IWTT’s GENIAE Conference Highlights Women’s Impact In Technology and Economic Inclusion

Oreoluwa Somolu Lesi is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC).

Prior to this, she was Project Manager of Youth Empowerment & Restoration Initiative, an organisation working to increase local content in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry by raising awareness of Oil and Gas careers among students.

Oreoluwa worked for several years in the United States at an educational non-for-profit organisation on a number of projects, which explored the interplay between gender and technology and which sought to attract more girls and women to study and work in science and technology-related fields.

She has a Bachelors degree in Economics from Essex University, U.K. a Masters degree in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems from the London School of Economics & Political Science, a Certificate in Applied Sciences from Harvard University’s Extension School and a Certificate in Social Sector Management from Pan African University’s Enterprise Development Centre. Her interests are the applications of technology in improving lifelong learning and also to raise the economic and social conditions of people (especially women and children) in the developing world.

Dr. Unoma Okorafor is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Working to Advance STEM Education for African Women Foundation (WAAW). WAAW foundation currently runs 13 STEM outreach and mentoring programs in 8 different African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Malawi, Togo and South Africa; and is hoping to expand it to more countries to impact on more girls. WAAW Foundation works with over 110 university fellows in the 13 STEM cells, reaching over 6000 public school student each year. Dr. Unoma is especially focused on girls in poverty-affected areas with a goal to ultimately increase the pipeline of African girls entering STEM related careers.

She is a graduate of Computer and Electrical Engineering from the University of Lagos.

Mrs. Nkemdilim Begho is a seasoned professional in the IT Service Industry and serves as the Managing Director of Future Software Resources Nigeria Ltd (Futuresoft) since 2008. Under her leadership, the company has been strategically re-branded and re-focused on three core areas; Digital & Online Solution Development, E-Learning & IT Security, establishing it as one of the top IT solution providers.

She is an active board member of the World Summit Youth Award, a global online econtent contest focused on the implementation of the SDGs through ICT. She is a firm believer in mentorship and regularly volunteers for mentoring and empowerment programmes where she shares her ICT knowledge, as well as her business and life experience with young Nigerians and less privileged children.

Mrs. Begho embarked on her professional career in Germany at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Psychiatric Research in the department for Statistical Genetics and Proteomics and later worked at Affectis Pharmaceuticals AG, Germany before returning to Nigeria. She is a graduate of Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) & Technical University Munich (TUM), Germany, where she received a BSc. Hons in Bioinformatics.

Anie Akpe, Innov8tiv magazine publisher, African Women In Technology Conference Curator and Founder of IBOM LLC, is a business professional and entrepreneur with more than 15 years experience in the banking industry, currently managing a more than $800 million portfolio.

As founder of IOM LLC, Akpe aids small businesses around the world, particularly those owned by African entrepreneurs in the Diaspora, guiding business development and strategy and leading sound results in the completion of their business goals. A native of Nigeria, she meshes her global experience and culture with skills from stellar corporate America leadership to provide unique and results-driven services to her clients.

Innov8tiv.com is a subsidiary of IBOM LLC, adding to her company’s mission to not only advocate entrepreneurship among global professionals of color, but dynamic technology information, resources, events and media.

Akpe, holds a bachelors degree and MBA from Dowling College in Long Island, N.Y.