Richard Okoe was born to peasant farmers who could not send all 6 of his siblings to school after primary education. His family members extended support to send him to secondary school, and he eventually graduated from the Pong-Tamale Veterinary College and then continued at the University of Ghana. Richard went on to work with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for 10 years. He has also worked as head of credit and operation manager with microfinance institutions for 22 years. He is the founder of the NGOs Community Development Challenge, National Beekeepers Association, and Wyn-Bg. Wyn-Bg aims to support smallholder farmers � especially women � to increase crop productivity. He trains and supports pollinator conservation, tree planting, environmental conservation, gender equity, and poverty alleviation.