What’s the day today? We at Heels and Tech are excited to celebrate our women! You are the very reason for our existence. We have made a tour around the tech space, and while it would excite you to know that innumerable women are doing wonders in tech, it only made it more difficult to get this blog post ready, because we just didn’t know how to get all our amazing women to appear together on this page. Notwithstanding, we did our best, so we have something for you. We would love to see your comments about that amazing woman in tech you know that we just couldn’t get on the page! Remember, those that made it to the page were nominated by you, because you nominated, and we listened! (As we always do).

The aim of this article is to inspire. While writing it I was inspired. I wrote about women that made dramatic changes in their careers and achieved great success. I even read about those that both graduated from my university and studied my course (read and take a guess!). Look out for inspiration to do the impossible as you read. All these women brought things to life and you can too, because you have more in common with them than you think. Get a glass of wine and sit tight. Ready? Let’s go!

Ola Ajayi – Speaker, Tech Consultant & Educator – Theolaajayi

Ola Ajayi is a certified product consultant, data & integration specialist, and Tech mentor. She consults for a reputable organization that aims to achieve the highest business growth through designing, planning, and implementing a business intelligence-driven growth strategy. She also shares her knowledge on how people of color (POC), especially women and young adults can pivot into tech through thought leadership on educational Platforms and mentoring. She is a certified product manager & Consultant Product owner, Scrum master, PMP certified.

She leads & consults with tech brands, guiding them through the planning, coordination & integration of data systems; to build and maintain data-intensive operations across various data sources.

As a Roy group-trained mentor, she has mentored women and young adults in the people of the colour community, providing insight and strategies from her journey into tech. Her mentorship focuses on helping women seeking expert guidance to pivot into the tech ecosystem. Just like us, she’s all for women too.

Dr. Bolanle Adewusi – Senior Technical Product Manager, TELUS

Bolanle Adewusi is a seasoned professional with over 10 years of experience in information technology, consulting, telecommunications, and non-profit sectors, currently serving as a senior technical product manager at TELUS, a prominent Canadian telecommunications company.In this role, she oversees the optimization and simplification of the branded form-building experience for teams across the organization, using her skills in go-to-market strategy, research, data analysis, and user experience requirements.

She is also the Founder and Executive Director of The Innovative Woman Africa Initiative, a non-profit organization that equips African women and girls with relevant information and knowledge on how to turn their ideas into reality and become successful innovators and change makers. She advocates for higher participation of women in innovation activities by linking them with relevant organizations and institutions, and raising awareness on the low participation of African women and girls in innovation activities through different outreach programmes and forums. One of her proudest achievements was leading an outreach programme titled “Road to 1000 Students” that educated 1000 high school students on innovation and inspired them to unleash their creativity.

She is passionate about research and innovation, and she holds a Master’s degree in Advanced Computer Science and Information Technology Management from The University of Manchester, and a PhD in Technology Management from Obafemi Awolowo University. She is also an Oracle Certified Expert in Database SQL and an Oracle Certified Associate in 10g Database Administration. Her mission is to use her data expertise and product management skills to drive innovation and growth to digital platforms and support the empowerment of women and girls in the innovation space.

Sesi Ajose – IT Risk Manager, Grant Thornton

Sesi Ajose is an expert in risk management, IT risk assessment, and regulatory compliance. She is driven by a desire to help organizations identify and mitigate risk in their IT systems and operations. She has a proven track record of success in developing and implementing effective risk management strategies that align with business goals and regulatory requirements.

As a thought leader in IT risk management, she is committed to staying at the forefront of emerging trends and technologies. She has authored numerous papers on IT risk management and spoken at industry conferences on topics ranging from cybersecurity to regulatory compliance.

She is passionate about helping organizations achieve their strategic goals while simultaneously managing risk.

With the kind of changes going on world over and in tech, this niche is gaining more relevance and more professionals are needed. Interested in IT risk Management and regulatory compliance? Follow her.

Sefunmi Durojaye, Head, Ecosystem and Talent Development – Microsoft

Sefunmi Durojaye is a Management Consultant, Project Management Professional and CSR professional with vast Multi-Industry knowledge, executing strategic initiatives and Government relations around Education & Technology. She holds a B.A in Linguistics from Obafemi Awolowo University and a couple of certifications in Project Management, Social Enterprise, Operations Management & Sustainability.

Outside of her current work, Sefunmi’s passion for Community Development and Capacity Building evolved around her volunteering hours for mentoring sessions, speaking engagements and workshops. She is also an EduTech Advocate.

