1st place

Folake Owodunni

Founder of

Nigeria

"Investing in women is no riskier than other investments".

One night at 2 a.m., Folake Owodunni woke up because her 1.5-year-old son was screaming in pain. As a first-time parent in Canada, she was terrified and called 911. Paramedics arrived within 10 minutes and resolved the minor issue. This experience inspired the idea for Emergency Response Africa, ensuring quick medical help in Nigeria.  

In her homeland, Folake dedicated herself to building first aid infrastructure, greatly improving emergency response times and saving countless lives. We talked to Folake about her journey, pitching in Nigeria and Canada, the essence of entrepreneurship, and why her mother inspires her more than Elon Musk.

Solving Nigeria’s Woes

How does emergency response usually work in Nigeria?

Nigeria has an emergency number, but it can be unreliable. Depending on where you are, it may or may not work. Sometimes people reach a hospital and are turned away.

Photo: Folake Owodunni, Emergency Response Africa

This results in over 1.2 million preventable deaths each year due to the lack of timely intervention.

Can you give me an example?

There was an actor named Junior Pope who was in Delta State, Nigeria, shooting a movie. Their boat capsized, and he and the other actors didn’t have life jackets. They were pulled from the water and taken on a wild journey, including to a mortuary, a traditional healer, and a church, before finally reaching a hospital that had no oxygen. They died as a result.

If you had to explain what Emergency Response Africa is to a friend, how would you do it?

We wanted to provide a similar service to the Canadian 911 and pre-hospital help service, in Nigeria. But instead of just putting ambulances on the road, we trained community-based first responders. People can reach us through a toll-free number or our mobile application. We identify the closest available response team, send them to the person, and they provide treatment at the scene. If needed, they can also transport the person to the right hospital. 

Photo: Folake Owodunni, Emergency Response Africa

Into
Entrepreneurship

I read that you weren’t planning to become an entrepreneur. What changed your mind?

I thought it suited maybe a certain personality type, which wasn't me. I had always wanted to be a doctor, until towards the end of university. Then I realized I wanted to have a broader impact, which led me to consider public health and eventually entrepreneurship. I started to figure out entrepreneurship often isn’t what we think it is.

Long before Musk and all of those guys, an entrepreneur was someone who realized, hey, my community doesn't have bread, so I’ll start a bakery. Right?

Entrepreneurship, fundamentally, is rooted in problem solving. An entrepreneur says, “I see a problem, and I'm going to come up with a solution and make that solution happen.” When I reframed the idea from that perspective, it was actually really easy to realize that it fits me.

You’ve mentioned your Musk-type entrepreneurs, what does this mean to you?

His name is often seen as the epitome of entrepreneurship. You can mention a bunch of other names like his, mostly men. But seeing what was supposedly the example of entrepreneurship doesn’t motivate me to be one. Because he doesn't look like me—physically, emotionally, or personality-wise.

Have you had role models who you can resonate with?

For female role models, my mother was definitely my first. She's an accountant by training, worked in a bank for many years, but also had other businesses, a video rental and a travel agency (and she still runs that today!). She is also a very present mother, very engaged wife. 

The other lady that inspired me was Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, founder of LEAP Africa and an African food changemaker. What I loved about her was that she certainly looked like me. Just a very normal-looking woman, who also has a family and all of that. I see her career path as something I'd love to imitate.

During the ceremony, you compared motherhood to entrepreneurship. How do you balance all that?

Firstly, it's acknowledging what it is. If you have a new business, it's like a baby. It needs a lot of time and attention. Taking that analogy further, your business is not in competition with the rest of the family; it's part of the lifestyle. However, it's easier said than done. For example, when I take my kids from Canada to Nigeria, I make it a priority to take them into the office. They sit in the ambulance, check out all the equipment, practice learning first aid, and pretend to be responders.

When we’re fundraising, my son might ask, “Mommy, how come you haven’t added more money?” or “How is your team doing?”

I try to involve them in the process, to help them understand why we’re doing it.

Short guide to
building a diverse
team

Have you ever had to pretend that your company is run by a man?

