Reflecting on my journey, I am reminded of two influential figures: Tsonam Akpeloo, the CEO of Suku Technologies, and Awo Aidam Amenyah, the Executive Director of Child Online Africa.
As a young person, I aspired to start my own software company while running a STEM-focused nonprofit. This passion led me and my roommate to register a company and launch a STEM nonprofit. We began by visiting basic schools to volunteer, teach STEM, and establish STEM clubs.
Running the company taught me a hard lesson: managing a business is vastly different from having an idea or writing code. As a novice, I realized we needed to pause the company and find proper jobs to raise funds for bootstrapping our venture.
I soon found myself in an interview with Tsonam. He recognized my drive and gave me an opportunity at Suku Technologies. Working with him allowed me to hone my skills and learn invaluable lessons about grit and resilience in business.
The second influential figure is Awo, the Executive Director of Child Online Africa, a child-focused research and advocacy non-governmental organization. COA campaigns for and with children, young people, and their families to influence policies and change practices affecting Child Protection Online, Wellbeing, and Literacy in Ghana and across Africa. Awo’s dedication and commitment to her work are remarkable. From her, I’ve learned the importance of passion and perseverance, and I have had the privilege of volunteering my knowledge in several of Child Online Africa’s projects.
Tsonam and Awo share two essential qualities: passion and perseverance, along with a personal connection with their team members despite their leadership roles. Their examples have profoundly shaped my journey and growth.
Looking back down memory lane, I appreciate my cousin Francis Terrison, who guided me in deciding to pursue a path in STEM. I’m also grateful to Elijah for providing opportunities to apply my mentorship skills by volunteering my knowledge to train nonprofit leaders in using technology for social good while serving as the TechSoup Connect Chapter Leader for Ghana.
