Brooke Stern Okoth

Brooke Stern Okoth

Brooke Stern is the co-founder and former CEO of Supporting Opportunities for Ugandans to Learn (S.O.U.L.) Foundation, which facilitates equitable partnerships with rural Ugandans in the areas of education, maternal health, women’s empowerment, and food security. Brooke was born and raised in Suffern, New York. Her passion for S.O.U.L. Foundation stems from her belief that every human being has a right to the most basic necessities and opportunities in life. Influenced by her mother, who has dedicated her career to saving the lives of medically fragile children, and her father, who had an unwavering passion for travel in developing countries and cultural awareness, she developed a sense of responsibility and a passion for improving the lives of our global community at a young age. Brooke studied Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado at Boulder and completed her studies at the Denver School of Nursing with a Bachelor’s in Science and Nursing.

In 2009, Brooke founded S.O.U.L. with her father after a backpacking trip through East Africa. Brooke’s motto has always been to seek local knowledge to address global issues of poverty. The model used in one rural village has been replicated across 40 villages in two districts in Eastern Uganda. Each year, S.O.U.L. directly serves over 14,000 individuals, primarily women and youth. Now, these two districts are home to two thriving community centers, whereby rural Ugandans have opportunities to become change-makers in their own lives and ultimately, transform their communities.