Larissa Africa is a visionary leader in healthcare, known for transforming the industry through innovative workforce development strategies.

As the former President and CEO of Versant Healthcare Competency Solutions, Ms. Africa conceptualized and executed a nationwide NRP implementation strategy and conceived a nursing workforce development model beyond new graduate nurses, transforming how healthcare organizations build their workforce. She led the development of a TTP-specific web-management system, the first of its kind in the early 2000 garnering a Microsoft award.

In her current role as the Vice-President for Ascend Learning, she advises on the organization’s strategic direction, product development, and implementation of thought-leadership strategies for the healthcare workforce’s onboarding and professional development.

She is well-published and presents internationally on topics around NRPs and workforce development.

Her commitment to serve the nursing profession extends beyond employment. She co-founded two non-profit organizations: the Versant Center for the Advancement of Nursing and The National Collaborative for Transition to Practice. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The National Collaborative dedicated to supporting organizations and nurses implementing transition to practice programs. Additionally, Ms. Africa serves as the deputy editor of the Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. Ms. Africa actively serves on several national boards and professional organization committees.  

Larissa is a Fellow with the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the American Academy of Nursing.