Meet Vivian

Three years into her university studies in biomedical science, Olutola Vivian Adewumi attended a campus event almost by chance: a Women Techmakers event organized by Google for International Women’s Day. Until then, she had never imagined herself working in technology. She listened to women talk about coding, product development and solving problems through digital tools and remembers thinking, “this is what I want to do”. Without a computer science background, she began teaching herself. Evenings and weekends were devoted to learning JavaScript and Python, among other technical skills. And when the pandemic hit later that year, Vivian returned home and began experimenting with new ideas and applying for hackathons. It was then that she discovered a field that brought together her scientific training and her growing fascination with technology: digital health. Today, Vivian works at the intersection of health, communications and innovation. She is Program Manager for the Africa Digital Health Networks (ADHN), while also serving as Executive Director of the youth-focused NGO Digital Health Africa, where she mentors young professionals and leads a network of volunteers across some 30 African universities. In addition, she works as an independent digital health communications consultant and is currently working on a project for the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Digital Health Innovation. Her ambitions, however, extend beyond technology itself,

I want to ensure that Africa has the people and systems needed to use digital health effectively. Tech alone does not solve problems – people do. If a young person is able to understand digital health from a systems perspective because of my program and then goes on to design solutions that improve healthcare in the community – that is the change I am trying to make.

A Day in the Life
Vivian’s work is as varied as it is demanding.

“For me, no two days are the same. That is one thing I love about my work – it is dynamic,” she says.

As Program Manager for ADHN – her ‘nine-to-five’ – Vivian spends a large part of her working day connecting people, ideas and opportunities, much of it behind the scenes. Her work ranges from developing communications strategies and coordinating activities across the network to supporting stakeholders  including government institutions, NGOs, academia, youth networks and private sector partners  to turn their ideas into concrete actions.

Mornings are often dedicated to meetings and planning sessions with ADHN’s Board and incubation partners. Afternoons may shift into communication and engagement: speaking at webinars, moderating discussions, preparing newsletters and creating content designed to strengthen digital health capacities among young people.

And the working day rarely ends there. Evenings are usually devoted to mentoring young
people and checking in with the volunteers and interns she coordinates through DHA, the youth-led organization which she founded to support the next generation of digital health leaders.

Travel is also a regular part of the job. In June 2026, Vivian was communications lead for the Africa Healthtech Summit (AHTSx) in Canada, and she also took part in Africa CDC’s continent-wide consultation on implementing the YES! Health Strategy (Youth Engagement and Participation in Global Health) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Somehow, amid all the travel, meetings and mentoring, Vivian found the time to co-write a Digital Health Careers Starter Kit ebook for young people interested in a career in digital health. She is especially proud to have secured a foreword by Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Chief Digital Adviser at Africa CDC.

Being a woman in digital tech

Vivian talks openly about both the opportunities and challenges she has experienced as a young woman working in digital health.

Early mentorship played a huge role in accelerating her career, and she credits women-focused technology networks, such as One Healthtech and She Code Africa, with helping her understand the landscape and navigate challenges from an early stage in her career.

“These two things – mentorship and networking – have really helped me to feel that I belong in this space,” says Vivian.

At the same time, Vivan describes the challenges inherent in often being the youngest person  and sometimes the only woman  in the room: “As a woman, sometimes your ideas get overlooked. I have to be attentive and claim my contributions without being aggressive –this is something men rarely have to do.”

Representation also matters deeply to Vivian. Every panel, conference and public appearance is an opportunity to widen young women’s sense of what is possible. At Digital Health Africa, around 70-80% of the volunteers are women, and developing their leadership skills is an intentional and important part of the organization’s work.

What is needed to encourage more young women into digital health?

For Vivian, the answer starts with visibility. Girls need to see women like them working across all the aspects of digital health and AI from an early age, because seeing someone doing the work changes what feels possible.

Vivian makes an important distinction between mentorship and sponsorship. While mentors offer valuable advice and guidance, sponsors go a step further – opening doors, recommending young people for job opportunities, introducing them to networks and actively advocating for their participation.

This idea sits at the heart of Digital Health Africa; Vivian spends much of her time connecting young people to opportunities and supporting them to pursue their digital health career goals.

Practical changes are also needed, not only to support women entering the sector, but to help them remain and to progress. These include more flexible training and working models, safer travel to and from events, hybrid participation and schedules that recognize the realities of women’s lives. As Vivian points out, “a lot of networking events are designed around timelines that do not suit women – and this is often where the money and opportunities are being discussed.”

Her message is simple: more intentionality – and more investment. Building stronger digital health systems is not only about the technology, but about creating the conditions for more young people to develop and implement digital health solutions – and to lead the teams and organizations behind them.