Olamide Ayeni

Nigeria

Olamide holds a bachelor of Technology (B.Sc Hons) in Computer Engineering with more than 8 years’ experience working in multinational Information Technology Companies. She holds various international certifications in Informational Technology (CISCO), System Analysis (CISA) and Sustainable Enterprise. She also holds a certificate in Circular Economy and Waste Management from Centre for International Postgraduate Studies in Environmental Management, Technische Universitat Dresden. In 2016, she founded Pearl Recycling, a social enterprise solving the problem of waste in Nigeria through innovative waste remodeling into eco-friendly products. The company is positioned to solve the problem of unemployment through engagement, vocational training and empowerment of unemployed youths, widows and vulnerable girl-child. She was selected as one of the 1000 Tony Elumelu entrepreneur from 45,000 applicants across Africa in 2016. She won the WIMBIZ impact competition in Recycling that same year. In 2017, she was named as a TechWomen emerging leader by the United States Department of States which gave her the opportunity to intern with Symantec at Silicon Valley, USA. She was selected as an entrepreneur of repute to attend World Entrepreneur Investment Forum at Bahrain in 2017, the same year she was selected as a LEAP Africa social innovator and won the award of the most outstanding social innovator in 2018. Olamide was named by the Obama Foundation as an Obama African Leader in 2018 and selected for Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2019. Her organization, Pearl Recycling has been featured in over thirty countries; with interviews aired in several media outlets including Yahoo News, LinkedIn, Washington Post, Reuters, Financial Times, Aljazeera and many others.