Meet Our Founder and CEO
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
A young Liberian woman who refused to watch her country's potential go unrealized. From a moment of reflection in a Nairobi restaurant in 2019 to leading one of Liberia's most ambitious locally-driven development organizations, Katherina's journey is BDI's story.
Founder & CEO
BASA Development Initiatives
Est. 2019 → 2022
Vision to Organization
About Katherina
Katherina M. Hopkins is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BASA Development Initiatives - but she will tell you that BDI is not the product of a career plan. It is the product of a conviction. A conviction that Liberians have the capacity, the creativity, and the courage to build the country they deserve. What they have often lacked are the resources, the systems, and the partners who truly believe in them.
Her journey to founding BDI began on July 14, 2019 at a restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya, where a conversation with her brother and a chance encounter with a fellow African who dismissed traditional food as "primitive" sparked a defining question: why do Africans who have seen the world so often turn away from it instead of returning to build it? From that question came the mantra "Born African, Stay African" - and from that mantra came BASA.
BASA began as an online store celebrating African artisanal goods. But as Katherina immersed herself in Liberia's development landscape, she saw something that could not be ignored: a gap between the country's needs and the capacity of its institutions to meet them. In June 2021, she transitioned BASA into a development initiative. By 2022, BDI was formally registered as a nonprofit NGO in Liberia. Today, under her leadership, BDI operates across eight program areas from three offices, has trained over 600 farmers, reached more than 1,600 students, planted 5,000 trees, and is building toward a $2 million annual budget by 2029.
Katherina leads with a philosophy she has called "inside-out development" - the belief that the most durable development is designed and delivered by the communities it is meant to serve. She serves as the primary approval authority for BDI's institutional decisions and is the organization's principal representative to donors, partners, government, and the communities BDI serves.
Leadership Philosophy
These are not management frameworks. They are the convictions Katherina carries into every community consultation, every board meeting, and every funding proposal BDI submits.
Development From the Inside Out
The most durable change is designed and delivered by the communities it is meant to serve. BDI never arrives with pre-packaged solutions. Every program begins with listening - because communities are partners, not beneficiaries.
Accountability as the Foundation of Trust
BDI can only grow to the scale Liberia needs if it is trusted - by donors, partners, and communities. Katherina holds BDI to the same standards of transparency and accountability as the world's best development organizations.
Ambitious Vision, Honest Progress
Liberia does not need another NGO with inflated claims and modest results. BDI will pursue a $2 million annual budget by 2029, expand across all 15 counties, and grow into a credible West African development institution.
In Her Own Words
"When we founded BASA Development Initiatives, we did so with a simple but unshakeable conviction: that Liberians have the capacity, the creativity, and the courage to build the country they deserve. What they often lack are the resources, the systems, and the partners who truly believe in them. This plan is built on your trust, and fueled by our shared belief that a Liberia without poverty is not a dream. It is a destination."
Katherina M. Hopkins — Founder & CEO, BASA Development Initiatives
Key Milestones Under Her Leadership
BASA Conceived at Seroni Restaurant, Nairobi
A single conversation sparks the "Born African, Stay African" philosophy and the idea of an African-owned, Liberian-led development organization.
BASA Transitions into a Development Initiative
Katherina pivots from a cultural enterprise to a full development NGO focused on bridging institutional gaps and empowering women and youth in Liberia.
BDI Formally Registered as an NGO in Liberia
BDI opens its Monrovia headquarters, launches its first agriculture and environment programs, and begins building a track record in Sinoe County.
1,200 Farmers Trained, 5,000 Trees Planted
BDI delivers measurable results on an average annual budget of just $50,000-$60,000, proving the model and establishing credibility for the Strategic Plan 2025-2029.
Strategic Plan 2025-2029 Launched
Katherina leads the development and launch of BDI's five-year plan targeting growth to $2M annually, expansion to all 15 counties, and establishment of BDI as a West African development institution.
Shortlisted for National Fisheries Incubator
Under her leadership, BDI secures a shortlisting for the NaFAA/OPEC Fund fisheries program and submits its first UN agency proposals.
Katherina welcomes conversations with donors, partners, and organizations who share BDI's commitment to Liberian-led development. Whether you are considering a partnership, a funding opportunity, or simply want to learn more about BDI's work, she would be glad to hear from you.
More in Governance
Structure
Governance Structure
See the full high-level structure of BDI - from the Board of Directors through to program and operations teams.
Oversight
Board of Directors
Meet the Board members who provide strategic guidance and fiduciary oversight for BASA Development Initiatives.
Program and Operations
Our Team
Meet the dedicated professionals delivering BDI's eight program areas across Liberia's communities.