Temie Giwa-Tubosun

Years in Tech

3

Current Role

CEO, LifeBank

Core Skills

Expert manager with extensive health-tech experience in product development and institutional management.

Interview Date

14th December 2018

Temie Giwa-Tubosun is the founder and CEO of LifeBank, a company deploying mobile and web technology, smart logistics, and Artificial Intelligence to improve access to essential medical products in Africa. Temie has been recognized as one of the best female tech entrepreneurs in Africa at the World Economic Forum, selected as a Quartz Africa Innovator, and included on BBC’s top “100 Women of 2014” list. Her work has been featured in Newsweek and The BBC, and she has written on the politics and policy of maternal and public health for various publications including the Impatient Optimist Blog of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Temie has also worked for the World Health Organization and DFID in Switzerland and Nigeria respectively, and the Ministry of Works in the Lagos State Government as an Operations Manager. She was a 2011-2012 Global Health Corps fellow at the United Nations Development Project Millennium Village in Ruhiira, Uganda. She, above all, is committed to improving women’s health in Africa.

What experiences led you to technology and how did you develop the skills to compete in the industry?

I came to technology because I really wanted to improve access to blood after a few traumatic experiences in African healthcare systems. I launched LifeBank shortly after. I believed that technology is the premier tool of our generation. It has allowed us to leapfrog capital constraint to build some of the most amazing tools solving entrenched problems in our society. I am able to compete by being innovative with product development.

How has your background helped/differentiated you in the tech industry?

My 10 year health experience really helped to differentiate our work. We knew the market well and already had relationships that helped us win in our category.

What advice would you give to women considering a career in technology? What do you wish you had known?

Just do it. It is a brave new world where you can be judged based on the work you do.