I didn’t set out to work in technology. I trained as a clinician, drawn by the quiet nobility of helping people heal. But somewhere between clinic consultations, a different kind of urgency took root, a frustration not with the patients I couldn’t help, but with the systems that failed them long before they walked through our doors.
It wasn’t that we lacked compassion. We lacked reach. Access. Scalability.
That’s when I began to lean into technology, not with a grand plan, but with stubborn questions.
What if new mothers in under-resourced communities could access care programs through a simple mobile device?
What if the next generation of African builders didn’t have to imagine themselves into tech spaces, because the doors were already open?
Today, I serve as the Director of Growth and Innovation at WellnessWits, a health tech company using digital tools to help providers deliver smarter, more scalable care. I also lead the TECHNOVATE Fellowship, a health tech fellowship equipping young Africans with the tools, training, and confidence to lead in digital health.
These two roles, though different in structure, share one beating heart:
A belief in what’s possible when young Africans, especially women, are invited to the table not just as users of technology, but as creators.
The Innovation We Need Is Already Here
Africa is the youngest continent on the planet. But it’s not just our youth that matters; it’s what we do with it.
The challenges are real: limited infrastructure, fragmented systems, talent drain. But we also have something powerful; a generation that’s grown up mobile-first, solution-driven, and deeply aware of the problems their communities face. They don’t need convincing; they need opportunities.
At WellnessWits, I’ve had the privilege of helping scale digital programs that don’t just digitize care but humanize it. We’ve supported clinicians delivering group therapeutics online. We’ve helped design care plans that reach patients with diabetes, hypertension, mental health conditions — all through tech-enabled platforms. We’ve collaborated with employers to build preventive health programs that actually reach their staff.
TECHNOVATE: From Inspiration to Infrastructure
TECHNOVATE started as a seed of an idea. What if we didn’t just inspire young Africans with stories of innovation, what if we trained them to do it?
Today, it’s grown into a structured fellowship where medical students, budding engineers, public health thinkers, and tech-curious youth learn how to build, pitch, and scale health tech solutions. Over six weeks, they dive into everything from design thinking and digital marketing to telemedicine and program development.
But it’s the in-between moments that matter most.
It’s the young woman who builds her first chatbot and says, “I didn’t know I could do this.” It’s the late-night messages from fellows brainstorming ways to solve local healthcare problems.
It’s the shift from “Can I belong here?” to “This is my lane.”
That’s the pipeline we’re building not just of talent, but of belief.
Representation Is Not a Buzzword. It’s Infrastructure.
The truth is, I’m standing on the shoulders of the women who came before me mentors, and many women I’ve never met but whose resilience made space for mine. That’s why it’s not enough to lead quietly. We must be visible not for applause, but for permission. So that a teenage girl in Ghana, Lagos, or Nairobi doesn’t have to squint to see what’s possible.
To the Builders. The Mothers. The Movement.
This Mother’s Day, I’m reflecting not just on biology, but on legacy.
On women, mothers, mentors, makers, who are building futures in boardrooms, classrooms, homes, and hospitals. Many of them will never write code or give keynotes, but their influence shapes industries.
Because technology isn’t just about innovation. It’s about care. And mothers have been quietly innovating in that space for generations.
So, to the next generation: we see you. We believe in you. We’re making room.
And to the women doing the work in heels, in flats, in scrubs, or in silence this tech revolution is yours too.
About the Contributor
Anita is a seasoned healthcare professional and clinical innovator with over five years of experience dedicated to transforming patient outcomes and addressing healthcare disparities through digital innovation. As the Director of Growth and Innovation at WellnessWits, she leads efforts to revolutionize chronic disease management using AI tools and shared medical appointments.
With a strong clinical foundation and a multifaceted background in software engineering, product design, and operations management, Anita bridges the gap between healthcare and technology. Known for crafting strategies that boost platform adoption and ease provider workloads, she is passionate about making healthcare smarter, more efficient, and more equitable. Whether exploring AI, health tech trends, or the future of care delivery, Anita’s mission is clear: to drive meaningful, tech-enabled improvements in the healthcare ecosystem.
This contribution is for the Mother’s Day Initiative #builtbymothers.
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