Ola Brown
Olamide Brown, née Orekunrin (born 1986), is a British-Nigerian medical doctor, healthcare entrepreneur, and founder of the Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Group and a director of Greentree Investment Company.[1][2][3][4]
Olamide Brown | |
---|---|
Born | Olamide Orekunrin 1986 (age 36–37) London, England |
Alma mater | Hull York Medical School, University of London |
Occupation | Businesswoman |
Spouse | David Brown |
Flying Doctors Healthcare Group is active in air ambulance services, consulting/healthcare technology, hospital/clinic construction, diagnostics and equipment, health facility management, and pharmaceutical retail.[5][6][7]
Early life and education
Brown was born in London, England. She attended Hull York Medical School. After graduation, she worked in acute medicine in the UK and then went on to be awarded a Japanese MEXT scholarship,[8] which allowed her to further her studies in Tokyo, through the fellowship focused on lab-based research with induced pluripotent stem cells. She is studying for a master's degree in finance and economic policy at the University of London, and also has a certificate in economic policymaking from IE business school, Spain. In addition, she has a certificate in accounting for decision making from the University of Michigan in the US.[9]
Medical career
After graduation, Brown worked for a short period of time in the UK's National Health Service. With her training in aviation medicine, she was the boss and CEO of West Africa's first air-operated emergency medical services in Lagos, Nigeria; Flying Doctors Nigeria Ltd.[10]
She is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and was listed among the 2013 Young Global leaders by the World Economic Forum.[11][12]
Flying Doctors
Brown started the Flying Doctors after experiencing the loss of her sister under difficult circumstances, and to improve medical services in Nigeria,[13] established Flying Doctors in Lagos, Nigeria in 2007.[14][15]
In 2018, a negligence case was instituted against Flying Doctors and Brown by the family of a late patient Nabil Hanga,[16] This suit was later withdrawn by the family.[17] Flying Doctors maintains that Brown works in the area of strategy, marketing and investment.[18]
Investment and finance
Alongside her work at Flying Doctors, Brown, Olabode Agusto and Abasiama Idaresit run an early-stage venture capital firm: Greentree Investment Company which provides capital to African technology start-ups.[3][4] Investments include Paystack, Precurio, Big Cabal Mediain, and a portfolio of $80m.[19][20]
In 2019, she founded The Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Company[21] which operates air ambulance services & logistics. It is involved in consulting/healthcare technology, hospital/clinic constructions, diagnostics and equipment, health facility management, and pharmaceutical retail. It is involved with Koniku, a biotechnology firm & a drug manufacturing company; a chain of pharmacies, a diagnostic company, and a full-scale logistics firm that moves goods including pharmaceuticals across West Africa and Helium Health.[22][23][21][24]
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, Brown and her FDHIC team launched a COVID-19 mobile testing booth, which reduces the need for PPE by providing a barrier between the potentially infected patient.[25][26][27][28]
In July 2020, Brown hosted Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adebayo in the first edition of ‘ The Conversation’ with the Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Company, with discussions centered around investment growth and opportunities in the healthcare sector.[29]
Appearances and publications
She has spoken at various platforms around the world, including the World Economic Forum,[30] TED Global Conference,[31] the Social Media Week Lagos, the European Union, the Swiss Economic Forum, the UN, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge University and the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Brown and her work have been featured on various media platforms. She is also an editor of the International Journal of Emergency Services and has published three books – EMQ's in Paediatrics, Pre-Hospital Care for Africa and Fixing Healthcare in Nigeria;[32][33] a Guide to Public Healthcare Policy. She has written articles in the British Medical Journal:the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, the Niger Delta Medical Journal, The New York Times and The Huffington Post.
Honors
Awards and recognition include:
- World Economic Forum (WEF) Young Global Leader.[34]
- Forbes 20 Young Power Women In Africa 2013[35]
- Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30 for 2015[36]
- YWomen – YNaija 100 Most Influential Women in Nigeria 2015[37]
- Silverbird Group Extraordinary Business Achievement Award, 2018 in Lagos, the youngest person ever to win this award.[38]
- YNaija Business Power List 2020[39]
- She was conferred with a National honor - Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by President Muhammadu Buhari.[40]
- African Folder Female Founders You Should Know In 2023.[41]
References
- Renni Edo-Lodge (12 September 2014). "Nigeria's air ambulance firm is a leap forward for healthcare". The Guardian. United Kingdom. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- "DR. OLA OREKUNRIN Africa's high-flying doctor". Lionesses of Africa.