Wondering if it’s the Microsoft that we all know? Yes it is.

Bekere Amassoma – Program Manager, Sub Saharan Africa, Oracle Academy

Bekere Amassoma is a Program Manager at Oracle Academy, sub saharan Africa, where she devotes her time to increasing the program’s footprint across the region and managing strategic partnerships with governments and other recognized partners. At Oracle Academy, her biggest accomplishment has been renewing Oracle Academy’s Legal Partnership Agreement with the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria aimed at upskilling 4000 CS educators and improving the program’s impact across the region YoY.

Her experience spans several sectors such as Technology, Education, FMCG, Ecommerce, Public Relations and Social Enterprises. She is fascinated with all things STEAM, business development, education, social impact and women’s advancement. She enjoys developing productive partnerships, engaging in enlightening conversations and volunteering for educational and personal development causes.

Khadijat Durosinmi – CoFounder – The Tech Creative

Khadijat Durosinmi is a passionate and data-driven Marketing professional with over half a decade of experience driving growth for both B2B and B2C companies in Tech, FMCG and various industries. Her expertise lies in crafting and executing impactful marketing strategies across industries, aligned with business objectives, and fuelled by storytelling.

Her strong track record includes: Improving customer acquisition and retention through strategic initiatives, Increasing revenue by effectively positioning and launching products in competitive markets, Leveraging data to optimize marketing performance and gain valuable insights.

Her experience ranges from startups to established businesses and multinationals, allowing her to adapt and thrive in dynamic environments. She is also a co-founder of The Tech Creatives, a community dedicated to fostering knowledge sharing, collaboration, and growth within the tech marketing landscape.

Alabi Hawau – Founder – Learnlada

Alabi Hawau is a digital marketing manager and a content creator with a passion for data and creativity. She has 7 years of experience in developing and executing effective marketing strategies that drive engagement and conversions for various businesses.

As a digital marketing manager at Hello! She oversees the planning, implementation, and optimization of SEO, SEM, content, and social media campaigns. She also creates captivating content for YouTube, where she teaches digital skills and shares insights on content writing and storytelling.

Her goal is to help businesses attract their ideal customers, build lasting relationships, and drive sustainable growth through the power of digital marketing, compelling content, and strategic brand positioning.

Chioma Ukpabi – Founder – Skill Up With Kahdsole (SUWK)

Chioma Ukpabi is a social tech entrepreneur and the Executive Director of Skill Up With Kahdsole (SUWK), a pioneering startup that empowers young individuals in underserved communities with skills training and a global marketplace platform. She holds a BA in Communication Arts from Bowen University and has multiple certifications in entrepreneurship, business administration, and social marketing.

With over 7 years of experience in community development, partnerships, technology, fundraising and business administration, Chioma has led SUWK to foster economic growth and transformation for thousands of beneficiaries across Nigeria and beyond. With her expertise, she has led SUWK in raising several fundings from investors and funders. She has also partnered with The Growth Hub Africa and other prominent platforms to support small businesses and amplify the voices of African entrepreneurs, professionals, leaders, and creators.

Chioma’s remarkable impact and vision have earned her prestigious awards and recognition, such as being named a Top Outstanding Young Person in Nigeria by JCI and one of the Top 20 Social Impact Women in Africa by MentHer Magazine. Chioma is driven by her dedication to empowering Africa’s youth with skills for economic mobility and catalyzing transformative change.

Tolulope Omoleye Osindero – Head of Legal and Compliance – Branch International Financial Services Limited

Tolulope Omoleye Osindero is a financial services and digital economy professional with experience spanning across Africa, UK and US. She has led multi million debt financing, working with lenders/borrowers in the financial services, entertainment, technology and FMCG Industries, managed significant equity/debt investment into leading Fintechs in Nigeria while actively contributing to the growth and development of the African Fintech Ecosystem through her participation at various industry initiatives.

In her current role, she is responsible for expansion into new markets and strategic acquisitions while leading the advisory, risk and compliance teams across products and operations at Branch International for all our markets.

She has over twelve years experience working with startups, founders, investors and ecosystem enablers. She has published several articles and facilitated training on banking, fintech and technology topics. She also regularly speaks at fintech and startup events in Africa including the Nigerian Fintech Week.

You have a thing for fintech? You’ve got a role model in her.

Tokunbo Ibrahim Okuribido – Government Relations and Public Policy Manager (West Africa)

Tokunbo Ibrahim Okuribido is a top-performing and business-oriented public policy/government relations and legal practitioner leveraging 13+ years’ solid track record in public policy, government relations, regulatory compliance, stakeholder management/engagement, and public relations, with experience in varied industries. A professional with a deep understanding of the sub-saharan Africa policy and regulatory environment.

