Ogechi Ugwulebo is a Wife, Mother, Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) with advanced technical skills and hands on experience in software development, information security governance/risk management, data privacy, and regulatory requirements. She has over 20 years-experience specifically within the Healthcare Information Technology industry. Ogechi also serves as the Founder and National President of the Association of Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals (ANWEP), a 501c3 non-profit organization registered in the state of Texas that focuses on women empowerment by working to increase the number of girls/women in STEM education/careers through mentorship, outreach programs, coding workshops/boot camps, role modeling and support for women in crisis.
Through ANWEP, Ogechi created Women in STEM Leadership (WISL) as a mentorship platform designed to educate, equip and empower women and girls with the necessary skills and confidence to succeed in STEM careers. It is Ogechi’s mission to increase the number of women in STEM through WISL’s career-focused programs and initiatives.
The mission of Women in STEM Leadership is to provide opportunities for professional women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to advance into leadership roles in the male dominated STEM ecosystem.
To accomplish this mission, Ogechi and her team are working to:
• Address industry workforce shortages and diversity challenges by providing awareness and education and advocating for women in STEM.
• Create more career and leadership opportunities for women in STEM by providing professional development opportunities.
• Connect professional women in STEM through networking and mentorship opportunities.
Ogechi understands that role models and mentors help young women visualize themselves as Professionals and future Leaders which is why her mentoring efforts not only provide successful role models for future women in STEM, but also showcase the range of opportunities a STEM education makes possible. Ogechi recognizes that female education is a crucial component to poverty alleviation and investing in girls education also helps delay early marriage and parenthood. Ogechi believes that the key to ensure that aspiring women scientists stay in STEM, are mentors and role models that they can emulate.
Among Ogechi’s many talents, one of her greatest passions is to give back to her community through active participation in empowering the next generation of women leaders and entrepreneurs.