# Abadesi Osunsade

> Abadesi Osunsade is a British entrepreneur, author, podcast co-host, and inclusion advocate who founded Hustle Crew in 2016 to advance underrepresented talent in tech. A third-culture kid born in Washington D.C. to a Nigerian father and Filipina mother, she studied Economics & Government at LSE before scaling teams at Groupon, Amazon, and HotelTonight. She co-created Elpha (YC S19), co-hosts the Top 20 Apple Podcasts tech show Techish, scouts for Ada Ventures, and currently serves as Ecosystem Lead at Geovation. Recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe (2019) and the Financial Times' Top 100 Influential Leaders in Tech (2018), she is one of the UK tech ecosystem's most visible champions of equitable hiring and inclusive culture.

- **Role:** Ecosystem Lead at Geovation / Founder & CEO at Hustle Crew
- **Organizations:** Hustle Crew, Geovation, Elpha, Ada Ventures, Extend Ventures, Art Fund, GoodGym, Roedean School, Techish
- **From:** Washington, D.C., USA
- **Nationality:** British
- **Education:** Secondary Education, Roedean School, Brighton, BSc (Hons) Economics and Government, London School of Economics and Political Science
- **Known for:** Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe (Technology) 2019, Financial Times Top 100 Influential Leaders in Tech 2018, Financial Times Top 100 BAME Leaders in Tech 2018

## Career timeline

- **2009** — Graduated from LSE during the 2008 financial crisis
- **2009** — Wrote for the Financial Times; acted in a BBC Radio 4 play (first invoice)
- **2009-2012** — Partner Manager #11-12 at Groupon London; scaled department 5x in 8 months pre-IPO
- **2012-2013** — Growth role at Amazon
- **2013-2016** — Market launch role at HotelTonight (later acquired by Airbnb)
- **2016** — Published Dream Big. Hustle Hard: The Millennial Woman's Guide to Success in Tech
- **2016** — Founded Hustle Crew (August 2016) with Natalie Nzeyimana
- **2017-2020** — Head of Maker Outreach at Product Hunt
- **2018** — Named in Financial Times Top 100 Influential Leaders in Tech and Top 100 BAME Leaders in Tech
- **2018-2020** — Scout at BACKED VC
- **2019** — Co-founded Elpha (YC S19) - professional community for women in tech
- **2019** — Named Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe (Technology)
- **2019** — Began scouting for Ada Ventures (£50M fund)
- **2020** — Named Forbes 25 Black Business Leaders to Follow and Computer Weekly Top 50 Women in Tech
- **2020-2022** — Global VP of Community & Belonging at Brandwatch; increased Black hires 800% YoY
- **2020** — Joined Art Fund and GoodGym as Board Trustee
- **2021** — Became Governor of Roedean School; named Management Today Inspiring Women in Business
- **2023** — Named UKtech50 Most Influential in UK Technology
- **2025** — Keynoted Women in Cybersecurity at Infosecurity Europe alongside Brian Cox and Rory Stewart
- **2025** — Serving as Ecosystem Lead at Geovation (Ordnance Survey initiative)

## Achievements

- Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe (Technology) 2019
- Financial Times Top 100 Influential Leaders in Tech 2018
- Financial Times Top 100 BAME Leaders in Tech 2018
- Forbes 25 Black Business Leaders to Follow 2020
- Computer Weekly Top 50 Women in Tech 2020
- Management Today Inspiring Women in Business 2021
- EQL:HER InspiringFifty Europe 2022
- UKtech50 Most Influential in UK Technology 2023
- Co-founded Elpha (accepted into Y Combinator S19)
- Built Hustle Crew with zero outside funding into a globally recognised inclusion brand
- Increased Black hires at Brandwatch 800% YoY as Global VP Community & Belonging
- Techish podcast ranked Top 20 Apple Podcasts Technology shows
- Published Dream Big. Hustle Hard (5-star Amazon rating)
- Joined Groupon London as employee #11-12; scaled department 5x pre-IPO

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Keynoted Women in Cybersecurity event at Infosecurity Europe 2025, speaking alongside Professor Brian Cox
- **2025-04** — Featured on The Slow Down podcast discussing burnout, boundaries, and learning to say no
- **2026-06** — Listed as speaker at London Tech Week 2026
- **2025-01** — Continuing as Ecosystem Lead at Geovation (Ordnance Survey initiative for UK location data startups)

## Links

- Website: https://www.abadesi.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abadesi/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Abadesi
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abadesi/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/abadesi-osunsade
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-29