Aniekeme Umoh
Tech Executive | Chief Operating Officer, The uLesson Group | Co-Founder, Uyai Akwa Ibom Educational Resources
Aniekeme Umoh is a tech executive and cross-sector leader driving educational access across Africa. As COO of The uLesson Group, she oversees one of the continent’s largest edtech platforms. A former US-based consulting professional turned education builder, she is also a children’s book author and a cultural preservation advocate.
WALK THE TALK & DO THE WORK
Impact Report
Over the past 5 years, I have:
SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES
We asked Aniekeme for Clues
Something that catalyzed your growth - besides working hard?
I’d like to share my core 3 principles that have catalyzed my growth:
- Prioritizing well-being: I am intentional about rest, nutrition, and exercise, recognizing that without a healthy body I’m handicapped in achieving my goals.
- Systems and processes: I rely heavily on structured processes like task lists, delegation systems, detailed notes, and reminders. I don’t try to remember everything, nor do I assume that I can. Instead, with my systems set up, I have my working memory freed up to make quick decisions as needed.
- Integrity in my word: If I commit to something, I follow through. My word is my bond. This has helped me build trust really quickly, which is something that pays enormous dividends in terms of growth.
Something you're most proud of?
Earlier this year, I was selected as a 2026 International Strategy Forum (ISF) fellowship recipient. The program convenes global leaders to discuss the intersection of the future of geopolitics, democracy, and technology.
Besides being chosen for a competitive fellowship such as that one, I was proud of this achievement because it really required me to step outside of my comfort zone. Geopolitics and governmental affairs are not my core areas of expertise by any means. But my interest in both fields has deepened as the scope of my career has expanded.
So I went through the application and screening process, and I’m glad that I did. Already, my appetite for and understanding of the global geopolitical landscape have broadened significantly, and I’m excited for what the rest of the fellowship will bring.
On Reinvention
My reinvention moment was relocating from New York to Nigeria after 12 years abroad. This was a complete reset, as even though I grew up in Nigeria, my post-secondary education and entire early career were built in the United States.
Why did I do this? Because God asked me to and I said yes.
Since I was making such a geographical leap, I chose to make a professional one too. I transitioned fully into education, a field I had always loved but never fully stepped into.
Within about one month of relocating, I joined The uLesson Group, a company I had never heard of before moving. Today, I help lead one of Africa’s most ambitious education platforms. This has been a testament to reinvention meeting purpose.
To me, a reinventor is someone who can evolve in a rapidly changing world. It requires deep self-trust, courage, and faith. It is the self-trust to believe that you will land on your feet, regardless of what you choose to do. It is the courage to give up an old idea of yourself and embrace a new one - a new identity. It is the faith [in God] to guide and support you as you charge down a new path.
Note to everyone considering a pivot:
In one of my favorite shows, Schitt’s Creek, a character named Moira Rose says, “Worry is but undernourished enthusiasm.”
I love that reframing.
If you’re considering a pivot and are feeling worried or nervous, consider that it may not be fear. Perhaps it’s excitement waiting to be named. Keeping in view the reasons why you’re pivoting and the vision you have of the outcome of the pivot will help strengthen your faith when you feel discouraged and nourish your enthusiasm.
Worth Remembering
Today, I can become anyone I choose to be.
- Aniekeme Umoh
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