She is knowledgeable in creating effective policy strategies to gain allies, build relationships and influence policy. She possesses a strong industry network and experience partnering and establishing sustainable relationships with key industry stakeholders.She is widely recognized by superiors and colleagues for possessing a “can-do” spirit.

Did you hear that? A “can-do” spirit!

Mojirayo Folarin Lawal – VP, Partnerships and Integrations, Pastel Africa

Mojirayo Folarin Lawal is a solution driven leader with proven results in market and customer acquisition, customer retention, digital transformation through technology aimed at rapidly propelling organizations to the next level of growth and success. Offering over 13 years of experiences and accomplishments spanning multiple roles in different capacities that cuts across commercial banks, MFBs, FinTech and PropTech; from B2B to B2C – customer service and CRM, client and account management, gender financial inclusion, risk & liabilities product management, credit writing and analysis, private-public partnerships, digital and strategic partnerships.

She is an ambitious global fintech independent contractor with advanced expertise and skill in brokering B2B partnerships between financial institutions and Fintechs to aid digital transformations through AI and technology; and B2C partnerships in building products from ideation to deployment and go-to-market strategies to drive market stimulation and acquisition.

She has mobilized and managed over $200 million in liabilities and risk portfolio and institutional guarantee support over the past 13 years. As a highly result-driven individual, she is committed to leading and supporting teams, taking responsibilities, and delivering organizational results within the shortest possible time. She has been involved in projects and training that spans across Finance, credit and risk analysis, account and portfolio management, investment and business development, women financial inclusion and digital transformations.

Blessing Adesiyan – Founder & CEO – Mother Honestly, MH WorkLife

Blessing Adesiyan is an accomplished leader in the corporate, tech, and manufacturing world with a background in Chemical Engineering, where she honed her skills while spearheading operational, energy, and global business solutions for prestigious Fortune 100 companies such as PepsiCo, Cargill, DuPont, and BASF. Throughout her career, she has been a driving force behind the establishment of multiple employee resource groups, supporting parents and caregivers in the workplace.

Blessing is the Founder & CEO of Mother Honestly, known as MH WorkLife, a dynamic ecosystem dedicated to building a robust care infrastructure for today’s workforce. Under her leadership, MH launched WorkLife & Care Equity, a national nonprofit committed to advancing workplace equity by advocating for the needs and aspirations of vulnerable workers, including Blacks, Latinos, Immigrants, and service and hourly workers.

With a passion for Africa and its potential, Blessing established Caring Africa, an NGO focused on elevating care on thShe co-founded the CareForce and Chamber Of Mothers in the height of the pandemic, and sits on the board of Famtech.org, the leading platform for care innovators driving the $650BN care economy.

She co-founded the CareForce and Chamber Of Mothers in the height of the pandemic, and sits on the board of Famtech.org, the leading platform for care innovators driving the $650BN care economy.

She is an engineer that niched down to building care infrastructure for the workplace. Anything is possible if you are passionate enough. Her career doesn’t sound like what people have in mind when they go to school to study engineering. There’s nothing wrong with a non-traditional and unique career path.

Adeola Ayoola – Co Founder & CEO – Famasi

Adeola Ayoola is the CEO/Co-founder at Famasi Africa – a pharmacy infrastructure that allows individuals/businesses to connect to Pharmacies in emerging markets. She has spent 7+ years working across the pharmaceutical sector – retail, hospital, primary health centre, wholesale, and distribution – closely with people who have medication needs & understand what it means to be a provider.

Having worked closely with Pharmacies at mPharma to improve access to medications, she realized there was a huge opportunity in facilitating last-mile access to medications, especially for people with recurrent medication needs. This interest in people with recurrent medications is a result of 4 years working in community Pharmacies and goes back all the way to her firsthand experience with HIV/AIDS patients in National Hospital.

At Famasi, their mission is to simplify care for everyone using softwares & APIs that simplify the Chaos. Famasi is backed by Angel investors, early customers, Microtraction VC & HustleFund VC.

What a unique passion. Facilitating the last mile access to medications, especially for people with recurrent health problems. Ever thought of that as a problem? I just did.

Uduakabasi Ekpe – Compliance and Operations Manager – Legal Trunk

Uduakabasi Ekpe is a first-class graduate of Law currently working with startups, technology and venture capital. She currently works in a role where she focuses on providing value through startup advisory, regulatory compliance for startups, guidance on businesses looking to grow and scale globally as well as legal advisory.

