Hanna Tessema

Hanna is Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Black Women’s Learning Institute (BWLI), a national organization advancing the health, leadership, and well-being of Black women through research, training, and advocacy. With 20 years of experience in HIV, reproductive, and maternal–child health, she has dedicated her career to advancing equity, strengthening systems, and ensuring marginalized communities are heard. At BWLI, she leads equity-driven research to address gaps for overlooked communities and advances health literacy and leadership development, so Black women are positioned as leaders shaping healthier futures for themselves and their families.

Her career began in maternal and child health in the South Bronx and expanded into HIV prevention and care across the U.S. and globally, working with communities most impacted by stigma and limited access to care. At ACRIA, she helped launch HIV and aging research and programming in the United States, including New York City’s Age is Not a Condom campaign, which challenged stigma and highlighted the sexual health of older adults. These experiences cemented her commitment to centering vulnerable communities in health research and practice and to embedding trust, representation, and culturally responsive care across health systems.

Hanna later served as senior public health advisor to a former CDC Director, helping to lead the U.S. COVID-19 response and guiding a cross-functional team of public health leaders. She also worked as a senior monitoring and evaluation advisor at a leading international development firm, conducting business development and implementing global health projects in multiple countries.

Hanna is an adjunct faculty member at George Washington University, where she teaches Social and Behavioral Health. Based in Washington, DC, she holds a DrPH in Health Behavior from GW, an MPH in Epidemiology from NYU, and an MSW in Social Policy and Evaluation from the University of Michigan.