The Harvard Grad Exposing Hidden Costs | with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Power and Impact, host Jim McCann is joined by the brilliant Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman — economist, activist, and author of The Double Tax. What follows is a dynamic and inspiring conversation about gender, race, economics, and purpose.
Anna shares her remarkable journey: from being born in Ghana and winning the U.S. visa lottery, to growing up in Maryland, falling in love with mathematics, switching from pre-med to economics, and eventually pursuing a PhD at Harvard. Along the way, she became a voice for equity and inclusion, co-founding the Sadie Collective to bring more Black women into economics and related fields.

In this interview, Anna opens up about the hidden cost of being a woman — particularly a Black woman — in America. She explains the concept of the “double tax,” the systemic pink tax that’s embedded in our economy, and how structural inequalities are often normalized. From overpriced products to underpaid labor and overlooked data, Anna pulls back the curtain on how everyday economics disproportionately affects women.

Pre order a copy of "The Double Tax"

https://annagifty.com/thedoubletax

00:00 - Intro: Power and Impact with Anna Gifty
01:20 - Anna’s Journey from Ghana to the U.S.
03:00 - What Is the Double Tax?
05:00 - The Pink Tax and Economic Injustice
07:00 - Falling in Love with Math & Mentorship
09:00 - From Pre-Med to Economics
11:00 - Education, Opportunity & Family Support
13:00 - Getting into Harvard & Building Community
16:00 - Creating the Sadie Collective
18:00 - Making Data Accessible for the People
20:00 - Why Anna Wrote “The Double Tax”
23:00 - Black Women Best: Equity Helps Everyone
26:00 - Chelsea Clinton, Twitter, and Mentorship
28:00 - A Week in the Life of Anna Gifty
31:00 - Educators Who Changed Her Life
33:00 - Final Reflections & Advice for the Next Generation
36:00 - Wrap-Up & Closing Thoughts