She enjoys writing, taking on new challenges and exploring opportunities for growth and development. She has the access to exercise these by learning and honing her skills in business development, sales, partnerships, client management, basic accounting, basic web development and design, and business problem-solving.

She is passionate about Africa and giving people the tools and exposure required to reach their full potential. Outside this, she is on a journey of constant self-development and awareness.

Chioma Okafor – Sr. Solutions Architect – Legal Tech – Atlassian

With over 8 years of experience as a solutions architect, implementation consultant, and business analyst, Chioma Okafor has honed her skills in solution architecture, digital transformation, and software development lifecycle leveraging enterprise and cloud technology systems.

With a keen eye for detail and a results-oriented mindset, she consistently delivers innovative and efficient solutions that meet clients’ unique requirements. She thrives in collaborative environments, bringing together cross-functional teams to achieve project objectives seamlessly. Additionally, her exceptional public speaking skills and strong organizational leadership abilities enable her to effectively communicate complex concepts and drive teams toward success.

Beyond her professional endeavors, she is deeply committed to Career & ProfessionalDevelopment, as well as Humanitarian Services. She is especially passionate about empowering women and promoting inclusivity in the workforce.

Banke Adebayo – Founder, Anne Ruth Marie Limited

Banke Adebayo is a seasoned professional with a deep understanding of technology-powered businesses, specializing in the virtual assistant industry for over six years. Her expertise lies in supporting visionary women as they establish their own tech-powered ventures and empowering others to do the same through effective systems and automation all powered by NO CODE TECH.

As a visionary woman herself, she has multiple expressions through The Banke Adebayo Company, A-List Tech Support LLC, and Anne Ruth Marie. With a focus on lifestyle and empowerment through technology, she continuously challenges the status quo in women’s empowerment and actively seeks ways to demonstrate to women why and how they can harness the power of technology and automation to their advantage. Her passion lies in helping women run B2B businesses or agencies from the comfort of their homes, achieve financial independence, and realize their full potential.

Offiong Bassey – VP, Global Business Intelligence & Central Planning, Dell Technologies

Offiong Bassey is the Vice President of Global Business Intelligence & Central Planning in the Marketing Organization. Her professional tapestry has been eclectic, spanning management consulting, healthcare strategy, supply chain logistics, leadership development, education, and IT transformation. Threaded through these corporate experiences has been a drumbeat of music: singing, songwriting, & production (she has her own record label) and a passion for building healthy communities. She is energized by developing her team to their full potential. Her role is to help broad stakeholders discover common strategic ground and establish rhythms that allow them to be “stronger together”.

‘Establish rhythms’- music marries business. Who says you can’t be a tech giant and a musician all at the same time? You can tell it’s a lie.

Simisola Nojimi-Yusuf – Product Managing Manager, Google

Sinmisola Nojimu-Yusuf is a marketing professional passionate about building brands, products, and businesses that enrich the lives of consumers, shareholders, and communities.

She is excellent, efficient, and has good Communication skills which have been instrumental to the successes of her projects with Google. Thus she can be relied on to build solutions that cut through the clutter and deliver tangible business results.

Dear reader, it’s the real Google that she works with. What’s stopping you from taking that step you know you should take on tech?

Lolita Aguele – Regional Sales Director, SAP

As the Regional Sales Director for Africa with SAP SE, Lolita Aguele is responsible for driving sales for the Small and Medium Market ERP Solution Business One (On-Premise) across Sub Saharan Africa with a focus on growing the company’s revenue through its partner ecosystem. She has a successful track record of more than 20 years that includes leadership positions and recognized sales achievements in the tech industry. She is skilled in fostering strategic business relationships and in C- Level negotiations – utilizing a strategic consultative sales approach to close business prospects.

Prior to joining SAP SE, she was the senior licensing sales specialist (Anglophones West Africa) and senior partner sales executive for Microsoft Corporation, where she increased Microsoft and Partners’ profitability, led the licensing annuity business and nurtured key relationships that led to significant revenue growth- she won the “All Star Award for Supporting Enterprise Partner Group (EPG) & Small Midmarket Solutions and Partners (SMS&P)” towards revenue over-achievement and also won the “Best Small Midmarket Solutions and Partner (SMS&P) Team Member.

Simi Olabisi – Director, AI Specialist, Global Black Belt, Microsoft

Simi is currently a Director Specialist in Microsoft’s Azure AI Global Black Belt team responsible for accelerating market adoption of AI and driving some of the most strategic and innovative customer AI projects leveraging Azure AI/ML products and services.

