Betelhem Dessie
2024-2025 Obama Foundation Africa Leader
Chief Executive Officer, iCog
Ethiopia
Betelhem Dessie is the chief executive officer of iCog, a social enterprise dedicated to offering youth digital literacy skills for the 21st century. Faced with financial constraints and the absence of a formal education pathway, she utilized her curiosity for technology to teach herself everything from HTML to robotics and in turn taught her peers computer skills as well. A self-taught technologist, Betelhem nurtured her interest in technology, which blossomed into a movement empowering over 30,000 Ethiopian youth through the world of coding and the democratization of tech. Betelhem is a self-starter who has channeled her curiosity into building a large civil society organization for youth job creation and skill-building in Ethiopia.
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Join other Obama alumni in coming together to support the naming of the Water Garden at the Obama Presidential Center in honor of the life and legacy of President Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham—as a gift for the President’s 61st birthday.
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Watch President Obama share his vision for the Obama Presidential Center during a surprise visit with supporters and stakeholders—a vision for a public space that will honor history, help revitalize the South Side, and connect people throughout the communi
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