Palesa Ngwenya began working with Maboneng Township Arts Experience as a project researcher in 2011, then progressed to her current role in the organization as development coordinator. Palesa has enabled the Maboneng Township Arts Experience to extend its programs across 5 South African provinces, establish 2 Community Creative Districts in Kayamandi (Stellenbosch) and Soweto, as well as Cinema Homes in the culturally rich community of Alexandra Township. The Maboneng Township Arts Experience's emphasis on transformation, job creation, sustainability, plus the inclusion of peripheral under-resourced people, spaces and places in the context of relevant creative innovation has been globally recognized. Palesa is inspired by an intuitive lifestyle of serving and learning while infusing Ubuntu into the travel industry. Palesa launched her professional career as a legal researcher at Absa Bank from 2009 to 2011. She then found more meaningful work as a researcher in the South African NGO space, rendering her services to the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office, for which she produced numerous publications. Palesa holds a B.A. in law and international relations from Rhodes University. Palesa attended the YCI Forum in 2018 as a participant.