William Karshima.

As Co-Founder of The Leader Team, William Karshima serves as the Nigerian Country Advisor, bringing a wealth of in-country and international business, social entrepreneurship, and non-profit leadership expertise. William has did humanitarian aid in seven countries: India, United States of America, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, Germany and Nigeria.

William holds a Master in Business Administration from Belhaven University in Orlando, Florida after receiving his Bachelors in Geography and Town Planning from The University of Jos. William worked with University of the Nations for six years, leading teams through onboarding, training, courses and international partnerships.

William has served at Oasis Church Winter Garden, in Orlando, Florida, for 13 years, working as the full-time Lead Pastor for the last eight. During this time, William has continued to invest internationally in social enterprise and development collaborating with dozens of businesses and NGOs throughout Nigeria. These social enterprises include a keke napep (taxi) company, a seed harvesting project, a car wash, a sanitisation and steam cleaning company, a barbering shop, a spa, a restaurant, a co-working space and a coffee shop. He has invested in small businesses such as a bakery, a school for blind children and farming.

As one of John Maxwell’s certified Leadership Coaches, William combines his wisdom with a powerful skill acquisition curriculum for the benefit of leaders in all sectors. William is a global leadership, management, and capacity building speaker and trainer.

The Karshima family founded RISE: Conversations on Race and Unity in Orlando, Florida, partnering with Valencia’s Peace and Justice Institute and the Orlando Martin Luther King Junior Foundation. They lead refugee relief efforts to the America and Mexico border and hosted foster children in their home.

After his undergraduate studies, William moved abroad. For years, each time he would visit home, he was heart-broken by how many of his fellow university graduates were still looking for jobs decades later. That was when William and his family realized they must make a change.

In 2020, William and Shiloh began starting small businesses in Nigeria with the major bottom line of creating more long-term sustainable job opportunities for hard working families. Just one year later, The Karshima’s sold everything and moved their family to Nigeria full-time. This is when The Leader Team was birthed, an NGO (501c3) that equips Nigerians to start and build their own small businesses in order to decrease the cycle of poverty for their family and communities.

William is passionate about using business to increase a living wage for families throughout Africa. His hobbies include bike riding, reading, enjoying a cup of tea with friends, traveling and playing with his children.