It all started on the first day of July in 2020, with only four team members and a big dream that birthed Ingressive for Good. At this very moment, two years later, it is beautiful to see how far we have come. We have gone from 0 to 200,000 community members and trained almost 100,000 people. Community members who started with 0 tech knowledge have gone on to build impressive careers, working in top tech companies and building tech businesses valued at millions of dollars. But, none of these would be possible without our super team of 16 amazing people showing up daily to contribute their quota to the mission to increase the earning power of African youths through tech.

As a team, Ingressive for Good, we are proud of the success stories from our scholarship benefactors, laptop grantees, circles and alumni community. In the past two years, we’ve celebrated many wins and achieved many of our organizational goals. Behind all of these amazing feats is an excellent team composed of people from different backgrounds working hard to produce the outcomes that have been applauded. We look back at how much we’ve grown together since July 1st, 2020 when we started as a team of four. We’ve thrived together as a team and come a long way.

In celebration of our anniversary, we will shine the light on 13 team members who willingly shared their experiences working with Ingressive for Good and how it has enhanced their personal and career goals.

Sean Burrowes – Co-founder and COO

My name is Sean Burrowes. I’m the COO and Co-founder of Ingressive for Good. I’ve been in this role since the company started in July 2020. I officially started working with the Ingressive Conglomerate in September 2017. Time flies. 

Overall, I couldn’t have picked, decided or imagined a better job for myself. Starting a company that I believe in, that aligns with my purpose, life goals, and even my faith is something I never thought I would have come across or been able to do when I was growing up. I was, in many ways, born and raised to serve, even though there was an entrepreneurial spirit in my house. I4G has been an outlet for those entrepreneurial lessons and my innate desire to serve my race. Through I4G, I have found something that aligns with my purpose and goals.

We have an amazing team at Ingressive for Good. I love working with an amazing team of go-getters passionate about making an impact in Africa. It’s incredible to see each one of us develop, grow and flourish in different ways. It drives me and reaffirms my responsibility to my community and the people I love. 

So far, one of my favourite experiences has to be when we got that cheque for $250k from Google. Just knowing that there was a company that’s so big that recognised us, believed us and supported us, in many ways, validated a lot of the things that we have been working on and pushing to achieve. 

Blessing Abeng – Co-founder and Director of Communications

I’m Blessing Abeng. I started working with Ingressive for Good as the Director of Communications in 2020 (one of the first 4 team members). I still remember having lunch with Maya and talking about it when it was still an idea. Fast forward to this moment, I am now a Co-founder, and it is all because of what we have achieved as a team, the impact we have made, and how we have collectively pushed ourselves and dared to go beyond dreams. Going from 0 to training and building a community of thousands across over 100 countries is no small feat.

Interacting with the Ingressive for Good community has changed my life. I’ve always been a big champion of the tech ecosystem, but this is more granular. Watching people’s lives drastically change within the team and the community is so inspiring. It pushes you to wake up every morning with purpose and sleep at night with fulfilment. I love working at I4G. The team members are superheroes. My favourite moments are data days when we review the stats and stories of our impact. It’s all so inspiring. I can’t believe we are just two years old. WOW! We have indeed come a long way. I4G is a family to me and a movement.

Haneefah Abdurrahman-Lekki – Programs and Community Manager

My name is Haneefah Abdurrahman-Lekki and I am the programs and community manager at Ingressive for Good. I’ve worked with Ingressive for Good since 2020 as part of the team that launched the company. Before this, I worked with the Ingressive Conglomerate for over a year.

I4G has played a vital role in my professional growth. I’ve delved deep into the community, increasing my skill as a tech community builder and making an impact on the African ecosystem. Personally, it’s been fun connecting with community members, hearing their success stories and seeing them meet their goals. Through the ambassador program, I’ve enabled people to build their own tech communities in their schools and become outstanding leaders. 

Ingressive for Good has always pushed every team member to grow much faster. Sometimes, you’re given a project that seems tasking and can achieve it. Each member has the opportunity to grow. Although you actually set the pace of your own growth and choose how far and how fast you want to grow, there’ll be team members to push you to grow. 

