I am the Founder of Technecultura, centering my research and advocacy on AI governance and safety for the Global Majority. I graduated with a Ph.D. from the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University, where my research leveraged ethnographic methods to understand how frontline healthcare workers in rural India perceive and value AI and analyzed how AI explainability can meet the needs of novice technology users in the Global Majority.
My work has been published at top-tier venues in HCI and sociotechnical computing, including the Association for Computing Machinery's (ACM) CHI, CSCW, COMPASS, EAAMO, and FAccT conferences. I currently am a Legislative AI Fellow in Congress through the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship (STPF) program. I have previously worked as the inaugural Policy Lead for Black in AI, a World Bank Group Africa Fellow in the Development Economics Research Group, an AI & Emerging Technologies Policy Specialist at the United Nations, a former Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and in research-based roles at Apple and Microsoft.
My research examines how African governments can effectuate robust AI and data governance, investigates the geopolitical impacts of AI, and analyzes datafication and algorithmic marginalization in Africa. My general research interests include AI governance, AI safety, AI literacy, explainable AI, and African development. My work has been supported by the Social Science Research Council, MacArthur Foundation, McGovern Foundation, Kapor Center, The National GEM Consortium, Oracle Corporation, the North American Network Operators' Group (NANOG), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and Google.
My research has been covered in venues like VICE, Bloomberg, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and VentureBeat, amongst others. I have been invited to share my work at industry research labs, including Google Research India, Microsoft Research India, and the Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI). My research has been cited in prominent congressional reports such as the Bipartisan House Task Force Report on Artificial Intelligence (2024) and Regulating Artificial Intelligence: U.S. and International Approaches and Considerations for Congress (2025).
I have also been featured in TechCrunch and provided commentary to leading outlets such as MIT Technology Review, NPR, the New York Times, BBC, VICE, CNN, Scientific American, Fast Company, Voice of America, Rest of World, SEMAFOR, and Devex. I've also developed a LinkedIn Learning course on AI equity that has reached over 5000 learners!
I advise numerous multilateral institutions, national governments, universities, and nonprofits on issues related to AI, technology governance, digital inclusion, socioeconomic development, and higher education. I currently serve as a Scientific Advisory Committee Member of the Global Index on Responsible AI, Member of the ACM Professional Development Committee, Expert Working Group Member on AI Governance Interoperability for the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, an Advisory Board Member at the University of Georgia GENIUS Center, Advisory Board Member at the University of Cape Town African Hub on AI Safety, Peace and Security, Advisory Board Member for the Global Development Practice Graduate Program at Harvard Extension School, Expert Advisory Panel Member for the Global South AI Safety Report, Advisory Body Member for the Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA) Commission on Global Competitiveness, and an inaugural member of the Partnership on AI’s SAIGE Council.
I hold a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Pomona College, a Master's degree in Computer Science from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell University. I have also served as a consulting and drafting Member for the African Union Continental AI Strategy, an expert contributing writer to the International AI Safety Report, a drafting member of the Nigerian Federal Government National AI Strategy, the Editor-in-Chief of ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society, a member of the IEEE Standards Association working group on algorithmic bias, a member of the ACM US Technology Policy Committee, and an AI Governance Alliance Stakeholder at the World Economic Forum.
I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri to Nigerian immigrants. I proudly graduated from Lincoln College Preparatory Academy and the Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) Early College Academy at MCC - Penn Valley, earning both a high school diploma and Associate's degree.
I'm open to media requests, invited talks, panels, consulting projects, invitations to advisory boards/committees, and other relevant opportunities. For inquiries, please refer to the guidance listed in my Media Kit.
B.S. — Pomona College