For many African women, the biggest barrier to building wealth is not a lack of ambition but a lack of access — to the right financial tools, credit, investment opportunities and information. Solape Akinpelu, CEO and co-founder of the fintech company HerVest, is working to close that gap by building digital financial solutions around the realities women face.

Through HerVest, a platform focused on improving financial access for African women, users can access savings, impact investing and credit financing. The company also connects smallholder women farmers and women-led businesses to financing opportunities that can support their growth. HerVest now counts more than 100,000 members, a figure that reflects growing demand for financial services designed with women in mind. Read together, the platform's mix of savings, investing and credit products maps directly onto the access gaps named above — the tools, credit and investment opportunities that many African women have long been shut out of.

Akinpelu's work in technology and financial inclusion extends beyond HerVest. A tech business leader, gender finance expert and best-selling author, she serves as Global Co-Chair of Marketing for the Women in Tech Global Movement and as the movement's Country Manager for Nigeria. She previously served as Chairman of Technology at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, where she helped promote technology trade and investment between Nigeria and Britain.

She is a member of the Presidential High-Level Advisory Committee to the President of Nigeria on Women and Girls' Economic Empowerment and sits on the Gender Committee Desk at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), contributing to the Framework for Advancing Women's Financial Inclusion. Holding seats on both a presidential committee and a central bank working group places her at the intersection of policy and product — the space where Nigeria's financial inclusion agenda is set and where platforms like HerVest operate.

With a background in financial marketing, Akinpelu previously served as Head of Marketing at Meristem, a Nigerian investment and wealth management group. She is a Certified Financial Education Instructor and a member of the Personal Finance Speakers Association in the United States and the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the United Kingdom. She is also a sought-after speaker on gender finance and women's economic empowerment and the author of Stripped: An African Woman's Guide to Building Generational Wealth, a best-selling personal finance book focused on helping African women build and sustain wealth.

As part of TechNext24's Women in Tech trivia series, Akinpelu shared her daily habits, inspirations and views on financial inclusion — a format that gives readers a window into the routines and product thinking behind a platform serving more than 100,000 women. Her answers, in her own words:

In Her Own Words

On her morning routine:

"My mornings are a mix of quiet reflection, planning my day, catching up on what matters, and getting into work mode."

On her primary work devices:

"I use a high-performance laptop as my primary work device for managing tasks, communication, presentations, research, and virtual meetings. I also use a smartphone for communication, managing emails, and accessing important work applications when I am away from my laptop."

On the software she relies on:

"Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Outlook and PowerPoint."

On where she finds inspiration:

"I read, have conversations with interesting people, and take time away from the noise to think. I also find a lot of inspiration in seeing women build, create and overcome difficult circumstances. Sometimes, stepping back from work and simply observing how people navigate everyday life gives me the best ideas."

On the app she cannot do without:

"I can't do without. It keeps me connected to my team, family, partners and the wider HerVest community. So much of my day involves conversations, collaboration and staying connected, and WhatsApp makes that seamless."

On a product she wishes existed:

"I wish there was a truly intelligent financial companion designed specifically for African women. The one that understands your income, spending patterns, financial goals and life stage, and proactively helps you make better financial decisions. Not just an app that shows you numbers, but one that actually understands your financial journey and guides you towards greater financial security."

On the problem she would solve:

"I would solve financial inequality, particularly for women across Africa. I would want every woman, regardless of where she lives or what she earns, to have access to the knowledge, tools, capital and opportunities she needs to build a financially secure life. I believe financial security gives women greater freedom to make choices, support their families and shape their communities."

On the leader she most admires:

"Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. I admire her ability to operate at the highest levels of global leadership while remaining deeply committed to Africa's development. Her resilience, intellect and ability to create impact at scale inspire me. She reminds me that African women can sit at any table and also build the tables we need."

On the saying that guides her:

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. It reminds me that meaningful change is rarely built by one person. The biggest problems we are trying to solve require collaboration, shared vision and people who are willing to build together."

On the stories she would like to read:

"I would love to read a women-in-tech trivia featuring African women who are quietly changing the world through technology, women building startups, creating solutions to everyday problems, breaking barriers and opening doors for the next generation. I'd especially love stories that go beyond their achievements and share the challenges, failures and defining moments that shaped their journeys."

From her mornings to her product wishlist, Akinpelu's answers circle back to the thread that frames her work: financial tools work best when they are built around the realities of the women using them. Her own wish for the series — stories that go beyond achievements to the challenges, failures and defining moments behind them — points to the kind of storytelling she believes African women in tech deserve more of.

Source: TechNext24