Layo George – Wolomi
Layo George is the Founder and CEO of Wolomi, a maternal health startup dedicated to improving outcomes for women of color during their perinatal periods. Layo leads a team of culturally competent multidisciplinary experts addressing the maternal health crisis with a focus on population health, equity, and social determinants of health. Wolomi, through its companion app, provides resources and guidance to support aspiring moms, moms-to-be, and new moms, creating a unique community and platform for women of color.
Under Layo’s leadership, Wolomi has made significant strides in improving maternal health outcomes. The platform provides access to maternal health experts of color, culturally relevant resources, and educational tools, ensuring that mothers of color receive the support they need. Wolomi’s impact is evident, with 98% of its moms delivering at least 37 weeks or beyond and 100% receiving screenings for maternal mental health disorders.
Before founding Wolomi, Layo led the creation of groundbreaking products for Health IT, Marketing, and Health Information Exchange companies. As a quality improvement specialist at the District of Columbia Primary Care Association, she guided 15 healthcare centers through value-based practice transformation and oral health primary care integration. Layo also served on the leadership team at Mary’s Center’s Capital Clinical Integrated Network, creating a citywide care management program for Medicaid high utilizers. Currently, she also serves on the Board of Unity Healthcare and the DC Board of Nursing. Layo holds a Master’s in Health Administration System from Georgetown University.
Recognized as a 2024 AFROTECH Future 50 Leader in the Visionary Founder category, Layo’s work at Wolomi is a testament to her commitment to closing the gap in maternal health outcomes for women of color. Her vision and leadership continue to drive positive change in the healthcare system, making the perinatal journey better for all mothers and their families.
Asegun Henry -Fourth Power
Asegun Henry, founder and CTO of Fourth Power, has spent the past decade developing new industrial-scale energy technologies to mitigate climate change.
Bothered from a young age by the financial and environmental cost of fossil-fuel-derived electricity, he was determined to discover a sustainable solution to provide accessible and reliable carbon-free power.
After conducting years of R&D in his labs at MIT and Georgia Tech, Henry achieved his breakthrough — and thus, sparked Fourth Power into existence. Fourth Power makes renewable energy an on-demand energy source through utility-scale thermal battery technology. The company’s new technology could be 10 times cheaper and can store power for as long as a month.
Asegun has received numerous awards, including the 2018 World Technology Award for Energy, the 2021 Nokia Bell Labs Prize, the 2022 Inaugural Lewis Latimer Fellowship, and the 2023 NSF Waterman Award.
One of his technological breakthroughs is now in the Guinness Book of World Records and has opened the door for new high-temperature energy systems concepts, such as methane cracking for CO2-free hydrogen production and a new grid-level energy storage approach termed thermal batteries, also affectionately known as “Sun in a Box”.
Jasmine Crowe-Houston – GoodrCo
Under her dynamic leadership, Goodr has delivered over 30 million meals and diverted millions of pounds from landfills. By harnessing technology, Goodr revolutionizes hunger relief and waste reduction.
Crowe-Houston’s influential stature has been recognized by outlets like CNBC, Oprah Magazine, and Forbes, which underscores her impact. Her commitment extends beyond Goodr, as evidenced by her board positions at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Wellstar Foundation, Drawdown Georgia, and Universal Music Group’s Taskforce for Meaningful Change.
Donnel Baird – BlocPower
A Duke and Columbia Business School alumnus, Baird is a seasoned advocate with a distinguished career. He dedicated four years to grassroots organizing and subsequently managed a national effort to channel American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds into energy efficiency projects for underserved communities.
His commitment to public service is evident in his board memberships at the New York Federal Reserve Bank Second District Board, Climate Reality Project, and Coalition For Green Capital. Additionally, he serves on the advisory board of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Small Business Capital Formation.
Baird has received the following awards: Columbia Business School Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021, the National Venture Capital Association Startup Innovator of the Year in 2022, and TIME Magazine’s inaugural ‘Dreamer of the Year’ in 2022. In 2014, the White House named him a “Champion of Change” for his efforts in advancing clean energy and economic opportunity.
In 2022, his company was recognized by Fast Company as the #4 Most Innovative Company in the World, TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies, and the 42nd Most Disruptive Startup in the world by CNBC.