She boasts an impressive career spanning 12+ years in the technology sector. Her journey commenced with notable stints at Analog Devices (Maxim Integrated Products), Cisco, and Google (GCP), before she embarked on a two-year venture in the startup arena, where she dedicated her efforts to empowering African software engineers through training and forging connections to international opportunities in Europe, Canada, and the United States. Simi spent several years at Amazon Web Services where she managed the Cloud relationship with enterprise accounts like Honda and Live Nation/Ticketmaster, helping them to enable innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. She also held a leadership role at Amazon as a Manager of Customer Success with up to 10 direct reports.

Her profound insights and career expertise led to her being featured in Glamour Magazine (print, podcast and YouTube) as a prominent thought leader, particularly in the realm of women’s salary negotiation. Simi’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Santa Clara University. She is the Founder of Project Omoverhi (Featured on ABC News), where she invented an innovative, cost-effective solar powered infant incubator for premature infants in developing countries. Simi loves cooking and playing Soccer. She was born in Lagos, Nigeria and grew up in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (Aramco) before moving to the United States.

Simi is all these, but just like many women she loves cooking. And what do you think about that cool invention for premature babies in developing countries?

Funmi Adewara – CEO/Founder, Mobihealth International

Funmi Adewara is a physician, digital health/telemedicine Executive, founder/CEO of pioneering integrated telehealth company with a pan-African focus.

Mobihealth’s intervention is tailored to bridge the gap in access to affordable healthcare, particularly primary health care, in underserved communities addressing multiple pain points; shortages of healthcare workforce, infrastructure, health insurance, medical tourism, exposure to counterfeit medicines, unqualified personnel & high costs of treatments.

Funmi has more than a decade experience in clinical medicine within the NHS UK, a stint in the pharmaceutical industry as a drug safety physician covering APAC & Europe for investigational & marketed medicinal products, medical devices & diagnostics. She is a member of American Telemedicine Association, ATA.

Funmi has won several awards and recognitions including most recently the Forbes Technology and Innovation Award 2023, World Bank SDGs Global Award 2020, the Sanofi AfricaTech Challenge, and the Female Tech Founders Award 2020 sponsored by Her Majesty’s UK Government and Zenith Global Health Awards for Advancing healthcare with technology to name a few.

What do you think of all those awards? I’m inspired.

Kieva Chris-Amusan – Co Founder, Fertitude

Kieva Chris-Amusan is Currently building Fertitude with the mission to break the silence and stigma surrounding female reproductive and sexual health and make it easier for women across the globe to access care.

Fertitude provides a supportive and inclusive platform that empowers women to navigate their various stages of their reproductive journeys with confidence and connect with others who truly understand their experiences.

Kieva Chris-Amusan is a medical doctor & Two-time Founder with 7+ years of substantial hands-on experience in leading several project implementations across various industries. She managed a lean boutique agency with multiple cross-industry accounts ranging from marketing, fintech, gaming, edutech, e-commerce and beauty industries.

She’s currently building something, are you building anything? She’s a medical doctor and a two-time Founder, she even managed a boutique agency. There’s no restriction or limitation anywhere. You can learn or be anything!

Sheena Coke – Sr. Technical Product Manager, Change Healthcare

Sheena Coke has experience in SDLC, leadership, product management, roadmap development, patient safety in SDLC, data analytics, as well as biomedical informatics with a foundation in Lean, Agile and Scrum frameworks in B2B, D2C and B2C organizations.

She is experienced in EHR platform product development components including CCDA generation, RTPB and prescribing , clinical value sets, medical ontology , interoperability and data capture to support regulatory reporting. She also has Extensive experience in building and managing small to mid-sized teams via direct leadership roles.

Chantelle Bell – Co-Founder, Syrona Health

Chantelle Bell is a British entrepreneur and a graduate of the Bioscience Enterprise postgraduate course, University of Cambridge. She co-founded Syrona Women while in school with the aim of empowering women.

Syrona Women is a paradigm that allows women to monitor their health. This pregnancy-test-like device allows women to test themselves for cervical cancer at home. The startup has been involved in startup programs such as The Cambridge Judge Business School, Pitch@Palace, and Accelerace. It has also received funding from Pitch@Palace (2017), Grant, (2017) and Bethnal Green Ventures (2018).

Bell and Co-Founder Roy, have won awards from AccelerateHER Scotland, Tata, and Bethnal Green Ventures for their initiative. They have led talks at Cambridge Wireless UK and the prestigious MEDICA conference in Dusseldorf, Germany and have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding till date.

