FEMALE INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Neema Iyer, Founder & Director of Pollicy

Neema is the founder of a civic technology company, Pollicy, based in Kampala, Uganda. She is an active do-er and speaker on data, digital rights and building products to improve service delivery. She is also an artist, both digitally and in the real world. Her first solo exhibition was held in Kampala in June 2018.

Neema Iyer started Pollicy to create evidence-based engagement between citizens and governments on issues like efficient public service delivery. To do this, Pollicy brings data scientists, creatives, academics, and private companies together to advance conversations on data governance and digital security.

Maureen Agena, Founder & Executive Director of Tune Communications LTD

Agena is the definition of IT meets health and agriculture. She is the founder and Executive Director of Tune Communications LTD.

Tune Communications focuses on development communication in the health and agriculture sectors. She wants to use technology for social change. This has led her into consulting for different entities both locally and internationally, from the UN to NGOs and World Bank Group both in her home country and Kenya.

Clara Wanjiku Odero, CEO & Co-Founder, Credrails

Clara Wanjiku Odero is the CEO and Co-Founder of Credrails and holds a Bsc from Kenyatta University. She is a seasoned fintech executive having served as the Africa and Middle East Head for major payment networks including Flutterwave, Rapyd, and Nium. She specializes in business development and expansion in emerging and high-growth markets. She has a strong track record of developing new businesses, building genuine relationships with key stakeholders, and strategizing market entry.

Clara co-founded and launched Credrails in order to make it possible for fintech companies to build apps for 50+ countries through a single API access and become the infrastructure API for Africa.

Nisha Sanghvi, Founder & Creative Director of Khanga Rue

Khanga Rue is a majority woman-led agency and Nisha (Tanzanian) is the main creative driver behind some of the most innovative ed-tech tools being used to change behaviors and improve people's lives in East Africa.  This includes the "Lenga" app currently used to teach financial skills to low income earners, the "smart duka" app providing business skills to duka owners in Kenya, the "Mjanja Connect" app helping adolescent girls know about contraception and their bodies.

She is also the lead innovator behind Noa Ubongo, one of the largest free learning channels for Swahili - speaking youth.  No other woman has had such an impact in creating innovative, human-centered-design, products that improve people's lives.  Currently she is creating an gaming app for adolescents in South African to teach them a wide variety of skills, including goal setting, contraception, leadership, employment, and HIV.