Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala · "If you want to change the world, start by changing one life at a time. But don..."

Commencement address at Brown University, **2015** · Checked on 4 March 2026

If you want to change the world, start by changing one life at a time. But don’t stop there—scale it up.

Analysis

A review of Brown University's official commencement archives, video recordings, and media coverage from 2015 does not contain the quoted line. While Okonjo‑Iweala did speak at various events about scaling impact, the specific phrasing cannot be located in the Brown address. Without a transcript or reliable source confirming the quote, its attribution remains unverified.

Background

Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala, former Finance Minister of Nigeria and World Bank veteran, has given numerous talks on development and personal impact. Brown University’s 2015 commencement speakers are documented, and no record shows her delivering this exact sentence. Misattributed or paraphrased quotes are common in social media.

Verdict summary

There is no verifiable evidence that Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala made this exact statement at Brown University's 2015 commencement.

Sources consulted

— Brown University Commencement 2015 official program and video archive (https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/commencement/2015)

— Transcripts of Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala’s speeches from 2015 compiled by the World Bank (https://documents.worldbank.org/)

— Fact‑checking database Snopes entry on misattributed quotes (https://www.snopes.com/)