Kemi Olawoye: 'Our goal is to improve maternal and child health indices thereby shaping the Africa of tomorrow'
Q&A with the wellness entrepreneur on maternal and child health, on personal development, and on identifying the right workforce to build a shared vision.
Kemi Olawoye is the Co-Founder and CEO of Babymigo, a platform that provides expert-verified health information, education, resources and concierge services relating to pregnancy, parenting, childbirth and reproductive health to expecting mums and parents. Babymigo has been featured on Yahoo, Forbes and Time Magazine and is backed by Facebook and Google.
What fundamental belief system inspired the creation of Babymigo?
The desire to improve maternal and child health indices in Africa.
Years ago, I worked as a Physiotherapist in a private hospital in Nigeria and led the women's health unit of the department. During this time, I interacted with several pregnant women who constantly shared their challenges with me. These challenges included untimely access to trained medical personnels, lack of culturally relevant health information, resources and tools, inadequate hyper local support services among several others.
Subsequently, I met my co-founder who had a similar experience working in a Primary Health Care Center. We decided to leverage technology to improve maternal and child health indices, and founded Babymigo.
What’s something you do every day that is non-negotiable for you
Everyday is dynamic as a startup founder and different factors influence what each day looks like. However, I’m keen on engaging in at least two personal development activities daily to enable me operate more efficiently and productively.
What are the formative ingredients in your childhood that came to create your perspective
Family, affectionate parents, and a strong inclination towards social impact.
I come from a very close-knit and loving family. Also, my mum is an entrepreneur who started small and grew her business rapidly over the years. She inspires me and has taught me you can build something out of nothing as long as you put in the work.
What do you consider to be one of the greatest challenges for developing a business on the African continent?
Definitely human capacity. Finding the right people who are committed to the vision of the company.
Building a company from scratch takes grit. What drives you on?
Our users at Babymigo. As a company, our greatest joy comes from the moms and parents who share the life-changing impact of our platform on their parenting journey.
There are a tremendous number of opportunities on the African continent. How do you stay focused on your journey?
The Vision. At Babymigo, our goal is to improve maternal and child health indices thereby shaping the Africa of tomorrow. Knowing that what we do has a significant impact on the country and continent drives us to continue to innovate for greater results.
If you could do it all again, what would you have done differently?
I am not quite sure I will change anything. I believe my experiences and journey has and continues to help me grow.
-
Jeph Acheampong leads Blossom Academy; an edtech company that provides world-class data courses and transforms careers.
If you enjoyed this story, please share and subscribe. Connect with me on my Personal Website, LinkedIn, or Instagram.