocated for a Code of Conduct for financial institutions to prevent economic abuse. In 2025, she was invited by the Minister of Finance to deliver keynote remarks at Parliament during a pre-budget announcement concerning the development of Canada’s first national Code of Conduct addressing economic abuse and a national anti-fraud strategy.
Meseret serves on global and national policy and advisory bodies, including the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario’s Consumer Advisory Panel and the UNDP Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking (FAST) Sustainable Finance Advisory Board.
She has mobilised more than 23,000 women, engaged 345 banks and organisations, and helped drive awareness and action in over 100 cities across Canada. She has also presented her work to the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, provincial legislatures, the House of Commons and the Senate. Her work has been featured twice in Forbes.
Her contributions have earned more than 25 awards and recognitions, including the Ottawa 200 Coin Medal presented by the Mayor (2026), United Way Community Builder Award (2026), Black History Ottawa Community Builder Award(2026), recognition among the Most Influential People of African Descent (2026), Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case (2025), Legacy Impact Award presented on Parliament Hill (2025), Business of the Year Award (2025), Visionary Impact Award (2025), Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada (2024), Trailblazer Women and Gender Equality Award (2024), Women of the Trailblazer Award (2024), CILAR Aspiring Innovator of the Year (2024), Bikila Award for Professional Excellence (2024), Google Canada Women Entrepreneur Award (2023), Women of Inspiration Award (2022), Forty Under 40 (2022), L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth (2021), Top 100 Women to Watch in Canada (2020), RPA Women Entrepreneur Award (2020), 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women (2019), and Women of Excellence Award (2018).