Unoma Okorafor, Co-Founder, Fairview Data Technologies

When Unoma Okorafor started working on her master's degree in computer science at the African University of Science and Technology in Abuja, Nigeria, in the mid-'90s, she had no idea she'd end up in Silicon Valley.

"I didn't know there was such a thing as entrepreneurship in Nigeria," she tells the New York Times.

"I didn't know there was such a thing as women in tech."

But after working at Intel, HP, and IBM, Okorafor founded the nonprofit WAAW Foundation in 2017 to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for African women, and to ensure that talent is engaged in technology innovation on the African continent, the Times reports.

Now she's working to change that.

Okorafor is the president and founder of WAAW, as well as the founder and CEO of Herbal Goodness, a health and wellness company; she's also the co-founder and principal at Fairview Data Technologies, a data science company operating in manufacturing and supply chain; and she's a grad of INSEAD's social entrepreneurship program and Stanford University Business School's executive program in social entrepreneurship.

She's also worked at Intel, HP Read the Entire Article


Selected Grant News Headlines

A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.

Brookville High School Earns Governor'S Civic Engagement Award for Helping Eligible ...

"These prestigious awards celebrate the efforts of Pennsylvania high school students to register their eligible classmates to vote and to hopefully launch them on a lifelong habit of voting,"...more

Emanuel Catalan to Attend Kentucky Governor'S School for the Arts

"Not only do these students get the opportunity to learn in an arts intensive environment and establish new friendships with like-minded young artistsbut they also return home to inspire those...more

The Swaningers Join Sedona in Education

Tom Swaninger is the superintendent of Arizona's Sedona-Creek School District, a post he's held since 2009. Jill Swaninger is an English teacher in the district and his wife, Jill Sharer, is also...more

Biola University

"A career in television, film, digital media, and game design isn't simply about having excellent technical skills. It also requires entrepreneurial, reliability, and follow-through," says the...more

Learning Through Innovation and Playing with Purpose

"We wanted an environment where our children could excel academically and build physical competence and confidence during the summer," Christa and Sunday Eniojukan say of the summer camp they...more

Creative Effervescence

The Italian city of Ragusa is turning out the lights for three days this month in honor of the city's patron saint, Leonardo da Vinci. Bar & Neobarrini (Bar & Neobarrini in Italian) is an...more

Creative Minds: Imogen Wetzell Ramsey on Quitting Architecture and Finding Love in Advertising

Wetzell Wetzell was an architect in New York City until she "met some friends of friends" who "worked as creatives and was blown away that that was a job." She moved back home to Sydney,...more

The Creative Playground Offers Hub for Making and Learning in Newcastle

"I believe that creativity is the major foundation of life," Andrea Parker tells the Portland Press Herald. So when the multimedia artist and educator recently opened The Creative Playground in...more

Glasgow School of Art Graduates Display Degree Work

The annual degree show at the Glasgow School of Art has kicked off, and this year's show features the work of 600 students from the world-renowned institution's four schoolsfine art, design,...more

Deadly Student Artists Public and Proud

"In the spirit of inclusion, all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Nepean High School students were invited to create an artwork which nurtures a deeper connection to culture and heritage...more





Australia’s Melbourne City Mission Chief Executive Officer Ric Holland writes how philanthropy can act as an enabler on many levels.