Ifeoluwa Olokode
Years in Tech
5
Current Role
Partnerships & Growth Lead, LifeBank
Core Skills
Synthesizer and Problem Solver: My innate curiosity, interest in wildly disparate areas, and scientist training make me an excellent troubleshooter and “problem processor”. I am able to distill input from different sources into meaningful insights, and form hypotheses that test the efficacy of these insights. My favorite questions are why and how. Great
Communicator: I’m a great speaker, great writer, and even better editor. One of my favorite things to do is helping people polish their thoughts and ideas. I have edited countless articles, grant applications, business plans, and personal statements.
Connector: Another favorite activity of mine is connecting people in my network to opportunities and relationships. Let me know what you are looking to do and I can probably make an introduction that will make things happen.
Interview Date
14th December, 2018
Ifeoluwa Olokode is a Biology nerd turned technology enthusiast with over 5 years international working experience managing client and partner relations at startups in New York, London and Lagos. A natural connector, she has an aptitude for uncovering areas of synergy across departments and companies, has overseen the implementation and execution of several technology partnerships, and has a keen understanding of client services, product management and product marketing in the tech space.
Excited for the opportunity to meld her passion for improving healthcare access and her fascination with using technology to solve entrenched problems, she leads the Partnerships and Growth team at LifeBank where she finds, cultivates and executes partnership opportunities that drive LifeBank’s core business, launch new product offerings and fund special projects. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Immunology from Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts.
Personal Links
What experiences led you to technology and how did you develop the skills to compete in the industry?
As part of an assignment for a class in my final year of college, I interviewed someone who was starting his own tech company. We grew to be close friends and he inspired me to consider tech as a career. When I was job hunting, I applied for both research jobs and entry level non-technical jobs in tech, and got a job in an adtech startup. Thus began my career in tech. In order to be more competitive as someone with a non-traditional tech/non-computer science background, I took some basic programming classes online, joined my local Women in Tech chapter, and attended tech meetups.
How has your background helped/differentiated you in the tech industry?
My non-traditional background has been an asset that’s enabled me look at problems holistically, identify interdisciplinary approaches to solving such problems, and consider broader societal implications of such solutions.
What advice would you give to women considering a career in technology? What do you wish you had known?
You don’t have to be technical to have a career in technology. An rudimentary understanding of the technologies that underpin sectors, companies, or products you are interested in is helpful, but don’t feel like you have to be a programmer to have a solid career in technology. Tech needs empathetic, thoughtful and intentional people working across all disciplines, from communicators and designers, to strategists and analysts, in order to create truly revolutionary products that are not evil. Identify what you enjoy doing and think about how your skillset (or the skillset you’d like to acquire) can fit into making tech products you love even better. You belong here!