Meet our iamtheCODE Team

Lady Mariéme Jamme

Founder

Lady Mariéme Jamme is a Senegalese-born, French- British businesswoman, with over 20 years of experience. A pioneer in System Change and Technology. She’s best renowned for her motivational & inspirational speeches about girl’s education through STEAMD (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics and design) and empowerment of youth living in marginalised communities.

Surrey-based, Mariéme learned how to code seven programming languages from her local library. She received outstanding global accolades for being one of the pioneers in the technology ecosystem in Africa and for her passion in empowering marginalised girls to have access to education and Digital skills. She’s an Award-Winning technologist, in Sept 2017, she won the Innovation Award at the Global Goals Award 2017 by UNICEF & the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a Goalkeeper for her work in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She is a Board of Director of the World Wide Web Foundation (Founded by Sir Tim Berners-Lee). Mariéme’s latest venture includes the launch of iamtheCODE.org, the first African-led global movement to mobilise government, the private sector, and philanthropic foundations to advance STEAMD (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics and Design) Education. Her goal is to empower 1 million young women & girls globally to become coders by 2030 and to align with the UN 2030 Agenda. Lady Mariéme recently got nominated by Apolitical as their World’s 100 most influential people in Digital Government.

For Booking please: Email: booking@mariemejamme.org

Christopher Schlaeffer

Patron

Christopher is a European technology executive and serial founder. He served as Chief Digital Officer of VEON (NASDAQ: VEON) as well as Chief Product & Innovation Officer, Corporate Development Officer and Chief Strategy Officer of Deutsche Telekom (Xetra: DTE). His new company is NYOUM.

Together with Andy Rubin, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Peter Chou and Cole Brodman Christopher unveiled the world’s first mobile phone based on Android, T-Mobile G1. In 2007, he and Tim Cook closed Apple ́s first partnership on iPhone outside the US. Christopher started his career with Accenture.

Christopher has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader and ranked one of the Top50 Innovators To Watch. He takes an avid interest in promoting an open information society, science, arts and equality and graduated from the Vienna University of Economics.

Basetsana Kumalo

Patron

As a South African beauty queen. At the tender age of 16 winning Miss Black South Africa and Miss Soweto. When she turned 20 she entered and won Miss South Africa 1994 and in the same year went on and became the 1st runner up at Miss World. A fierce competitor, winning these pageant titles was only the beginning of Basetsana’s love story with the South African public.

She spent her reign as Miss South Africa raising fund for various organizations and charities, but also using this time to network with as many influential local and international people as she good, showing that drive and resilience that she would later portrait in her entrepreneurial career.

Board of Directors

Akira Kirton

Vice President at BP pulse

Akira Kirton is an Advisory Board Member for iamtheCODE and Managing Director of the Europe & Asia team for BP Ventures. BP Ventures has invested over $500m in 40 companies across the core energy business, and new areas that include digital technology, bioenergy, low carbon power, and advanced mobility.

Akira also sits on the boards of Alyssum Ltd (aka Fly Victor), Tricoya Technologies, Fulcrum Bioenergy, Solidia Technologies, and the OGCI Climate Investments (a $1bn fund).

Akira has a Masters in Chemical Engineering and a Bachelors degree in Law & Management. He is a 2008 IChemE Innovation Award Winner, a 2012 Marshall Memorial Fellow and 2015 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. On a pro-bono basis Akira sits on the educational advisory board of the European Climate KIC. He is hugely passionate about education and youth programmes.

Kelly Buchanan

Senior Vice President, Mastercard

Kelly Buchanan is a Trustee and Board Member of iamtheCODE. She also holds the position of Senior Vice President, New Payment Platforms for Mastercard. Holding positions within the US, UK and AP, she has a background in leveraging technology to solve business challenges and drive Product Development for business growth.

As a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, she is passionate about how technology can be used as a force for good with an emphasis on ensuring young girls get exposure to technology and the opportunities it creates.