In 2018, Bell was named as one of Forbes Top 50 women in Tech for Europe. Bell was also named on the Financial Times’ list of the ‘Top 100 minority ethnic leaders in technology and Financial Times list of the UK’s top 100 black and minority ethnic leaders in technology.

Ireoluwa Obatoki – Tech Growth – Marketplace & Mobility Tech – Yango Delivery

Ireoluwa Obatok is a seasoned leader, who excels in navigating complex business landscapes and driving organizational transformation. From spearheading business expansion initiatives to optimizing operational efficiency, she leverages her expertise to drive sustainable growth and create lasting impact.

Ireoluwa Obatok is passionate about pioneering change and driving innovation in urban mobility. She is committed to contributing her quota to shaping the future of transportation & logistics. With a blend of strategic vision and hands-on experience, she specializes in devising business strategies that unlock growth opportunities and deliver tangible results in the transportation sector.

Oluwatosin (Esther) Olawale-Oladoja, Supply Operations Lead – Shuttlers

As a transport manager, Oluwatosin Olawale Oladoja is an experienced professional with a proven track record of managing and optimizing transport operations. With a passion for logistics and a commitment to efficiency, she brings a wealth of knowledge to any transport-related project.

Through her years of experience, she has developed a deep understanding of how to best manage transport fleets, maintain compliance with regulations and safety standards, and maximize customer satisfaction. She is dedicated to always seeking ways to enhance transport management efficiency, including automation and digitalization.

Her comprehensive skill set includes exceptional communication abilities, attention to detail, and expert problem-solving capabilities. She excels in providing superior customer service and developing strong relationships with transportation providers and other stakeholders.

Ladies in the transportation sector? Wonder no more, you read that right. I hope you are getting inspired?

Temi Odesanya – Director on Automation – Thomson Reuters

Temi Odesanya is a seasoned technology professional with a strong background in automation, machine learning, and emerging technologies. With a passion for driving innovation and leveraging data-driven insights, Temi has significantly contributed to various organizations throughout her career.

Currently serving as the Director of Automation – AI Governance at Thomson Reuters, she has successfully built platforms, designed assessments, and led automation efforts to ensure compliance with regulations and ethical practices across global operations. Temi loves exploring new areas in machine learning, automation, and cognitive intelligence to improve business operations.

Prior to Thomson Reuters, Temi worked at Ciena as a Program Manager – Emerging Technologies, where they played a key role in organizing pre-sales support, architecting and implementing proofs-of-concept, and evangelizing automation and machine learning tools.

Agbana Oluwatunmise Gail, Cybersecurity Operator – Platview Technology

She specializes in analyzing cybersecurity, which is an area she is deeply passionate about as a result of the evolving world of technology and the potential risks associated with it.

She is quite knowledgeable and extensively skilled with tools such as SentinelOne, Imperva, Burp Suite, Elastic Stack, Wazuh, Windows Server, Linux, Palo Alto, VMware, Metasploit and One Identity Quest.

What sets her apart is her ability to quickly grasp concepts and adapt seamlessly to situations. Her attention to detail coupled with problem solving resilience and flexibility have played a role in her success, as a Cybersecurity professional. She is also quite passionate about the environment.

Tina Okonkwo – Data Analyst – FanBants

Tina Okonkwo, a distinguished data analyst at FanBants, has been awarded Data Analyst of the Year at the No Code Tech Summit’s annual event held on December 9, 2023, in Lagos, Nigeria. She’s A mathematics graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who transitioned into data analytics through persistent learning and hands-on experience. After completing the IBM Data Science program and completing the #I4GDatacamp Scholarship program, she secured a role as a Data Analyst within four months.

One of Tina’s notable projects involved collaborating with a local non-profit, empowering them with data analysis skills to track program effectiveness. According to her, “Witnessing their transformation from data novices to empowered decision-makers using insights gleaned from their own data was truly rewarding.”

As a young female professional in a traditionally male-dominated field, she recalled facing moments of underestimation but overcame them by seeking mentors, continuous skill development, and contributing meaningfully to the community.Looking ahead, she envisions leading innovative projects that utilize big data to address real-world challenges. She further revealed her plans to mentor and support aspiring data analysts, particularly young women, fostering a future where data analytics contributes to solving critical issues in various industries.

Elizabeth Okaome – Community Manager, Interswitch

Elizabeth Okaome is an advocate for women in tech who is really passionate about getting women into tech. She has been a community manager/builder in the tech ecosystem for 7 years now.

