Software Highlight: 50 Notable Programs and Developments
American Wealth: The Rise of Tope Awotona and Calendly
Tope Awotona, a Nigerian-American entrepreneur, has recently been recognized as one of the wealthiest immigrants in America. His tech startup, Calendly, a scheduling software that streamlines appointment and event scheduling for professionals, is currently valued at $3 billion.
Awarded the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle Most Admired CEO and the 2019 Comparably Best CEO, Awotona is one of a few Black tech billionaires in the U.S. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he moved to the United States in 1996 following his father's passing.
In 2013, Awotona founded Calendly with the mission of simplifying scheduling for everyone—no more time-consuming email exchanges. Under his leadership, the platform has grown to over 10 million monthly users and counts lyft, Ancestry.com, Indiana University, and La-Z-Boy among its customers. The company raised $350 million in Series B funding in 2021, with investments from OpenView Venture Partners, Iconiq Capital, and Atlanta Ventures.
Forecasting Food Security: Sara Menker and Gro Intelligence
Sara Menker, a staunch advocate in the global fight against food insecurity, is the force behind Gro Intelligence. The startup utilizes artificial intelligence to forecast global agricultural trends, aiming to combat food insecurity.
Menker, who faced the harsh realities of famine growing up in Ethiopia, founded Gro Intelligence in 2014. The company secured $17.4 million in a Series A round in 2017 and then $85 million in a Series B round in 2021. Key investors include Intel Capital, Africa Internet Ventures, DCVC, GGV Capital, and Rethink Food.
Menker serves on the boards of the Mandela Institute For Development Studies (MINDS) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). She was named a Global Young Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2014 and is a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative of the Aspen Institute. In 2021, she was included in Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people, as well as Bloomberg's New Economy Catalyst.
Financial Expertise: George Azih and LeaseQuery
George Azih, a financial authority and leasing accounting expert, has made a name for himself with LeaseQuery. The startup, founded in 2011, allows organizations to manage leases and SaaS subscriptions in a secure cloud, moving data away from spreadsheets.
In 2019, LeaseQuery secured $40 million in Series A funding from Goldman Sachs' merchant banking division, marking the first outside investment for the company. Azih has grown the startup from a one-person venture into a thriving business with 180 employees in less than six years.
Azih appears on the University of Georgia's 2020 Bulldog 100 list of fastest-growing alumni-owned businesses. He was recently named in Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. LeaseQuery has ranked among the fastest-growing companies in North America on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500TM for the third year in a row.
- Tope Awotona and Calendly's Series B funding of $350 million in 2021 by OpenView Venture Partners, Iconiq Capital, and Atlanta Ventures is a testament to the world's ongoing interest in investing in innovative technology-based businesses.
- Sara Menker's Gro Intelligence, with its artificial intelligence-driven agriculture trend forecasting, embodies the intersection of technology and finance, two critical sectors in today's business world.
- The success stories of Tope Awotona, Sara Menker, and their respective tech startups, Calendly and Gro Intelligence, showcase the potential for innovation in both the business world and the world of finance, transforming industries and addressing global challenges.
- George Azih's LeaseQuery, a cloud-based solution for managing leases and SaaS subscriptions, demonstrates the need for technological innovation in the finance sector, making data management more efficient and secure.
- In the realm of business, entrepreneurs like Tope Awotona, Sara Menker, and George Azih are leveraging technology to create solutions that impact various sectors, from appointment scheduling to food security and finance management, driving progress and innovation worldwide.
