Farida Bedwei
When Farida Bedwei was a 1-year-old she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that destroys one’s ability to control body and muscle movement. Bedwei didn’t let her physical immobility affect her mental mobility. Today she is the CEO of Logiciel, a company that offers cloud-based services to microfinance institutions in Ghana like mobile banking. Her company also helps customers take out small loans via a simple SMS code that can be brought to a bank and exchanged for currency.
Ory Okolloh
Kenyan social activity Okolloh combined her passion for justice and her IT knowledge to create Ushahidi, a crowd-sourcing tool that lets individuals report information about violent crimes. Ushahidi harnesses the power of SMS, email and even social media platforms to gather eyewitness testimonies and other first-hand knowledge. Today Okolloh is policy manger for Google in Africa.
Erik Hersman
Erik Hersman is the co-founder of Ushahidi, along with Ory Okolloh. Hersman, who has roots in both Sudan and Kenya, has his own claim to fame though with AfriGadget, a website that allows Africans to share stories, videos and photos of African ingenuity.
Kwabena Boahen
Ghanaian bioengineer Kwabena Boahen could literally be called a “brainiac” since his current research aims to reveal the inner workings of the human cortex. Boahen is the Principal Investigator at the Brains in Silicon Lab at Stanford University and is using “integrated circuits to emulate the way neurons compute” according to the lab’s web page.
Ndubuisi Ekekwe
Nigerian innovator Ekekwe is working to spread new technologies to businesses throughout Africa with his nonprofit African Institution of Technology. He got his start, however, with his telephony and IT firm, Utlinet Systems. In 2010, he became a TED fellow.
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji is a Nigerian entrepreneur who co-founded Andela, a startup that connects tech talent in Africa with top employers and develops computer science education programs.
Chike Maduegbuna
Nigerian tech genius Maduegbuna won a $25,000 prize at a Google-funded contest for his entertainment app, Afrinolly. The app allows Africans to watch all things African entertainment from movie trailers to music videos. Maduegbuna’s more recent venture, Fansconnectonline.com, allows football enthusiasts to play sports-related games and win prizes like phones and TVs.
Herman Chinery-Hesse
Ghanaian native Herman Chinery-Hesse is the founder of SOFTtribe, one of the largest software companies in West Africa. The company boasts clients like the Ford Foundation and Unilever, as well as a powerhouse staff of other tech innovators. Chinery-Hesse is a TED fellow and has spoken on several national media outlets.
Bright B. Simons
Ghana-based social activist and tech guru Bright B. Simons is a very busy man. Simons is an executive at IMANI, a think tank that harnesses the power of “public-spirited media and civil society” to get citizens more involved in governance. He is also president of mPedigree Network, which allows users to confirm instantly via SMS whether or not a medicine is safe.
Mark Shuttleworth
South African entrepreneur Shuttleworth is best known for his computer operating system, Ubuntu, available for laptops and desktop computers. He got his start, however, creating an Internet security firm called VeriSign when he was just 22. With the $5 million-plus Shuttleworth made by selling that firm, he started another firm that provides services and training to tech startup companies. He isn’t just a tech genius but a tech industry investor.
Mo Ibrahim
Mo Ibrahim is a Sudanese-British communications mogul who sold his telecommunications company, Celtel, for over $3.4 billion. He has since founded the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, an organization that hosts annual discussions between African leaders about critical issues facing the nation, awards fellowships and training to future leaders and much more.
Know any IT Genius who deserves a mention here? Don't hesitate to let us know and we'll make a new list in the future~
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