Odunayo Eweniyi was born in Oyo State, Nigeria, the eldest of four children to two university professors. She graduated top of her class with a first-class degree in Computer Engineering from Covenant University in 2013, having originally hoped to study medicine before deciding she wasn't suited to the profession.
After an earlier startup attempt with two university colleagues failed to gain traction, the trio pivoted in 2016 to build PiggyVest, a digital savings and investment platform designed to modernise the traditional Nigerian practice of saving cash in wooden boxes known as 'kolo'. As co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Eweniyi helped grow PiggyVest into one of West Africa's largest fintech platforms, serving over 6.5 million users.
Beyond PiggyVest, Eweniyi co-founded FirstCheck Africa, a fund investing in women-led African startups, and co-founded the Feminist Coalition, which raised and distributed funds supporting Nigeria's 2020 #EndSARS protest movement. She has been named to Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30 and TIME100 Next.
- Co-founded PiggyVest, serving over 6.5 million users across West Africa
- Co-founded FirstCheck Africa, backing women-led African startups
- Co-founded the Feminist Coalition supporting Nigeria's #EndSARS movement
- Named to TIME100 Next and Forbes Africa 30 Under 30
- Persistence outlasts a single failed idea.. Her first startup attempt with her PiggyVest co-founders did not succeed, but the team stayed together and found the right idea next.
- Solve a problem already embedded in culture.. PiggyVest succeeded by digitising an existing savings habit rather than trying to invent new behaviour.
- Use platform influence for causes beyond business.. Her work with the Feminist Coalition extended her entrepreneurial network into direct civic action.