5 POWERFUL WOMEN IN GHANA BRINGING TECHNOLOGY CLOSER

The technology space globally is one of the industries where men outnumber women and the tech scene in Ghana is of no exception.

But over the years, the technology industry in Ghana has seen tremendous growth which is inexplicable. Women have been seen taking up leadership roles from software development, training, influencing, blogging, engineering and many others with top technological companies around the world. These women are bridging the gap between males and females in technology right here in Ghana.

They are not just role models for young women aspiring for a career and impact in the tech space but any young person aspiring to reach the skies in technology and getting inspired with the “I CAN DO” spirit when it comes to STEM among females. 

Here are the women bringing technology closer to our doorsteps and inspiring our young ladies to take up technological roles and careers;

• LUCY QUIST 

Lucy Quist was born in London and is a Ghanaian international business leader focused on technology, transformation and thought leadership for positive business returns. She is a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and the author of the book, ‘The Bold New Normal’.

She is a member of the board of INSEAD. Lucy is a chartered electrical and electronics engineer with a first-class honors degree from the University of East London. She is a member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (UK) and holds an MBA from INSEAD in France. She has decades of corporate experience with blue-chip companies starting at Ford Motor Company. She is also the first Ghanaian woman to head a multinational telecommunications company as the former CEO of Airtel Ghana. She is a co-founder of the Executive Women Network and has served as the Vice President of FIFA's normalization committee in Ghana.

She has held senior leadership positions at Millicom, Vodafone, and Airtel. Her career spans manufacturing, telecommunications, banking and automotive industries in Europe and Africa. She is a recipient of multiple honors for her exceptional strategic insights, delivery of transformative business results and dedication to growing people within her organizations. Notable among these are CIMG Marketing Woman of the year, Telecom CEO of the Year, CSR CEO of the year and the Corporate Leadership Award. In 2016 she was featured on the BBC’s Power Women series as one of the top businesswomen driving transformational change in Africa.

She is a technology enthusiast who believes in the potential of technology to leapfrog Africa’s development. She passionately advocates for greater participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics for Africa’s development and continuously encourages young people to harness the game-changing power of STEM. She speaks from experience as someone whose career success has been greatly influenced by STEM.

Together with organizations and key personalities within and out of the fields of STEM she has contacted and encouraged thousands of people, mostly young to appreciate the potential of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics while breaking the notion that these are difficult subjects.

•  ESTELLE AKOFIO-SOWAH

Estelle Akofio-Sowah is the West Africa Regional Manager of CSquared. She has over 15 years of experience in the internet and business development industry in Ghana, including being the Managing Director of Busy Internet, Africa’s hugely successful internet startup and is the Country Lead for Google’s operations in Ghana.

Highlights of her leadership include launching an award-winning ISP, implementing Ghana chapter of the World Bank Incubator program and launching and promoting various products and programs aimed at making the internet an integral part of people’s lives.

Estelle majored in Economics and Development Studies at the University of Sussex. Her contributions to the internet sector and commitment to excellence earned her selection as a 2008 Fellow of the African Leadership Initiative. She currently serves on the Board of Databank, Stanbic Bank, Zawadi Africa Educational Fund and the Ministerial Advisory Committee to Ghana’s Minister of Communications. Her specialties are; Being a woman, working with IT, loving Ghana, Africa

• REGINA HONU

Regina is the CEO of Soronko Solutions. She was featured on CNN as one of the 12 inspirational women who rock STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). She was named as one of the six women making an impact in Tech in Africa and one of 10 female entrepreneurs to watch in emerging economies.

She was awarded the Young Entrepreneur of the year by the GPA Awards from Africa 2.0. She was featured on CNN African Voices, CNN African Startups and interviewed by BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle, and Aljazeera.

She is an Ashoka Fellow, Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow, GOOD Fellow, Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum, Vital Voices Fellow and a Change Leader with Tigo Reach for Change.She belongs to the African Leadership Network and the Africa Leadership Initiative in West Africa.

Her story was published in the Lean in for Graduates by Sheryl Sandberg COO of Facebook, Impatient Optimist blog by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was a finalist for the ITU African Digital Woman of the Year. She is a Mandela Washington Fellow and had the honor of meeting Barack and Michelle Obama.

•  ANTHOINET OHENE-AMOAH

Anthoinet Ohene-Damoah holds a Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology from Ghana Technology University College and is the developer behind the UNESCO Ghana website. She was also part of the team that developed the YOHra Ghana website and also she managed and updated the KAIPTC website.

She has worked as a frontend web developer at Mozaic Media and she currently works as a web developer at the “Ghana India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT”.

She is the CEO of “Get Her in Digital” a program geared at closing the huge technological gap between males and females.

Empowering women with digital skills is her priority. She is a young visionary lady with experience in Information Technology who always loves to impart knowledge and ready to take a risk to get a lot of women into the digital space.

• IVY BARLEY

Ivy Barley is a Ghanaian digital nomad, steminist and a technopreneur. She is the co-founder and C.E.O of Developers in Vogue, an organization that provides assistance for African women interested in taking up careers in the tech industry.
Growing up, Ivy has always loved the classroom and that has been one of the greatest fuelings to her passion for education. She is a visionary, innovative, determined and hardworking young lady who desires to make an impact on the education and empowerment of the Girl Child especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) because she believes STEM is neither a boy nor a girl's game but rather everyone's game.

Developers in Vogue aims at creating a relevant community of amazing African women in tech who are passionate about using technology to revolutionize Africa and beyond. young ladies are trained in the latest technologies and match them to real-time projects and jobs. In 2017, She was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Young Ghanaians.

She believes more than ever that this is the set time for Africa to shine and She is very excited to be a part of the generation that would revolutionize Africa in a big way!