Shikoh is a strong, strategic, results-driven leader with proven ability to create new organizations, spearhead change, and conceptualize and execute innovative, impactful and sustainable initiatives. A passionate, compassionate and gregarious personality . Highly focused, self driven and self reliant, sets aims and targets and leads by example.
Shikoh, has 10+ years of experience in ICT4D technology design & implementation. She has established expertise in both African and Emerging Markets specialized interest in issues pertaining to in resource poor communities and marginalized groups including women, youth and children.
*Work Experience*
Shikoh currently is the CEO of Qhala (Qhala.com), a digital innovation lab, whose goal is to catalyse Africa’s Digital Future.
Previously she led Safaricom Alpha, Safaricom innovation lab, she also has worked at the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), in the ICT department, developing projects with various governments across Africa.She also led the User Innovation efforts at Mercy Corps as User Innovation and Design lead. Shikoh has worked as a User Experience Researcher with Google Emerging Market and Microsoft TEMs team. She has also worked in various capacities both with the private sector and non-government organizations in Kenya and South Africa.
*Entrepreneurship*
Shikoh is founder of Ummeli (www.ummeli.com and TaaSisi (www.taasisi.com) and was founding CEO of KibaruaNow www.kibaurua.co.ke within Mercy Corps SV team
*Passion*
She runs an education Social Enterprise Guitings Trust ( www.guetingstrust.org )
*Education*
Shikoh holds a PhD and MSc in Computer Science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She also holds a BSc. Computer Science from the African Nazarene University
*Awards and Recognitions*
Shikoh has been recognised as Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government, Technology (CEO Magazine; a Top40 under 40 leading women in Kenya 2015, She is an ASPEN new voices Fellow 2015, she is the recipient of the Anita Borg Change Agent Award, 2013, she was on the AfroElle 2013 Power List of African women who affect change, and Huffington Post’s
Speaking Engagement and Boards
Shikoh is a seasoned speaker and has spoken in numerous international conferences in the areas of ICT, ICT4D, STEM research. Africa and Women are a cross-cutting issue she is passionate about.
Shikoh seats on various boards in ICT companies and contributes to a number of steering committees and think tanks on Africa