There’ve been a lot of good memories from the times we came together as a team. I remember our first anniversary. It was exciting to meet everyone and form great memories physically.

Bolatito Akanbi – Head of Design

My name is Bolatito Akanbi. I love to call myself a Creative. I am currently the Head of design at Ingressive and have worked here for two years.

Ingressive for Good has played a significant role in helping me achieve some of my private and career ambitions. I have gotten support in the form of paid courses, books, and opportunities to lead a team and to grow my leadership skills. In addition, it gave me a platform to express myself creatively. Working with Ingressive for Good offered me the opportunity to achieve a goal that I am so proud of; building a design system for one of the companies in the Ingressive family from scratch. It was tedious but fun achieving that.  The work environment at Ingressive for Good stretches you, and you get to think outside the box and get creative.

I love the people. They are so amazing and make you feel like you’re working with a family. The team members are interested in you and your personal life, beyond just the daily tasks and KPIs. There’s a level of relationship, and I don’t take it for granted. I also love the fact that I get to work remotely. It gives me the opportunity to explore other ways of expressing myself creatively. 

Another thing that was beautiful to watch was the growth within the team. When we started in 2020, it was just the four of us on the team, and a few years down the line, we’ve grown into a larger team, and everyone is pulling their weight. So we’re seeing growth within the team and in our output and programs. It’s so amazing to watch in retrospect.  

One of my most treasured experiences working with Ingressive for Good was when I witnessed the impact of the work from a first-hand conversation. One day I met a beneficiary of one of our scholarships while I was househunting. I was supposed to show my identity card to secure the apartment, and this lady recognised that I worked at Ingressive for Good. She was excited and shared how she’d be able to learn a lot from the scholarship and how the opportunity had helped her. It felt really special. I also really loved it when I got the first raise in my salary. It was super impressive, especially because I didn’t have to advocate for an increase or anything. It showed value for my services, and it surely meant more money.

Olayinka Oke – Data Analyst

My name is Olayinka Oke, a Data Analyst at I4G. I’ve worked at I4G for over six months. It has helped me develop better people management skills especially because we work remotely and team members are in different parts of the world.

I like that Ingressive for Good is a place where team members support each other and are constantly looking for ways to help the other person get better at their job. I admire the fact that we have open communications where everybody’s opinion is heard, and that good work and contributions are always recognised and commended. When a team member does a good job, the management appreciates them. Your work is never taken for granted. Your contribution is respected and valued. It’s such a great feeling.

My favourite memory of working with I4G was when I was called at short notice to represent the company at the conference in Kigali. I didn’t see it coming, and it was a very pleasant surprise. The all-expense-paid trip was so much fun. I learned a lot and met a lot of people. 

Kamal Kehinde – Community Advocate

My name is Kamal Kehinde. I’m the Community Advocate at Ingressive for Good. I work with the Programs Manager to ensure that the I4G objectives and values are met. I also run some community checkups when needed and provide technical support to the Circle members in different campuses worldwide. I’ve worked with Ingressive for Good for almost two years. 

Working with I4G accelerated my career in community management. I was given tasks and resources to develop managerial and communication skills and pursue my career goals.

I really enjoy the structure of the organization, from the top managerial team to the rest of the team. It has wowed me and helped me learn to approach other projects systematically.  I love our work culture. I like that the workplace, ethics and work activities are not draining. I love how the goals are broken down to make them look achievable.

My most memorable experience was when I created a program from scratch for the first time. I worked with a team member who provided me with many resources to help me put things into perspective. As a result, I had an amazing experience creating the program from scratch and developing it into a whole project for other people to leverage on. Since then, I’ve become more confident in starting things from scratch, building upon them, and leveraging tools/resources to improve them.

Fawzyyah Danmole – Communications Executive

My name is Fawzyyah Danmole. I work as a Communications Executive at Ingressive for Good. I’ve worked at I4G for over a year. I started at I4G as a Social Media Intern, and I had no idea I was in for the most fantastic ride. 

