Eunice Oduro

A Ghanaian tech entrepreneur who pioneered Africa's innovation ecosystem through AfriLabs network

Eunice Oduro (born 1978) is a Ghanaian technology entrepreneur and social innovator best known for co-founding AfriLabs, a continent-wide network of innovation hubs that has transformed Africa's tech landscape. As a key architect of Africa's digital revolution, her work has empowered thousands of startups through shared infrastructure and knowledge exchange. Oduro's vision of 'democratizing innovation' has led to the creation of over 150 tech hubs across 34 African countries by 2020. Her leadership in developing the AfriLabs platform has connected entrepreneurs with global investors, enabling access to $450 million in funding since 2012.

Before her tech advocacy work, Oduro worked at the intersection of education and technology as director of Ashesi University's Entrepreneurship Center. She pioneered the first African university program integrating design thinking with business strategy. Her 2015 TED Talk "What Africa's Tech Revolution Needs" has been viewed over 1.2 million times, highlighting systemic challenges like internet affordability and gender disparities in tech.

Oduro's impact extends beyond infrastructure development. She co-created the AfriLabs Quality Standards, a certification system ensuring tech hubs meet global operational benchmarks. This framework has become the de facto standard for innovation spaces across emerging markets. Her advocacy for women in tech led to the establishment of the Women in Tech Africa initiative, which has trained 12,000 female entrepreneurs since 2016.

Her work has been recognized through awards including the 2018 Digital Leader Award from the World Economic Forum and the 2020 AfricaCom Leadership Award. Oduro's legacy is evident in the rise of African tech unicorns like Flutterwave and Andela, which emerged from ecosystems she helped build. Current projects include the Africa Innovation Foundation's Pan-African Innovation Network, aiming to connect 500,000 innovators by 2030.