Africa is experiencing a technological renaissance propelled by a new generation of innovators. These pioneers are addressing serious concerns, creating new possibilities, and reshaping their local communities through technology. As diverse as these trailblazers are, they are united by their groundbreaking ideas tackling continental problems and expanding Africa’s global influence. Their experiences are stories of endurance, enthusiasm, and steadfast resolve, exemplifying the strong entrepreneurial spirit that distinguishes Africa's innovative space. Continue reading below to learn about these proud Africans putting the continent on the map through their constant innovation, significantly impacting the continent and beyond. Join us as we examine the extraordinary tales and accomplishments of these trailblazers.
Unlock full access to The Summer’s Issue ’24
Edward Mungai (Founder, Inspire Leadership) - Kenya Edward Mungai founded Inspire Leadership, a company dedicated to helping individuals reach their full potential through…. He is also a published author and one of Africa's most significant figures in personal growth and leadership. He is a 2016 Eisenhower Fellow and was named one of the most inspiring CEOs of 2019. Mungai has diverse experience managing investments, business consulting, and entrepreneurship. He is also passionate about corporate sustainability and has participated in high-level discussions throughout Africa. When Mungai asserts himself as a sustainability specialist, he provides receipts. He is on the boards of the Kenya Climate Innovation Center and Kenya Climate Ventures and is one of the seasoned authors of Africa Sustainability Matters, a forum for all sustainability, leadership, and innovation aspects.
Hema Vallabh (Co-founder & CEO of WomHub) - South Africa Hema Vallabh is a pioneer with various roles, including engineer, entrepreneur, and investor. As the CEO and co-founder of WomHub, she strived to open the continent's first coworking space for female STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) startups. The social venture works to achieve gender parity throughout the engineering skills pipeline, empower one million girls in STEM, and develop female engineering leaders and entrepreneurs. The African Union has named her initiative the best Technical and Vocational Education and Training program in Africa for women leaders throughout the continent. Vallabh is also a founding partner of Five35 Ventures, a pan-African venture capital firm that invests in female technology entrepreneurs. Sign Up
Peris Bosire (Founder, FarmDrive) - Kenya Africa relies heavily on
Olutunji Oluwole (Founder, VerifyMe Nigeria)- Nigeria
Joy Mwangi (CEO & Co-founder, Ada Animation)- Kenya Joy Mwangi is the brains behind Ada Animation, a pan- African animation company based in Kenya that aims to establish a vibrant animation industry in Africa by creating jobs for the youth and bringing the entertainment industry to Africa. The studio also has branches in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Ada Animation runs a full- scale training program in collaboration with renowned industry players to provide much-needed mentorship, training, and networking. The goal is to develop a skilled workforce that will subsequently work together on global projects via Ada Animation's capacity-building portal.
Olutunji Oluwole is the creator of VerifyMe Nigeria, a verification firm that generates trustworthy, secure digital identities to leverage new technology to solve human capital concerns in the workplace. Oluwole founded VerifyMe out of necessity. In September 2011, he and his family were poisoned and robbed by a cook he had just hired. A few weeks later, he discovered another family had hired the same chef, who was operating under a different name and work background. This event highlighted the need for easily available ID verification and job history reporting services in Nigeria, which led to the creation of VerifyMe in 2013. It began by personally collecting identification and biometric information from Nigerians, as the National Identity Management Commission kept this information private from third parties. VerifyMe has recently expanded its platform to include the Bank Verification Number—a biometric identification system introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria to combat illicit financial activities— and driver's license information.
agriculture, and one of the most significant issues for small-scale farmers is access to capital or loans. Most financial institutions hesitate to credit farmers because their risk assessment methods classify small farmers as hazardous. FarmDrive, a fintech enterprise founded by Peris Bosire, wants to fix that— without increasing the risk banks have to shoulder. FarmDrive has created a mobile phone application that offers smallholder farmers an alternative risk assessment model. FarmDrive established a novel system for analyzing farmers' creditworthiness, resulting in a greater loan acceptance rate while retaining a low default rate. FarmDrive could improve agricultural productivity on the continent while allowing banking institutions to grow their agricultural loan portfolios.
Already have an account? Sign In
364
365
Powered by FlippingBook