She started off by volunteering to organize tech events and also being involved in these communities.Her current roles include Organiser at Google Developers Group Benin, the largest tech community in Benin. A lead at Google Women Tech makers Benin City.

Founder of Empower Her Community, a community that grooms females in tech skills, mentors and pairs them with opportunities. Empower Her Community was founded in 2021 and currently has over 6000 women in 75 countries across the world.She served as a community manager at the GirlLead Project Bootcamp in Benin City where over 50 girls were trained in various tech skills.

Elizabeth is currently the developer relations community manager at Interswitch Group, where she fosters relationships between external and internal developers at Interswitch. She grew the community by over 500% in 9 months. She leads programs and partnerships in the community.

You didn’t know community managers could go this far? Aren’t you inspired?

Joyce Nwanochi – Program Manager, Nsonye

Joyce Nwanochi is a committed Programs Manager passionate about both the tech and non-profit sectors, boasting over 6 years of comprehensive experience operating at the nexus of women’s development, social impact, and technology.

Leveraging her background in Data Analysis, she has collaborated with local and international organizations to spearhead, conceptualize, and bolster data-driven initiatives. These endeavors have had a direct positive influence on over 10,000 young individuals, particularly empowering women and girls.

Her focus has spanned areas crucial for their advancement: fostering economic resilience, promoting health and well-being, and facilitating their entry into the rapidly evolving Tech industry. Her career has seen the beginning of many career journeys in tech and has been an inspiration to many young tech professionals.

Linda Obi – CEO, AfrihealthLimited

Linda Obi is a Council Member of Forbes Business Council, Top 100 Women of the Future. Specializing in Blockchain Technology and AngelVC, she is deeply committed to advancing digital health and health technology. At AfriHealth, her leadership is pivotal in driving innovative digital health solutions, transforming healthcare in Africa.

She is dedicated to harnessing technology for better health outcomes and accessibility. With a rich 15-year background in FMCG and agri-tech, she founded TechonomyAfrica, merging blockchain and cryptocurrency education with real-world applications. At Zenith Chain, she led a successful $36.5M investment round, steering global operations towards impactful growth in health tech.

Oluwaseunfunmi Bolarinwa – Lead E-merchandiser, HP

Oluwaseunfunmi has over 8 years of experience in digital marketing, product marketing and growth marketing. With her strong marketing competencies she eagerly puseies her passion in driving startup growth in Africa.

As lead E-merchandiser in HP, she saw to the successful execution of the HP smart app in Nigeria, meeting all KPIs.Her efforts also saw the successful entry of HP into the Key and market.

She is the Founder of Startup Padi. This platform is made up of a group of brands that cater to the needs of startups in Africa, Leveraging technology and strategic collaborations.

Ebun Williams – Vice President Business Development and Operations/Tech sales, Sankore Investments

Ebun is passionate about B2B partnerships, digital lending and more. She has been in this trajectory for a while now and firmly believes in making ideas happen. She has worked severally as a team lead and her strategic and informed leadership earned her the “2023 Team of the Year” award.

Ebun is also passionate about women. She writes to inspire and encourage us, so go find her on LinkedIn. In one of her posts we find the words “no woman should settle for less in being anything she wants to be – whether its conquering the corporate world, thriving as a business mogul, being an amazing wife, mom or embracing the single life”.

I am sure you agree with her, but it will take more than a vocal yes to make this dream come true. Ebun is already playing her part in the tech space, are you playing yours?

Oyin Ossi – HR Lead, Aldelia Limited

Oyin has been in the HR space for over 10 years. She has worked with talents across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Brazil. She has worked with institutions like Total Exxon-Mobil, all within the field of human resources.

It is worthy of mention that she initially trained as a business professional, however when she found her passion she grasped it and changed careers.

She spends her free time writing articles, speaking at events on topics about leadership, workplace productivity, career and personal development.

Petrina Akor – Tech Career Coach

Petrina has had more than 11 years experience leading digital transformations with the Scrum framework.

She is a certified career coach and seamlessly combines tech with all kinds of education. She has worked in the telecommunications, oil and gas, Not-for-Profit sectors.She is a Senior business analyst, a data analyst and a career advisor passionate about helping people pinpoint their ideal careers and thrive in it.

Thinking about switching careers but not sure about how, reach out to her on LinkedIn, one of her favourite things to do on LinkedIn is helping you with your career journey into technology.

Dumebi Oti – Cloud Economist

Dumebi is a Master’s degree holder in economics who transitioned to tech. She migrated from Nigeria to the states and so far she has started 2 companies and one community. She’s also a mom of 2. Her expertise in both Cloud computing and financial analysis make her a gem in the cloud computing Finops niche.

