This month, we have chosen to dedicate several days to highlighting extraordinary African women who sit at the top echelon of their fields and whose contributions in business and education are shaping the future of the continent and influencing the world. Today, we are honored to spotlight Oluwaseun Adesanya.
Oluwaseun Adesanya has built her career at the intersection of technology and equity, and her latest venture addresses a problem she has witnessed firsthand: the role biased performance evaluations play in limiting opportunities for underrepresented professionals in corporate America.
Her company, Workfficient, has been accepted into GRID110’s Idea to Launch Bootcamp, marking a significant milestone for a platform designed to transform how mid-market and enterprise businesses approach employee assessment and development. The acceptance into one of Los Angeles’ foremost entrepreneurship incubators validates growing market demand for performance management systems that prioritize both efficiency and fairness.
Traditional annual performance evaluations have long been criticized as outdated and ineffective, contributing to employee disengagement and turnover that costs companies millions annually. Workfficient’s AI and machine learning technologies automate these processes while providing insights that help organizations retain high performers and ensure transparent, unbiased assessments. Market validation research conducted by the company found that 55% of HR managers and 50% of executives are actively seeking better solutions for performance tracking and evaluation.
Adesanya’s approach to building inclusive technology infrastructure extends beyond Workfficient. As a graduate student at USC’s Marshall School of Business, she led a Blackstone LaunchPad initiative that mapped over 200 entrepreneurial resources across Southern California, including incubators, funding sources, and mentorship networks. The resulting database democratized access to support systems that were previously fragmented and difficult for emerging founders to navigate, serving thousands of USC students.
Workfficient is currently developing its initial prototype and has advanced to the quarterfinals of the USC New Venture Seed Competition. Through GRID110’s Idea to Launch Bootcamp, Adesanya will access mentorship and resources to refine the platform’s business strategy and accelerate development toward beta testing with select clients in the coming months.
Adesanya’s work reflects the rising generation of African women redefining innovation on the global stage. By merging technology, equity, and actionable data insights, she is building solutions that not only improve organizational performance but also expand access and opportunity for underrepresented professionals. As Workfficient advances through GRID110’s Bootcamp and prepares for beta testing, Adesanya continues to demonstrate the vision, discipline, and leadership that position her as a transformative force in the future of work. Her journey is only beginning, and the impact of her contributions promises to reach far beyond Los Angeles, shaping more equitable workplaces across the world.
