Takele Umer

Pioneering Ethiopian tech entrepreneur who founded Africa's first woman-led IT company and championed gender equality in STEM

Takele Umer (b. 1968) emerged as a transformative figure in Ethiopia's tech sector during the late 1980s. After earning a computer science degree from Addis Ababa University in 1992, she faced systemic barriers due to her gender in a male-dominated industry. In 1995, she founded Umer Technologies, Africa's first IT company led entirely by women. This groundbreaking venture provided critical infrastructure for Ethiopia's nascent tech ecosystem while training over 1,500 female engineers through its STEM Ethiopia initiative.

Umer's 1998 partnership with the UNDP to develop rural telemedicine systems revolutionized healthcare access in remote areas. Her 2000 book 《Bridging the Digital Divide in Africa》 became a seminal text for ICT4D strategies. By 2005, her company had deployed Ethiopia's first nationwide fiber-optic network, connecting 85% of the country's educational institutions. Umer's advocacy led to the 2003 National Gender Policy reforms, which mandated 30% female representation in tech education programs.

Her 2007 initiative GirlGeek Africa established the continent's first all-female robotics competition, inspiring similar programs across 12 African nations. Despite facing political challenges during Ethiopia's 2005 election crisis, Umer maintained her focus on tech innovation, launching the continent's first blockchain-based agricultural platform in 2008. Her work has been featured in Wired magazine's 2009 Africa edition and the BBC's Tech Pioneers series.