STEM & Gender Specialist | Ashoka Fellow Supporting Women’s Career Success in Digital Age | Board Member | Social Entrepreneur |
I am a STEM & Gender Specialist with over twenty years of professional experience. My career has straddled Technology, Gender and Social Entrepreneurship across two continents.
In 2008, I founded the Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC), a Nigerian nonprofit organisation committed to building a more inclusive technology ecosystem, with the next generation of women technology creators, entrepreneurs and leaders.
Since its inception, W.TEC has encouraged over 35,000 girls and women across Nigeria, to pursue STEM careers and has supported women in using technology confidently to increase their economic power and ability to speak about issues affecting their lives. W.TEC’s programmes include technology camps, maker spaces, afterschool technology clubs, research and mentoring.
My work has been featured widely in the media, including BBC Africa, TIME Magazine, Channels TV, NTA and EbonyLife TV.
In 2020, I was recognised as one of OkayAfrica’s 100 Women and in 2018 as Her Network Technology Woman of the Year. I am also a 2019 ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers) Fellow, 2014 Vital Voices Lead Fellow (awarded to emerging and established women leaders across the world), 2013 Ashoka Fellow (a network of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs) and a recipient of the Anita Borg Change Agent Award (for my commitment to supporting women in computing in Nigeria).
I nurture my creative side through Patabah Books, a family-run bookshop in Lagos, where I am a Director. I also host the podcast The Other Room, where I speak with women who have found purpose in their work.
I am committed to equipping early-stage female entrepreneurs – especially women who identify as introvert or reserved – with the skills and confidence to thrive professionally. I do this by mentoring, training and coaching.
I speak and moderate at high-impact conferences and discussions centred around the STEM gender divide, teaching STEM effectively, nonprofit sustainability and entrepreneurship. I have served as a mentor with IdeaBuilders, WIMBIZ and the Founder Institute.
If you would to explore how I can add value to your work in any of these areas, reach out to me:
W.TEC: https://wtec.org.ng/
Website: https://msoreoluwa.wordpress.com/
Podcast: http://apple.co/38wYGP6
Calendly: https://calendly.com/oreoluwalesi/strategy-call