Working at I4G wasn’t my first role, so all the talk about how unique I4G is is not coming from a place of zero knowledge about what work can be like. I4G is super intentional about our personal growth. I literally have a KPI that involves me bettering myself and learning outside of work. I learn and work with some of the best in the business, so it’s really hard not to be better. In addition to that, my role involves a lot of sharing value. I’m responsible for creating content and having conversations with thought leaders that the community can learn from. So again, I must learn whether I like it or not.

There’s a lot of exciting stuff about working at I4G. The people, the culture, the mission, the community. It’s all so amazing. I love the impact I4G is making. It’s inspiring to know that I’m a part of something changing lives. It’s inspiring when I do something as minor as responding to a person’s comment, and it guides someone. People are happy and sharing stories of how I4G impacted them, and I want to scream and say, “I’m a part of I4G”. I attended an event earlier this year, and someone gave me the biggest hug I’ve received from a stranger because she found out I was Fawzy of I4G. She talked about how one of our I4G programs was helping her. I had butterflies in my belly. It feels good to be associated with the good that I4G is. 

The icing on the cake is the team of amazing people. Doing good is even better when you’re doing it with other people. It’s exciting. I4G is family, and nobody has a gun to my head forcing me to say this.  I4G is just MVP like that. When the team was much smaller, I used to say that Blessing and Sean were my work mum and dad and Haneefah and Bola, my big sister and brother. It’s funny and maybe a tad bit embarrassing, but that’s really how amazing it has been. We talked together, played together, and we looked out for each other. Sean constantly reminds me that I can speak to him about anything, and it’s not even in the HR way. When Bolatito, our Head of Design, had to leave, it hurt, I know I still have access to him, but it just felt like the family was slowly growing apart. Even Bola couldn’t leave, he did extra work in the background for a couple more days, and he told me once that he didn’t know how to transition out of I4G. That’s the kind of relationship that we have built. 

One of my fondest memories was one fine morning when Blessing called me so excitedly to say, “Fawzy, I’ve been thinking about you, and I’ve figured out a way to solve your XYZ problem”. I smiled all through that call because she didn’t have to, but she did. Another would be the experience when we placed a bet with our sister company, Ingressive Capital, to see which of our Instagram accounts would hit 5k followers first. Now, 5k seems like a long way back. It excites me to see the growth, and I look forward to doing more.  It hasn’t even been two years, and I could write a thesis about how amazing I4G has been.

Temilola Otunla – Communications Executive

My name is Temilola Otunla. I am a Communications and Content Strategist. At I4G, I work in a hybrid position as the Communications Executive and Executive Assistant to the Communications Director. I’ve worked at Ingressive for almost four months.

Before this time, I hadn’t worked closely with a large team, and working at Ingressive for Good has taught me the importance of teamwork. I’ve realised we can do great things when people work together. I used to be very “quiet” about my opinions. Working at I4G helped me start to speak out and share my opinions. I have learned how to give and receive feedback graciously. I’ve learned to be patient and kind in my responses. I4G has given me an opportunity to work with someone I’ve always admired, Blessing Abeng! Working with Blessing Abeng has been really impactful. It’s not a joke when people say Blessing is a Blessing. She truly is.

I’ve also learned to be a better Communications and Content Strategist. Before working at I4G, I didn’t have experience working as an EA, but I was given that opportunity, and it’s taught me to be organized, not just for Blessing but also for myself. I’ve learned to think deeply and always ask “why”. Watching my team members build their “personal brands” and thrive has inspired me to do more. I’m working on doing much more than having a 9-5 now.

With I4G, I love that I can help people have options. I know how it is being a graduate and not having a job! It’s frustrating! Being able to help people build something meaningful and not have to go through what I went through is what I love the most. I also love the team and how structured I4G is.  I feel valued every day!  It’s definitely everything I prayed for and more.

Some of my favourite memories so far have been during our virtual meetings. It’s always fun when we work and gist at the same time. It takes the pressure off. And of course, when Blessing is working on her tasks, and I’m keeping her accountable by being there most times, she gives random funny gist! I love those too. I also remember an interview session I had with one of the beneficiaries. She took a course with us when she was a medical student, and at the time we spoke, she had gotten an entry-level role /internship in a tech role. She was so excited because she’d been thinking about what she’d do after school, how long it’d take to get a good job and now she had options. I was so proud to be part of something so impactful, touching many lives in a way that’s way bigger than me. I feel honoured.

