Primary Job Title Founder Primary Organization 
Impact Hub Accra
Location Irvine, California, United States Regions Greater Los Angeles Area, West Coast, Western US Gender Male
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John Roberts is a serial social entrepreneur. He has spent 10 years growing non-profit, hybrid and for-profit models with a focus in sub-Saharan Africa. John is also an expert in online education with regards to the African market. The various ventures he has co-founded have raised over one million dollars in philanthropic and social impact
investment capital.
John co-founded and ran the Open University of West Africa (OUWA). OUWA worked with institutions like Udacity, Coursera, edX, University of the People and EPFL. OUWA aided these institutions’ online education offerings to penetrate the African market, retain their students, as well as localize learning. OUWA later spun off their campus to become Impact Hub Accra (IHA). John was instrumental in getting IHA off the ground. He helped fundraise when IHA was getting started and helped negotiate key partnerships which have now led to sustainability.
John spent 10 years living, studying and working abroad. He speaks fluent French, traveler's Spanish, and basic Mandarin. He has a Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs from the American University of Paris and a Masters Degree in Public Policy from the National University of Singapore.
John has consulted for the University of California at Irvine (on establishing an African focused research institute).
John is a Fellow of the Unreasonable Institute and a Global Shaper at the World Economic Forum.
