Ory Okolloh

Kemi Ajumobi

April 7, 2026

Ory Okolloh
Partner, Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures

Ory Okolloh’s story is filled with lessons but most importantly, an inspiring life. She would readily tell you she didn’t grow up in the slums but she knows what it means to live without money. “When things were good, we had eggs and sausages and when things were bad, we had porridge and like many African families, my parents could never save because they supported siblings and cousins, even their parents…things were always dicey.” She stated.

When Ory was born, her parents knew she was a smart kid and they did not want her to go to a neighbourhood school which was free. So they decided to take her to a school they could barely afford, a private catholic elementary school, which set the foundation for what ended up being Ory’s career. 

While at school, she got kicked out almost every term. She kept wondering why her parents didn’t take her to a cheap school, the situation they found themselves in, having to often source for funds for school embarrassed her but today, she says she understands better.

She saw her parents humiliated because of their background and she made the decision to ensure she turns her life around.  Sadly, her father died of AIDS and she found out by Google. They didn’t tell her what it was that took her dad’s life but Google did. Being a smart child, she saw the cause and read up about it on Google. She recounts that there wasn’t enough funds handy because at that time, several years ago where she was, only one bank in Kenya had an ATM, and so he died as the ambulance was on its was to them.

Through all of that, guess who turned out gold, who also became a Harvard educated Lawyer? Of course, Ory! In her words, “Africans need to get better at telling our stories.”

Ory Okolloh is currently a Partner at Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, a pan-African focused venture capital firm that backs exceptional founders in and from Africa.  Previously, Ory was the Managing Director, Omidyar Network and Luminate Group in Africa, both impact investing arms of The Omidyar Group.

She serves on the Board of Directors of several organisations including the Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company, the East African Breweries Limited, Deloitte Africa, the Board of Trustees of the Van Leer Group, the Adecco Group Foundation, the Harvard Africa Advisory Group and is the Chair of the Stanbic Bank Kenya Foundation.  She is also an Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN) Fellow.

Prior to this, Ory was Google’s policy and strategy manager for Africa. Ory was also at the forefront of developing technology innovation as a founding member of Ushahidi. She was the organisation’s Executive Director from inception until December 2010. Ory is also the co-founder of Mzalendo, a website that tracks the performance of Kenyan MPs and Asphalt & Ink, a strategic advisory firm. In 2011, she was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and one of Africa’s most Powerful Women by Forbes Magazine. In 2014 she was named Time 100’s most influential people in the world.

Al Kags, Ashoka Fellow, Co-Founder & Executive Director, The Open Institute, describes her as “Extremely brilliant and she cares deeply about people and systems that make people’s lives just and comfortable. I have seen her in action pushing boundaries to make things better so often and so hard, that it is clear that is who she is.”

As Partner at Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, the venture’s recent final close of $60million is being celebrated.