Startup Story

The impact that STEM can make in the lives of young people, particularly women and girls, on the African continent cannot be underestimated. STEMi Makers Africa, founded by Amanda Obidike, addresses the existing leaky unemployment pipeline, the underrepresentation of young women and girls in STEM. and the fragmented education system by training teachers and students in STEM Education.

LoA found out more about the impact driven Amanda Obidike this month and the role she is playing in empowering a new generation of STEM educated young people in Africa.

“STEMi Makers Africa offers a first-to-market approach that combines capacity development and skills in STEM pathways to help young talents access new markets, work flexibly and integrate these learned skills needed for the workplace.”

“Establishing STEMi Makers Africa began in a quest to learn, research, and identify young partners and team who understood the necessity of STEM Education and empowering the younger generation to match world-standard pathways.”

Tell us about yourself

My name is Amanda Obidike and I am a multi-award winning social innovator, technologist and scientist. I am the Founding Curator of the WEF Global Shapers, Ozubulu Hub and Executive Director of STEMi Makers Africa. In this role, I provide leadership, strategy management and oversee the design and implementation of sustainable Community projects and STEM Education across 19 Sub-Saharan countries by preparing the next generation of Africans with STEM lucrative skills for Africa's workforce. In addition to STEM, I address thematic topics on Social Innovation, Data Science, Youth Development, Entrepreneurship and socio-economic policies.

In 2020, I received the Global Award for Achievement by TechWomen 100, Female Innovator and Executive of the Year: Gold Stevie Award, Technology Rising Star Award by WOC; Michigan, 30 Under 30 Inspiring Leaders of Africa; Positive Impact Award of Athena40: The World Most Innovative Women, 2020; 100 Leading Ladies in Africa, and Role Model Finalist in Booking.com Technology Playmakers Awards, for successfully championing diversity in technology and innovation for the girl child. I am an international speaker who has spoken at the MIT Global Community Bio Summit; WonderWomen Tech Summit, UK; US Embassy, Ghana and my work has been featured by Forbes, BBC, World Pulse, Falling Walls Berlin and Arise TV.

I serve as a Mentor in the New York Academy of Science, Cherie Blair Foundation, the 1 million Women in Tech, Global thinkers for Women where I lend my voice, knowledge, and serve as a role model to girls in Africa. I currently serve on the Leadership Team of the 500 Women Scientists, USA and Trustee Board of the MAI Foundation.

What does your company do?

STEMi Makers Africa addresses the existing leaky unemployment pipeline, the underrepresentation of young women and girls in STEM and the fragmented Education system by training teachers and students in STEM Education. We strengthen competencies, particularly in STEM and digital literacy, for youths to effectively transition from education to employment so that they can excel and become more experienced for Africa's workforce. Currently, we have 10,205+ beneficiaries, undertaken 651 projects in 65 communities across 20 African countries.

What inspired you to start your company?

Globally, the number of jobs in STEM fields increased 36% from 10.2 million in 2008 to 26.5 million jobs in 2014, yet there are over 80.6 million under-skilled West Africans who cannot embrace STEM opportunities in the continent due to lack of talents. I was part of this metric narrative as an under-skilled woman after graduating from the University. I was depressed and demotivated. The lucrative jobs of the future required technical competence and 21st century skills that I didn't have. Nigeria began to transfer major Resources and job opportunities to skilled professionals and expatriates due to a lack of competent and domestic STEM workforce. Seeing this economic disparity, I began to research on new labour market skills that youths like me can successfully thrive in. I got an opportunity to be trained by IBM in Business Intelligence/Analytics after 8 months. Upon completion, I took the initiative to serve as a knowledge panel in preparing Africans with 21st-century skills and future-focused options for an emerging workforce.

“One of the most satisfying experiences as an entrepreneur is the opportunity to share my knowledge, story and provide entrepreneurship support to people and young start-ups.”

“As Africans, we need to encourage and complement on the resources we can provide to each other.”

Why should anyone use your service or product?

We have a teacher-centered learning platform where educators can access STEM resource tools, activity sheets and can host virtual bio labs to steer practical learning and hands-on experience. STEMi Makers Africa offers a first-to-market approach that combines capacity development and skills in STEM pathways to help young talents access new markets, work flexibly and integrate these learned skills needed for the workplace - after they are digitally empowered. These causes are prerequisites that stimulate socio-economic development, innovation and produce an inclusive workforce to drive and respond to technological advancement, which lies at the center of our economic prosperity.

Tell us a little about your team

Establishing STEMi Makers Africa began in a quest to learn, research, and identify young partners and team who understood the necessity of STEM Education and empowering the younger generation to match world-standard pathways. This led to building a formidable team and facilitating inter-state and country networks to coordinate community STEM activities. The leadership team is made up of 10 young leaders who epitomize this aspiration with proven work experience in community mobilization, monitoring and evaluation, project management, operation and technical support. We strive to create a unique, engaging work environment that fosters the kind of loyalty and long-term commitment that makes for consistently happy employees, beneficiaries, communities and customers. For our country network, we developed roles and responsibilities to achieve distributed country leadership either by election or appointment (for example, vice-curator, impact lead, recruitment lead or sustainability officer). Team members are recruited and registered on our platform while ensuring new members are diverse in expertise, education, income and tribe.

Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?

I obtained a Diploma and Higher Advanced diploma in Business Management from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. After I founded STEMi Makers Africa, I begun consulting as a Data Scientist in helping small businesses determine profits, helping them make better decisions and profit projections. I also consult in foreign education where I help Africans prepare for international examination and find affordable universities to study abroad. It's been a tremendous experience.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

To promote an enabling environment for 100,000 women employment and increased girls' participation in STEM. In addressing the leaky unemployment, we would be offering 400+ skills-based training through a triangular approach (an offline learning management system pre-installed with over 600 Courses, instructor-led live classes and online classrooms accessible to 19 countries in Africa). To offer quality STEM Education and resource tools to 120,000 classrooms by 2030.

What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

One of the most satisfying experiences as an entrepreneur is the opportunity to share my knowledge, story and provide entrepreneurship support to people and young start-ups. As Africans, we need to encourage and complement on the resources we can provide to each other.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?

My advice is to be open to learning from women's stories. Shared experiences from women who have existing businesses and start-ups can pave a lasting way for women who are about to launch their businesses in learning business ethics and challenges encountered.

Please do not focus only on hearing the success sides or accomplishments of others but strive to know the challenges, setbacks and hurdles they encountered. This can help you overcome futuristic and business tendencies to failure.

Feel free to network, attend business seminars (virtually or in-person), and most importantly, get a business mentor who is accessible. Someone you can always feel free to ask questions or give you that business support or counsel you may need.

Contact or follow STEMi Makers Africa

Why LoA loves it…

If Africa is really going to fulfill its potential as an economic powerhouse continent, it needs to really embrace and harness the power of STEM, and to educate and train a new generation of young talent to innovate and develop the solutions needed. To achieve this goal requires leaders who are passionate, driven and big vision oriented, and Amanda Obidike is one of those leaders. With her impact driven business, STEMi Makers Africa, she is empowering young leaders and entrepreneurs of the future, giving them the skills and digital insights needed to carve out careers and business opportunities for themselves in the future. Africa needs more big vision, big impact thinkers and doers like her. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa