Irene Natividad

A Nigerian tech entrepreneur empowering women in STEM through innovation and education

About Irene Natividad

Irene Natividad is a visionary Nigerian technologist and founder of TechLi, an organization dedicated to increasing female representation in technology sectors. Born in 1985 in Lagos, Nigeria, her work since 2014 has directly impacted over 10,000 women through coding bootcamps, mentorship programs, and partnerships with global tech giants like Microsoft and Google.

Through TechLi, she created Africa's first mobile app development curriculum tailored for women, leading to 75% employment rates among program graduates. Her 2017 initiative "Code Like a Girl" expanded to 12 African countries, receiving UN Women endorsement in 2018. Key collaborations include the 2019 partnership with UNESCO to establish digital literacy centers across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Innovative approaches include:

• Creating Africa's first AI-driven career matching platform for tech professionals
• Developing blockchain-based credentialing systems for skill validation
• Launching the $2M Women in Tech Impact Fund