Chioma Eze: From Academy Graduate to Y Combinator Founder

Chioma Eze enrolled in Next Switch Academy with a background in accounting and a dream of building technology solutions. She left as a founder with a startup accepted into Y Combinator, one of the world's most prestigious startup accelerators.

"Before the Academy, I thought being a founder meant you had to have a technical degree from a top university," Chioma says. "The Academy showed me that the most important thing is not your background — it's your willingness to learn and your commitment to solving real problems."

Chioma's startup, which connects small-scale farmers with urban consumers, was built during her final project at the Academy. It has since grown to serve 5,000 farmers across three states in Nigeria.

"The Academy gave me more than skills," she says. "It gave me a community of builders who believe in me."