Mary Akinwola

Mary Akinwola is a Mastercard–AfOx Scholar at the University of Oxford, pursuing an MSc in Health Service Improvement and Evaluation. Her work focuses on advancing equitable health systems through innovation and evidence-driven design. Prior to Oxford, Mary led digital health and service delivery initiatives in Nigeria, collaborating with partners including the World Bank, Microsoft, Reckitt, and state Ministries of Health to expand access to maternal and child health services. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rehabify, a technology-enabled rehabilitation platform connecting underserved communities to specialist care. Mary has been recognised as a McKinsey Next Generation Women Leader, a United States Carrington Youth Fellow, and a finalist and winner in multiple innovation and case competitions. As the 2026 Innovation Seed Fund Lead, she is focused on expanding support for student innovators across Africa, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and enabling scalable, context-aware solutions that strengthen systems. She is driven by a belief that innovation should transform service delivery while empowering communities to lead sustainable change.