Ghana : Regina Agyare, an entrepreneur committed to empower youth through technology

Regina Agyare is a Ghanaian social entrepreneur. After a succcessful career in banking, she founded in 2012 Soronko solutions, a company that uses technology to empower rural Ghanaian youth and advocates for more women presence in STEM fields. She launched the first coding academy in West Africa which has trained thousands of ghanaian young women and men and children with disabilities. In 2017, she was listed in the 100 women BBC ranking.

Regina Agyare is one of the most inspiring tech entrepeneur in Africa. After graduating in computer sciences and IT, she started her professional career in banking before embarking on entrepreneurship.

Just after her studies in Holy child High School, she joined Ashesi University where she graduated with a degree in computer sciences in 2005. Three years later, she landed in an international bank in Accra where she integrated the IT department, becoming the first woman in that department. She developed a software which was well-acclaimed. But soon, she became frustrated because, despite her efforts, she was not promoted unlike her male colleagues  who passed over promotions. After discussing with the management, she was offered a double promotion to right the wrong. Shortly afterwards, she realized that she wanted more for her career, namely starting her own company.

After postponing several times, she finally decided to embark on entrepreneurship and resigned from her job. « I had the secret desire to start my own company but was not bold enough to take the first step. Banking provided security and comfort; entrepreneurship felt too risky. I finally gathered all my courage and quit. My supervisor cautioned me that entrepreneurship would be difficult and I would end up back in the banking sector. Others said I was too young and should wait until I was fifty to start my own company. I was given a day to reconsider my decision but returned an hour later with my signed resignation », she confides on Lean In.

Promoting social development through technology

In 2012, she started her own company. She founded Soronko solutions, a social start-up creating and managing ventures that apply technology to promote social development. Through the company, she helps small and medium scale companies in Ghana become visible and grow their business with technology. She also works to develop the new generation of innovators and problem solvers from the rural communities in STEM in Ghana and across sub-Saharan Africa.  Among the projects of the company, she introduced deaf girls to technology at the State Deaf School in Ghana. She integrated apps that promote communication in a society where the use of sign language is limited. She also opened the first coding and human centered design school for children and young adults called Soronko Academy.

Her company manages two programs. The first program, « Tech Needs Girls », is a technology and mentorship program targetting young girls. Its aim is to encourage them to explore careers in computer science, in order to have gender balance in the field of technology. « Growing Stems » provides youth in rural areas of Ghana with skills and practical learning using technology tools they would otherwise have not been able to access. The company also develops affordable technology for web, mobile, point of sale devices.

Regina is also a development expert working in Aspen New voices Fellowship, an institute that provides intensive media and advocacy training for frontline development experts. She is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community.

Due to her commitment, she has won several awards. In 2018, she was awarded the 2018 AFS Active Global Citizen prize for her contributions to global competence education. In 2017, she was listed as one of BBC 100 most inspirational and innovative women. Her company was also rewarded as the « Most impactful initiative » at the Women in Tech Global Awards in 2020. She was also ranked one of the top young 50 CEO’s in Ghana and technical and vocational education and training.