- "Our Team". Greentree Investment Company.
- "VC Firm, GreenTree holds Pitch Day for over 20 promising Startups". Nairametrics. 16 July 2018.
- "African Doctor-Founder Develops Special COVID-19 Testing Booth That Don't Need Protective Gear". Weetracker. 20 April 2020.
- "African Doctor-Founder Develops Special COVID-19 Testing Booth That Don't Need Protective Gear". Flying Doctors Nigeria.
- "Flying Doctors launches Covid Mobile to ramp up testing, protect health workers". Business Day. 8 May 2020.
- "MEXT : STUDY in JAPAN". www.mext.go.jp.
- Olamide, Orekunrin (2018). Fixing Health Care in Nigeria. Lagos. p. 5.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - "Flying doctors boss writes book on fixing healthcare in Nigeria". Guardian. 22 December 2018.
- "Ola Orekunrin;Managing Director:The Flying Doctors". World Economic Forum.
- "How I became a doctor at 21-Ola Orekunrin".
- Teo Kermeliotis, for (8 April 2013). "Flying doctor take to the skies to save lives". CNN. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- "Flying doctors founder Ola Orekunrin just keeps soaring". Konnect Africa. 28 March 2013.
- Sember Azzez Harris. "Flying Doctors Nigeria-Interview with Doctor Ola Orekunrin". Knowledge Fountain.
- "Family of the late Nabil Hanga alleges negligence, seeks justice in court | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsNigeria — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News". 12 October 2020. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- "Family Withdraws Suit against Flying Doctors". Barristerng. 23 October 2020.
- "Flying Doctors bags IAG Accreditation". PM News.
- "Greentree Investment Company is Set to Fund Promising Nigerian Startups". NIPC. 17 July 2018.
- "Feature: Tragedy that turned Dr Ola into a Nigerian lifesaver". ANAC Gabon.
- "404 Not Found". fdinvestmentcompany.com.
{{cite web}}
: Cite uses generic title (help) - Kazeem, Yomi (25 February 2020). "Investors are backing a Nigerian pharmacy tech startup aiming to disrupt primary healthcare". Quartz.
- "Nigerian startup Helium Health secures $10m Series A round to expand into new markets". 7 May 2020.
- Bosilkovski, Igor. "Meet The Nigerian Entrepreneurs Who Just Raised $10 Million To Transform Africa's Healthcare". Forbes.
- "The Legatum Center at MIT - How A Startup Born At MIT Built A COVID-19 Mass Testing Site In Nigeria".
- "Ogun State brings innovation to the fight against COVID-19". 24 April 2020.
- "Flying Doctors Unveils West Africa's First Isolation Pod". 8 June 2020.
- "African innovators join the fight against COVID-19". WHO | Regional Office for Africa. 22 May 2023.
- "Flying Doctors champions investment growth, opportunities in healthcare sector". 27 July 2020.
- "Feature: Agenda Contributor – Ola Brown". WeForum.
- "Speed of Life - Ola Orekunrin". TEDGlobal Fellows 2012.
- "Fixing Nigeria Health care" (PDF). Dr Ola Orekunrin Brown.
- "Dr Ola New book|Fixing Nigeria Health care". Bella Naija.
- "Young African leaders". CNN. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- Nsehe, Mfonobong. "The 20 Young Power Women In Africa 2013". Forbes.
- "Fixing Nigeria Health care". Dr Ola Orekunrin Brown.
- "100 Most Influential Women In Nigeria – #YWomen".
- Opeyemi Kehinde (24 February 2018). "Dr. Ola Orekunrin-Brown receives Silverbird award". Daily Trust. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- Omoruyi, Omoleye (30 July 2020). "Dr. Ola Brown, Iyin Aboyeji, Abubakar Sadiq Falalu...See the #YNaijaPowerList2020 for Business » YNaija".
- "5 Nation-building requires sacrifice, Buhari tells 450 honourees". 12 October 2022.
- "15 African Female Founders You Should Know In 2023". African Folder. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.