…Makes history as only black man on Silicon board
Nigerian technology entrepreneur and Flutterwave Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, has been named to the Silicon Valley & The World Advisory Board’s Founders Council, joining more than 50 global entrepreneurs, business leaders and technology figures in a major initiative focused on the future of technology, artificial intelligence and global economic development.
The initiative, launched by global media company Semafor, brings together leaders building transformative technologies with policymakers and other influential figures shaping how such technologies are deployed and their impact on economies and societies.
Agboola’s appointment places the founder of the Nigerian-founded payments technology company within a global forum whose advisory board is co-chaired by some of the world’s most prominent technology and business leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, NVIDIA Founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet and Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat, AMD Chair and CEO Lisa Su, and ICONIQ Capital Founding Partner Divesh Makan.
The expanded advisory board comprises more than 50 global figures whose work spans technology, business, investment and innovation, with the initiative designed to deepen conversations around artificial intelligence, national competitiveness, capital formation, energy, security, labour markets and the changing relationship between technological power and public policy.
Reacting to his appointment, Agboola said technology had transformed how economies grow, businesses compete and people participate in the global economy. He expressed his readiness to bring an African perspective to the initiative and contribute to conversations shaping the next generation of global technology.
His appointment also builds on his growing involvement in international technology and business leadership. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the U.S.-Africa Business Center Board of Directors at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and has held board roles with organisations including the Corporate Council on Africa, Endeavor Nigeria, Lagoon Hospitals and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art Advisory Board.
Under Agboola’s leadership, Flutterwave has expanded from a payments gateway into a broader financial infrastructure platform serving businesses across Africa and international markets. The company says it has processed more than one billion transactions worth over $50 billion.
Semafor launched Silicon Valley & The World as a multi-year initiative aimed at connecting the builders of transformative technologies with global leaders responsible for shaping their wider economic, social and policy implications. Its inaugural two-day convening is scheduled for November 2026 in Silicon Valley.
Agboola’s inclusion provides a significant African perspective in a global conversation increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, technology investment and the future of innovation.
