Our team ( Board of Directors )

U.S Board of Directors

Dr. Beryne Odeny, MD, MPH, PhD

Beryne is a physician-scientist with over 15 years’ experience in global public health and population sciences, and a passionate health promotion advocate. She is an assistant professor of surgery at the Division of Public Health Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. She is deeply committed to understanding and addressing population-level gaps in access to healthcare by leveraging the tools of implementation science. Dr. Odeny collaborates with health providers, patients, and health systems to develop and implement strategies that promote healthcare access and utilization. These research initiatives aim to transform global healthcare by not only making new discoveries but also ensuring their practical application to effect tangible improvements in the everyday lives of people.

Dr. Odeny earned her medical degree from the University of Nairobi in Kenya, and her MPH and PhD in Implementation Science from the University of Washington, Seattle. She also is an author and academic editor with a long record of peer-reviewed publications, and hads has made significant contributions to the global publishing industry. Recently, she received recognition and funding for her work in healthcare access and her continued efforts to improve public health outcomes through innovative research.

Ifunanya Azie, MPH

Ifunanya is a Public Health Researcher whose goal is to improve the lives of women and children through cutting edge implementation science approaches. her Master of Public Health from the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington. She received her bachelor’s degree in Public Health Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. Ifunanya describes herself as a passionate advocate for adolescent and women’s sexual and reproductive health and girl’s education. She has worked with Strong Enough Girls’ Empowerment Initiative (SEGEI) – an international non-profit organization that empowers adolescent girls and young women through education (formal & informal), mentorship, and life skills development – as a program coordinator where she oversaw the mentorship arm of the non-profit. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and young women, gender equality, HIV/AIDS and health policy. She most recently worked as a Master of Social Work (MSW) Recruitment Specialist at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work. Outside work, she enjoys time outdoors exploring nature and hiking through the Pacific Northwest West with her two littles!

Ayo Oseni, MBA, PMP

Ayo is a College Admissions Strategist & Founder of US College Experts. Formally an undocumented student who navigated the US higher educational system with minimal help, Ayo now coaches first-generation (immigrant and US-born) students on the importance of an education. She is the Co-Founder of US College Experts, an educational consulting company fully dedicated to preparing, inspiring, and connecting students to the best college opportunities.

She holds a Master of Business Administration in Project Management from Brenau University and a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from the University of West Georgia. She is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC). Outside of her career, Ayo is extremely passionate about youth development and empowerment and currently volunteers as an Adult Leader and College Access Program Manager at Jesus House, DC.

Onyinye Edeh-Vincent, MPH

Onyinye is a Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist and innovative Social Entrepreneur with over a decade of domestic and international health work experience and a contagious commitment to advancing adolescent and women’s sexual and reproductive health, girls’ education, and youth empowerment. She is the Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer (CEO) of Strong Enough Girls’ Empowerment Initiative (SEGEI), a youth and female-led non-profit organization that empowers adolescent girls and young women through education (formal & informal), mentorship, and life skills development, including Comprehensive Sexuality Education. Onyinye is astute in non-profit management, qualitative research, adolescents and youth programming, monitoring and evaluation, multi-sectoral leadership, and possesses a deep familiarity of socio-cultural and political contexts in sub-Saharan Africa. She is exceptionally skilled at promoting trans-cultural learning and knowledge exchange. In 2020, she was recognized as one of 50 Changemakers of Public Health by the University of Washington, School of Public Health. She is the Convener of the Evolve Mentorship Program (EMP), a pan-African leadership and mentorship program for emerging Black women leaders aged 18-35 years. Onyinye is also a published author; her debut book is a memoir in honor of her living father, entitled Adannia: Her Father’s Daughter.

Nigeria Board of Directors

Management Staff

Onyinye Edeh

Founder

Founder of SEGEI, she is a Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist and innovative social entrepreneur with over 10 years of domestic and international experience. She is committed to advancing adolescent and women’s sexual and reproductive health, girls’ education, and youth empowerment. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology & Anthropology from Agnes Scott College, Georgia, USA.

Queen C Ugwoeru

Executive Director

Queen is the Executive Director at SEGEI whereby she plans, designs, and supervises health and education programs that improve the well-being of adolescent girls and young women. Queen is a gender equality advocate and is passionate about empowering adolescent girls and women, especially in Africa, with the required skills to thrive and aspire to become leaders in society. She has a B.Tech in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.

Oluwatosin Omiyale

Education Program Coordinator

Tosin is the Education Program Coordinator at SEGEI, where she coordinates the implementation of programs aimed at empowering girls and young women, monitors progress, and evaluates impact to ensure effectiveness. She builds and maintains partnerships with organizations and community groups to leverage resources and expand outreach. Additionally, she advocates for girls’ rights and raises awareness about gender equality. She holds a B.Sc. in Human Anatomy from the University of Ilorin and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Health Promotion at the University of Zaria.

Solomon Sampson

Finance Officer

Solomon is a Finance Officer at SEGEI who is in charge of the organization’s financial management. He’s a graduate of Accounting with a special interest in politics. He strongly believes in gender equality as a means through which both genders can give out to society through their wealth of knowledge. His philosophy is “Dress the way you want to feel and not the way you’re presently feeling.”

Salomey Isaiah

Business Development Officer

Salomey is a Business Development Officer at SEGEI identifies funding opportunities and collaborates with team to ensure the development of timely and high-quality project proposals ensuring compliance with guidelines. Additionally, she has a strong passion for making meaningful impact in healthcare system and community well-being which makes her an integral part of any team seeking effective program coordination. She holds a B.Sc. in Human Anatomy from the University of Port Harcourt and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Federal University of Technology, Owerri.