I have briefly considered looking for a male co-founder. In sales, we usually involve certain male members, especially when we're going into an environment that's male dominated or old school. However, we have quite a strong female-led team. It’s valuable that we have that mix at the management level.

Have you tried to hire more women over men?

Our team composition has naturally evolved in that direction. It's a reflection of how humans tend to gravitate toward individuals who share similarities with them. While we didn't set out with a specific gender quota in mind, we do have a significant representation of women in our management team, approximately 60/40. However, we remain mindful of maintaining diversity. For instance, in our tech team, despite having a female CTO, we deliberately sought female representation to ensure a balanced mix.

Fighting the Biases

How do you think we can influence the tendency towards low budgeting for women-led businesses?

It's a tough one. Advocacy needs to continue.

But at the end of the day, we need believers who are willing to take the “risk”. And I put "risk" in quotes because it's not any more of a risk than other investments.

In fact, it's less of a risk, according to research. We need more allies. Part of that involves helping people recognize their biases. I remember one of our investors shared an article about how investment conversations differ for male-led or mixed founding teams versus female-led teams. I've definitely seen that. You feel like you're going through a colonoscopy for small amounts of money, while their other major investment decisions seem baffling.

Have you ever experienced prejudice against you?

The issues you'll face in Nigeria are different from what I would face in Canada. So the short answer is yes. In pitch competitions, for example, the feedback can be frustrating, as often people don't understand contexts outside their own. As a woman of color addressing a significant problem, there's a disconnect with some audiences, leading to biases. But I rarely focus on it because I don't have the time. I’m just trying to make things work.

But at the end of the day, we need believers who are willing to take the “risk”. And I put "risk" in quotes because it's not any more of a risk than other investments.

What will you do with the prize money?

Strengthen our team and invest in our technology.

Emergency Response
Africa in numbers

43 000

clients in Nigeria

≈ $114 000

the amount of initial investment

>30 000

expected responses to emergencies in 2026

number of governments planned for work in 2026

Interview by Sima Piterskaia, Contributing author for the Aurora Tech Award

3rd place

WINNERS

Folake Owodunni

Solving Nigeria’s Woes

This results in over 1.2 million preventable deaths each year due to the lack of timely intervention.

Into
Entrepreneurship

Long before Musk and all of those guys, an entrepreneur was someone who realized, hey, my community doesn't have bread, so I’ll start a bakery. Right?

When we’re fundraising, my son might ask, “Mommy, how come you haven’t added more money?” or “How is your team doing?”

Short guide to
building a diverse
team

Fighting the Biases

But at the end of the day, we need believers who are willing to take the “risk”. And I put "risk" in quotes because it's not any more of a risk than other investments.

But at the end of the day, we need believers who are willing to take the “risk”. And I put "risk" in quotes because it's not any more of a risk than other investments.

Emergency Response
Africa in numbers

WINNERS 2022

Anna Filippova

Elena Konstantinova

Ainura Sagyn

WINNERS 2023

Namya Mahajan

Iva Gumnishka

Elizabeth Mwangi

WINNERS 2024

Sarah Phiri-Molema

Hannah Töpler

WINNERS

Folake Owodunni

Solving Nigeria’s Woes

This results in over 1.2 million preventable deaths each year due to the lack of timely intervention.

Into Entrepreneurship

Long before Musk and all of those guys, an entrepreneur was someone who realized, hey, my community doesn't have bread, so I’ll start a bakery. Right?

When we’re fundraising, my son might ask, “Mommy, how come you haven’t added more money?” or “How is your team doing?”

Short guide to building a diverse team

Fighting the Biases

But at the end of the day, we need believers who are willing to take the “risk”. And I put "risk" in quotes because it's not any more of a risk than other investments.

But at the end of the day, we need believers who are willing to take the “risk”. And I put "risk" in quotes because it's not any more of a risk than other investments.

Emergency Response Africa in numbers

WINNERS 2022

Anna Filippova

Elena Konstantinova

Ainura Sagyn

WINNERS 2023

Namya Mahajan

Iva Gumnishka

Elizabeth Mwangi

WINNERS 2024

Sarah Phiri-Molema

Hannah Töpler

Into
Entrepreneurship

Short guide to
building a diverse
team

Emergency Response
Africa in numbers