Meet Ochuko Akpovbovbo

How did you learn about PDXWIT and what keeps you coming back?

I am an international student from Nigeria, and I had been living in Portland for about two years when I found PDXWIT. I was working on a project and looking for some mentorship. I went online and found PDXWIT, cold emailed Hazel and Elizabeth, and introduced myself. They actually replied and were super kind! What keeps me in tune with PDXWIT is the fact that I found my community there. I have met some amazing women who encourage and inspire me, and I never ever feel too small or too different—two things that are easy to feel in this world.

Can you give us some background on your career in tech? Did you intend this career path? 

I am an economics major at Lewis & Clark college; I did not plan for a career in tech. For me, it was finding communities like PDXWIT and PIE (Portland Incubator Experiment) that reeled me in. I met so many intelligent, kind, and creative people that I decided that was what I was going to be too. While my "career" hasn't started yet in the traditional sense, I hope to keep doing what I do now, which is finding innovative and inclusive solutions to problems, big and small. 

What are your thoughts on women and entrepreneurship?

Right now I am working on a media startup called Parachute which creates content and experiences for women of color. I think many creators are scared to fail; I kind of am too. But more than anything, when I tell people about what I'm doing and I see that glimmer in their eyes that says "yes, I get that!," I'm scared that this might actually succeed. I know I am solving a problem that is real and much bigger than me. Imagine creating something that is much bigger than you... will I still be me? Will I cease to be Ochuko or just become the founder of Parachute? Pretty existential, but it's a real question about success and identity I think every ambitious person should ponder. I like Ochuko and I hope I never lose her.