Marlene Ogawa is the Country Director for Synergos South Africa, where she leads efforts to build relational and bridging capacities across sectors, fostering coordinated action to address socio-economic challenges. Her expertise is in creative and interactive strategic collaboration and partnership building through process design, convening and facilitation.

Marlene works closely with social impact organizations and cross-sector leaders to co-create solutions with marginalized communities, globally. She has facilitated transformative projects like the Small town Regeneration Strategy, Centre for Youth Development Practice and National Youth Service, the SADC Regional Entrepreneurship and Mentorship Programme, and International Labour Organisation’s Indian Ocean Countries’ partnerships in labour migration and skills mobility dialogues. Her work emphasizes inner transformation and participatory approaches to unite stakeholders to co-create solutions, cultivate trust, and drive impactful, inclusive socio-economic growth.