Ory Okolloh is a Kenyan technology pioneer, lawyer, and the absolute godmother of African civic tech. Following the devastating post-election violence in Kenya in 2007/2008, Okolloh co-founded Ushahidi, an open-source crisis-mapping software that allowed citizens to report violence in real time via SMS. The software was so revolutionary it was later deployed globally during the Haiti earthquake and the Syrian civil war. In 2026, Okolloh has transitioned from a radical tech activist into the highest echelons of corporate and philanthropic governance. Having previously served as Google’s Policy Manager for Africa and the Managing Director for the Omidyar Network, she now sits on massive corporate boards (including Safaricom). She serves as the ultimate, highly respected bridge between Silicon Valley capital and grassroots African governance, aggressively funding investigative journalism and digital democracy startups across the continent.