Michael Tekie Alemu

Michael Tekie Alemu is an Ethiopian lawyer and entrepreneur with three years of experience in corporate law practice. Michael is the co-founder and CEO of Axiom Financial Technologies,Ethiopia. a start-up that uses artificial intelligence to assess creditworthiness and avail financial education and loans to farmers and small and medium enterprises, to whom formal financial services are inaccessible. Michael also co-founded Habeshawi Records, a music record label focused on developing young, passionate musicians who do not have access to resources to nurture, record, and release their music. Michael Tekie Alemu holds a Bachelor of Laws from Addis Ababa University. He is inspired by the power technology has in empowering people and improving the lives of people. His interest areas include access to finance, corporate law, and artistic freedom of expression. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Michael intends to continue building his start-ups to have a positive impact on his community.