Gladys Kenfack

When Gladys had her first son, she looked and looked . . . and looked for stories and pictures to share her African heritage with him. After a while, she resorted to writing short stories for him—in French. As an art and culture enthusiast, she then complemented the stories with illustrations so her son could see Africa through her lenses—the Africa she grew up in.

Gladys grew up in Cameroon and then moved to the US for her college education. Gladys holds a BS in computer science from BYU and an MBA from Seattle University.

In her professional career, Gladys spent a decade at Microsoft as an engineer and then as a marketing professional. Gladys' passion for social enterprise prompted her to then open a design studio in Cameroon. Her stories are fully illustrated by local artists; this is an opportunity to promote authentic art, illustrate more of her many stories, and create local jobs.

Though she'll forever be an African Queen, Gladys now lives in Seattle, WA, with her husband and two sons. When she is not designing or writing books, Gladys is creating food in her kitchen, dancing to the beat of drums, or singing.