Oluwaseun Dabri – Community Admin

I’m Oluwaseun Dabiri, the Community Admin at Ingressive for Good. I have been an I4G Circle Ambassador since 2020 and became a part of the team in 2021. I can’t over-emphasize how much I have grown since I joined the I4G team. I have had the opportunity to learn managerial skills and apply appropriately what I have learnt. 

With I4G, I love that I’ve got to own my task and design my own strategies and playbook. In addition, I love the fact that you can work both independently and interdependently. 

There have been very memorable times when we’ve had team members come together. These moments of sharing and interaction have made a significant impact on me. 

Ifeanyi Okafor- Programs Manager

I’m Ifeanyi Okafor, and I am the Program Manager at Ingressive for Good. I started working with Ingressive for Good 6 months ago and it has been an amazing ride. I was confident that I had a fast paced work environment figured out until I joined I4G. It exposed me to stretching my capacity and learning how to handle multiple things at different scales at the same time, and have my pulse on all of them simultaneously. 

I couldn’t possibly mention all the things I love about working with Ingressive for Good. I particularly love how everyone is dedicated and committed to the organizational goals. Looking back in retrospect at how well we’ve done at the end of each program and project has made some of my fondest memories.

Oluwatosin Oyegoke – Graphics Designer

My name is Oluwatosin Oyegoke, and I work as a Graphic Designer at Ingressive for Good. I started as an intern in December 2021 after participating in the #30DaysofDesign I4G community challenge and emerged as one of the winners. This opened a lot of doors for me. I got an offer to intern at Ingressive for Good and got exposed to other job opportunities.

I4G has contributed a lot to my personal goals in that I’ve progressed from an intern to a full-time designer. I learned from the best with a team that was so encouraging.

I love the positive team spirit. Anyone who needed assistance and clarity could always reach out to others and get support. 

Adedolapo Lawal – Programs Intern

I’m Adedolapo Lawal, a Programs Intern at Ingressive for Good. I started working at I4G in March 2022, and it has been an amazing three months working with the I4G team.

Working in the Programs Department has mainly fueled my passion to pursue a career in Project Management. Ensuring the proper preparation of process plans and seamless flow of programs from inception to completion and everything in-between is a skill I became more passionate about after joining the team.

I love everything about working with I4G the team spirit, the inclusivity, the work culture, everything. There have been several high points for me while working with I4G – one of which is being a Guest Speaker and Judge at the I4G circle members Creative CV Webinar and Challenge, respectively. The fact that I could share my knowledge as a CV expert with the Circle members and be appreciated by the team members for a well-done job was very thrilling for me.

Also, I feel satisfied whenever we receive emails or messages about how the things we are doing at I4G are really changing lives. Knowing that my contribution to this course gives people better chances at their careers and life generally gives me a sense of fulfilment and makes me want to do more.

Damilola Adebusoye – PR Intern

I’m Damilola Adebusoye, a Public Relations Intern at Ingressive for Good. I’ve been working with Ingressive for good for about three months now, and in this time, I can attest to significant growth in my personal life and career pursuit. In the past months, I have learned to be proactive, identify a need and take action toward a solution. Working with a team of positive-minded and goal-driven people is just the catalyst I need at the moment to achieve my career goals.

The work environment at Ingressive for Good is so warm, and I especially love that fellow team members believe in you to tie the knots at your end and smash your goals while they also do theirs. It feels so good to know that people believe in you to achieve the things that you might even question your ability to achieve. I’ve learned to communicate better both in speaking and writing. The instructions, commendations, and corrections from team members are fine-tuning me in many ways.

One of my favourite memories from working with Ingressive for Good was during an onboarding call with Sean Burrowes. The conversation about the company’s value system and the co-founders’ experiences that brought them to this point gave me goosebumps. It was as though I was watching an inspiring movie, and I felt so honoured and proud to be a part of the reality.

There you have it! Great stories from the amazing humans making the magic of I4G happen.