Emma Obanye
| Emma Obanye | |
|---|---|
| Born | Emma Joy Obanye 1982 Leeds, United Kingdom |
| 🏳️ Nationality | British |
| 💼 Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Known for | OneTech |
Emma Joy Obanye is a British entrepreneur, advisor, mentor and tech geek from Hackney, London. For 18 years, she has created tech products and steered teams for both established corporations and startups.[1]
Early life
Born in Leeds, England, in 1982, Emma Obanye moved to London when she was 3 years old. She grew up in a council estate in Hackney, North East London, raised by a single mother.[2]
Career
In 2010, Obanye and her co-founder launched the tech startup Buddybounce, a digital platform connecting musicians, fans, and brands.[3]
In 2012, Buddybounce won the Shortlist, Wayra competition and £40k investment. It was one of three new programmes to be admitted to the inaugural Wayra London accelerator programme.[4][5]
In 2014, Buddybounce joined the BBC's worldwide labs accelerator programme. [6] The startup then procured additional funding from Wayra and a seed round spearheaded by Angel Acadame.ref>New Women-Led Angel Network Seed Funds Super-Fan Manager Buddybounce. Techcrunch.</ref>
In March 2016, Crowdmix acquired Buddybounce.[7]
Obanye frequently shares insights on the various aspects of being a startup founder. She also speaks at various events about building tech startups, raising funds, and promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) in tech.
In 2016, Obanye relocated to Thailand and subsequently to Barcelona, where she currently resides with her partner and their two children.[8]
As part of her efforts to boost diversity, equity, and inclusion in the UK tech startup sphere, Obanye joined and co-led Capital Enterprise's OneTech initiative in 2018.[9] OneTech, which was initially part of Capital Enterprise, became a fully independent entity, with Obanye as its CEO.[10]
Initially supported by JPMorgan, OneTech has received backing from Google, the Mayor of London, Leeds City Council, Baltic Ventures, and more. This support has allowed OneTech to provide support programmes to a multitude of founders across the United Kingdom.[11]
Awards and recognition
OneTech has grown significantly and has helped over 3,000 founders with support, coaching, and funding access. In 2023, it received the Social Impact in Enterprise Award at the National Enterprise Awards.[12]
In 2019, Inclusive Boards and the Financial Times named her one of the 100 influential BAME leaders in tech. She was honored by Startups Magazine X in 2022, and in 2023, she was nominated for the Social Good Award by UKBlackBusiness.
An entrepreneur herself, Obanye does this whilst splitting her time between her new venture The Startup Game (a board game), and serving on the steering group and advisory board of the BEO's F100 programme and Lambeth Council's Elevate initiative.
Personal life
Obanye is a mother of two children. She is a keen padel player, runner and gym enthusiast.
References
- ↑ Emma Obanye. Mayor of London's Techinvest.
- ↑ Emma Joy Obanye Archived 2023-06-27 at the Wayback Machine. Gordon & Eden.
- ↑ Super-fan 2.0: Why loving One Direction can be hard work BBC.
- ↑ Meet our winning Digital Entrepreneurs: The stars of our Wayra £40k start-up competition. ShortList.
- ↑ Three new start-ups join the London Wayra Academy. Fresh Business Thinking.
- ↑ BBC Worldwide Labs 2014 digital programme. BBC.
- ↑ Musically.
- ↑ A Day in the Life of Emma Obanye, Managing Director of OneTech. OneTech.
- ↑ What can VCs do to ensure investments are more inclusive and diverse?. Field House Associates.
- ↑ OneTech spins out from Capital Enterprise to support underserved communities in tech. Startups Magazine.
- ↑ Blog. OneTech.
- ↑ OneTech spins out from Capital Enterprise to support underserved communities in tech. Startups Magazine.
