Maya Khonje-Stewart is the Founder and Managing Director of MAEVE. With over 15 years of experience in Malawi’s private and NGO sectors, she specializes in the intersection of renewable energy and agriculture. Maya has led nationwide campaigns promoting green technologies such as fuel-efficient cookstoves and solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS), resulting in over 2 million cookstoves sold and over 300 SPIS distributed across central and southern Malawi.

Her work through the MAEVE Project has significantly boosted demand for clean energy solutions and supported awareness-building across the private sector. Internationally recognized for her impact, Maya has served on the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), and has received accolades including EEP Africa Energy Rising Leader (2020), Africa Digital Champion (2021), and Africa’s Women in Energy Leader (2022). She is committed to reaching 10 million households with clean energy access by 2030.