She is the cofounder of the community “just moved to yankee”, a community for immigrants, especially international students, that enables them to acclimate to their new countries and accelerate in their careers. Through this platform, Dumebi gives immigrants what she wishes she had as a new immigrant – a community that gives them someone to lean on and make home seem not too far away.

For curious people like me that like to know all the details, she describes herself as one of those people who isn’t really the business type. She thought she should just remain in the corporate space until she eventually started a business.

Toyin Aguda – Vice President, AI Research Lead JP Morgan Chase & Co

Toyin Aguda serves as the Vice President (AI Research Lead) at J.P. Morgan AI Research, specializing in the application of AI within the finance sector, focusing on areas such as generative AI, prompt engineering on Large Language Models (LLMs), entity extraction through LLMs, synthetic data generation, and other NLP-related projects.

She spearheads the AI in Africa initiative at J.P. Morgan and has played a pivotal role in organizing workshops and hackathons. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, she was a data scientist III at Caterpillar, where she was a subject matter expert for the client’s data platform for aftermarket solutions, and a data scientist at Nielsen TV Rating. Toyin is currently an Executive MBA candidate at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds master’s degrees in “Applied Economics” from the University of Illinois at Chicago and in “Applied Probability and Statistics” from Northern Illinois University. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is a mother of two and an entrepreneur who enjoys renovating and flipping Real Estates in Illinois.

Bonus, if you take a look at her picture you can safely assume that she loves art too. With all the waves that AI is currently making isn’t it wonderful that we have women there too. Do you still think tech is just not for you?

Yejide Adewakun – Data Governance Professional

Yejide is a Data Governance Professional and a Digital Entrepreneur. With a legal background spanning over a decade, Yejide combines her legal training with data governance to provide strategic advice and guidance to companies across diverse industries.

Yejide recently graduated as an international student from Sheffield Hallam University with an MBA Degree. She also has an LLM in corporate governance and financial regulation from the University of Warwick. Her journey from Nigeria to the United Kingdom provides her with a firsthand perspective on the immigrant experience. Committed to making a difference in her community, she currently serves as a board member of an education board and is the founder of BloomElle, a beacon of support for women from minority ethnic backgrounds. Yejide is also passionate about sharing knowledge and insights. She shares valuable content empowering individuals using her social media platforms.

A data governance professional, a digital entrepreneur, all with a legal background and through her platform BloomElle she gives back to society by supporting women. Your degree should not inhibit you, it should spur you on to succeed.

Chikodili Udeh – Cybersecurity Consultant

Chikodili Udeh is a cybersecurity consultant, published author, mentor and entrepreneur with a decade experience in technology. She is Co-founder and Executive Director of Hacktales, a cybersecurity academy dedicated to raising the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Chikodili believes youth across Africa have untapped potentials which can be harnessed to bridge the global cybersecurity talent gap through strategic partnerships and leadership.

She recently facilitated Hacktales’ collaboration with Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) to implement Nigeria’s first cybersecurity career village in response to the high unemployment rate. Through her work, many youths have been empowered with career training, mentorship, and professional support to seize cybersecurity work opportunities and build lifelong careers.

Outside work and community development, Chikodili loves to travel, take long walks, read motivational books, and learn about human psychology.

Chikodili is young and already doing so much for the even younger generation. What’s your excuse then? Can’t be that you think you are too old, as you certainly can’t be thinking that you are too young!

Bisola Alabi – Founder, Heels and Tech

Bisola Alabi is a dynamic entrepreneur, Edtech founder, and mother who is dedicated to empowering women and teens to dream big and achieve great things. She is the founder of “Heels & Tech”, a platform dedicated to closing the gender gap between women and technology.

Through Heels & Tech, Bisola has trained over 5000 women and men in 25 countries and counting, and have helped them increase their income by $8.2 million.

Bisola is committed to using her expertise and passion to create a brighter future for women and families everywhere. She is also an award-winning entrepreneur whose work has been recognized by numerous organizations including JCI, Donors for Africa and Nasdaq Milestone Makers.

Dear lady, I have been inspired, I am bursting with inspiration. Did you notice that many of the women we encountered have created platforms to help girls and other women grow? That’s what happens when you let your light shine, you give other people an opportunity to shine too. You really don’t know how far you will go or how many people will benefit from your taking just one right step. Every year we celebrate women. But do you know that there are women that aren’t even aware that today is International Women’s Day? They are cut off, and who will bring them into the loop? You and I who have just been inspired by the 40 and more women giants in tech!