Virtue Oboro

Virtue Oboro
NationalityNigerian
Occupation(s)Entreprenueur and inventor of Crib A'Glow Phototherapy
EmployerTiny Hearts Technology
Websitehttps://tinyheartshq.com/

Virtue Oboro is a Nigerian entrepreneur, and co-founder of Tiny Hearts Technology.[1][2][3][4] In 2016, she developed and launched Crib ‘A Glow, an LED-lit portable crib that treats jaundice utilizing solar energy, and patented the innovation in 2017.[5][6][7][8]

Virtue serves as campaign coordinator for Yellow Alert Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to training nurses, midwives, and community health workers across rural Nigeria.[9][10] She volunteers for the Olive Mentorship Program, Education Africa Foundation, and the Lutheran Refugee Program.[9]

Education

Virtue completed a bachelor's degree in Fine and Applied Arts at the Cross River State University of Technology and a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from the Enterprise Development Center, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos state.[11] Thereafter she earned a master's degree from Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom.[9]

Tiny Hearts Company

The Tiny Hearts Technology company was established by Virtue and her husband, Ezoukumo Oboro.[12][13] The company manufactures Crib A'Glow, a solar-powered device to treat neonatal jaundice[14] as well as incubators and diaper rash creams for preterm babies.[15] Tiny Hearts is composed of biomedical engineers, designers, and medical professionals.[13][14] The organization coordinates the Yellow Alert Program, an initiative that educates and raises awareness of neonatal jaundice among health workers and women.[16][15] Virtue Oboro serves as the director of innovation, at Tiny Hearts Technology.[9]

Cribs A'Glow

The Crib A'Glow is a portable, affordable phototherapy device made in Nigeria.[14][17] The innovation is recognized around the world and has saved 550,000 babies in more than 500 hospitals across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Benin.[15][18][16][19][20] In order to facilitate infant recovery, hospitals, health centers, and first-time mothers purchase or rent cribs.[21] COVID-19 caused a high demand for cribs, as parents wanted to avoid hospitals while caring for their newborns.[22]

Awards

Virtue's Tiny Hearts Technology and Crib A'Glow innovation won a $50,000 prize as the winner of the African Innovation Challenge 2.0 by Johnson & Johnson and the Unilever Young Entrepreneurs Award.[23][16] In 2020, her company was awarded the third-place prize for digital innovation by the American Business Council and the United States Chamber of Commerce. She was selected to compete for the Royal Academy of Engineering's Africa Prize in 2022.[24][17] Also, she was awarded the Mandela Washington Fellow, the Sterling Bank Startups(2nd place), and the Diamond Bank awards.[22]

Works

  • Oboro, Virtue & Xia, Guobin. (2022). User Experience Design- A conceptual campaign to launch a crowdfunding web platform for color light therapy. User Experience Seminar Presentation. 10.13140/RG.2.2.33205.96486[25]
  • Oboro Virtue(2022). Changes in Coca-Cola from the Pandemic. Change Management Seminar at Heriot-Watt University. 10.13140/RG.2.2.29850.52168[26]
  • Oboro, Virtue. (2022). Change Management. Change Management Seminar at Heriot-Watt University. 10.13140/RG.2.2.23139.6352[26]
  • Oboro, Virtue & Xia, Guobin. (2022). UXD Research Project.  10.13140/RG.2.2.19784.19205.    
  • Oboro, Virtue. (2022). An Empathic Design Approach on the Heriot-Watt University (Scottish borders) main hall. Conference: Design Thinking and Innovation.

See also

Crib A'Glow

References

  1. ^ "Virtue Oboro Is Saving Thousands Of Babies With Jaundice Through 'Crib A'Glow' - Glim". Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  2. ^ M, Mac. "The Cure to Baby Jaundice: Nigerian Mom Designs Solar-Powered Cribs". The Echo. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  3. ^ Ozdemir, Derya (2021-12-27). "A Mother Built a Solar-Powered Unit To Save Infants From a Common Disease". interestingengineering.com. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  4. ^ Staff Reports (2020-07-20). "Virtue Oboro's Crib A' glow Saves Infants with Jaundice". BORGEN. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  5. ^ "Engineering.com". www.engineering.com. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  6. ^ Africa, Amref Health (2018-11-12). "Innovate For Life Fund 2018 Cohort". Amref Health Africa. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  7. ^ "Engineering the future: meet the Africa prize shortlist innovators". the Guardian. 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  8. ^ Oluwole, Victor (2021-11-25). "Meet the African entrepreneurs shortlisted for the 2022 Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize". Business Insider Africa. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  9. ^ a b c d (Lalemi) Oboro, Virtue (19 November 2022). "Innovator of the Crib A'glow Phototherapy Units (for treatment of jaundice in newborns)". LinkedIn. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Home". YellowAlertFoundation. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  11. ^ Mkiwa, Felix (2018-07-07). "Virtue Olaitan Oboro Bio". Wiki Mzansi. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  12. ^ "Turning a parent's worst nightmare into a blessing for babies with jaundice". patient-innovation.com. 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  13. ^ a b "VIRTUE OBORO – Co-Founder of Nigerian Tech Startup which is Fighting Baby Jaundice with Solar-Powered Cribs – Africa Leaders Magazine". africanleadersmagazine.com. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  14. ^ a b c Ozdemir, Derya (2021-12-27). "A Mother Built a Solar-Powered Unit To Save Infants From a Common Disease". interestingengineering.com. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  15. ^ a b c "About Us | TinyHeartsHq". Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  16. ^ a b c Oboro, Virtue (2021-04-05). "About Virtue Oboro". Medium. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  17. ^ a b Corbley, Andy (2022-03-10). "Nigerian Mom Designs Solar-Powered Cribs That Put an End to Baby Jaundice Disease". Good News Network. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  18. ^ "Nigerian Mum Designs Innovative Crib To Treat Babies Born With Jaundice, The Crib Has Been Used In 500 Hospitals". ElorasBlog. 2022-06-10. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  19. ^ "Current cohort". africaprize.raeng.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  20. ^ Daniels, Ajiri (2022-11-13). "Tiny Hearts restates commitment to fight neonatal jaundice". The Sun Nigeria. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  21. ^ "Virtue Oboro Is Saving Thousands Of Babies With Jaundice Through 'Crib A'Glow' - Glim". Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  22. ^ a b Menezes, Fino (2022-04-04). "How a Nigerian tech startup is tackling baby jaundice and saving lives with solar-powered cribs". BrightVibes. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  23. ^ "Crib A'Glow", Wikipedia, 2022-05-26, retrieved 2022-11-19
  24. ^ Cairns, Rebecca (2022-02-22). "This Nigerian tech startup is fighting baby jaundice with solar-powered cribs". CNN. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  25. ^ Oboro & Xia (22 November 2022). "User Experience Seminar Presentation". Researchgate. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  26. ^ a b Oboro, Virtue (22 November 2022). "Change Management Seminar". Researchgate.