Madeline Ileleji is a passionate social innovator and Business Development Manager at Jokkolabs Banjul—a leading hub for ICT-driven development and education initiatives in The Gambia. She champions transformative projects aligned with the core Jokkolabs pillars: Creative Space, Community, Innovation, and Research.

Madeline is the founder of Riddles of the Sun, a literary magazine that creatively addresses political and social issues in The Gambia and across Africa through storytelling and humor. She is also the visionary behind the Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Awareness Program (LEAP)—an initiative that empowers young women through entrepreneurship and leadership development.

Her work includes coordinating Jokkolabs’ After School Program and Summer Camp, where she mentors children in creative writing, coding, and design thinking—nurturing cognitive growth, critical reasoning, and problem-solving skills.

An influential voice in Africa’s tech and innovation space, Madeline serves on the board of AfriLabs as the West African representative and is Secretary General of the Information Technology Association of The Gambia. She also contributes to several national and international ICT committees, including:

• The Gambia National Internet Governance Forum

• The National Technical Committee for Employment

• The International Network of Women Digital Experts

Her research contributions include reports such as the State of Digital Inclusion in The Gambia, Gambia Tech Start-Up Ecosystem Analysis, and UNESCO’s Internet Universality Indicators for The Gambia.

A 2021 Zovu Climate Storytelling Fellow and producer of a documentary on saltwater intrusion and climate change, Madeline believes in shaping lives by making an impact—one person at a time.