Unlock full access to The Summer’s Issue ’24
Fred Swaniker (Founder, African Leadership Network)- Ghana Fred Swaniker is a leadership development specialist and a seasoned entrepreneur. He has founded four organizations to educate and encourage African youth, who account for 60 percent of the continent's population. Swaniker earned an MBA from Stanford Business School, and the World Economic Forum recognized him as a Young Global Leader. Swaniker co- founded, is a trustee, and sits as the chairman of the African Leadership Academy, based in the outskirts of South Africa's Johannesburg. Swaniker is also the founder of the African Leadership Network and African Leadership University, which aims to create three million ethical and entrepreneurial leaders in the future decades.
Ciiru Waweru Waithaka (Founder, Funkidz Limited) - Kenya Ciiru Waweru Waithaka is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, educator, and innovator who genuinely loves and admires Africa and the African child. Her interests include the circular economy, the environment, and youth development. She founded Funkidz Limited, an enterprise that creates and manufactures things for children up to age sixteen. Funkidz is influencing Africa's future with "Kidz Go Tech," a program that aims to revolutionize and accelerate education on the continent by utilizing twenty- first century learning through animation, tech sensory learning, and storytelling. In March 2017, Waweru and her firm received an international award in Barcelona from the Global System for Mobile Communications, Women4Tech. In 2016, Waweru was invited to the White House for the United State of Women Summit. There, she was honored by former First Lady Michelle Obama for helping women and families excel.
Gift Gana (Co-founder, Dr CADx) - Zimbabwe Dr CADx, created by Gift Gana and Tatenda Madzorera, is a software application that enables doctors and healthcare professionals diagnose medical images more precisely. Because of the continent's lack of radiologists, most medical scans are scrutinized by general practitioners or other healthcare professionals who lack experience and misdiagnose more than 30 percent of the cases they assess. As a result, millions of people do not receive the appropriate medical care or their diagnosis is delayed, leading to further problems and even death. Dr CADx employs deep learning to analyze medical pictures with an accuracy of 82 percent, which is higher than the 70 percent norm for radiologists.
Motunrayo Opayinka (Founder, Womenovate) - Nigeria Motunrayo Opayinka is a business transformation practitioner with over fifteen years of experience, primarily in the oil and gas/energy sector. She founded Womenovate, a global, female-focused online learning platform that provides women with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics) jobs from world-class universities and companies. The company also provides training, courses, and resources, helping close the gender gap and increase female participation in STEAM fields. Opayinka founded her firm at the Founder Institute, the world's biggest Silicon Valley–based pre-seed accelerator.
The Future of Lead Innovation in Africa The journey for Africa's tech innovators has been marred by obstacles. Limited finance availability, poor infrastructure, and complicated regulatory bodies pose substantial hurdles. However, these leaders are resourceful and resilient. They rely on local talent, value cooperation, and lobby for policies that promote innovation. African innovations are no longer limited to the continent. Mobile money solutions pioneered in Africa have inspired similar models throughout the world. The effect of African-led entrepreneurs extends beyond economics. Now, African tech businesses are attracting foreign investment, highlighting the global significance of their solutions. Africa's leading innovators aren’t just creating businesses on the continent but also a brighter future. They are building an innovative and entrepreneurial culture, empowering a new generation of young Africans to solve problems and shape their futures. Their passion, ingenuity, and tenacity lay the foundation for a more equitable, connected, and powerful Africa with a strong voice in the global discourse. As socioeconomic, political, and cultural developments spread across Africa and the continent embraces technology, the world can expect even more groundbreaking innovations from Africa's enterprising titans.
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Dr CADx is intended to function in low-resource
settings with limited internet access, making it suitable for use in many rural African areas.
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