'From Artist to Creative Tech Head: Naima McLean's Transformation at ALX'
Naima McLean Leads Creative Economy at ALX, Africa's Leading Talent and Tech Accelerator
Naima McLean, a renowned figure in the African tech industry, has made a significant impact as the Vice President of Creative Economy at ALX, a pan-African career accelerator.
ALX, founded in 2018 by Fred Swaniker, has established itself as one of Africa's leading talent and tech accelerators, with a presence in major cities including Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra, Lagos, Kigali, Casablanca, Cairo, and Addis Ababa. The organisation equips young African professionals with tech and leadership skills to drive digital transformation.
McLean joined ALX in 2018 as part of a member experience team. Her transition into the organisation provided a stable platform beyond gig-based creative work and aligned with her mission to merge creativity and technology. Under her leadership in the creative economy, ALX supports innovation in sectors like fintech, healthtech, and climate solutions by nurturing startups and empowering young entrepreneurs continent-wide.
McLean's journey demonstrates that one does not need to be a coder to lead in tech. Before joining ALX, she stepped onto the stage at the first African Leadership Network (ALN) conference in Ethiopia in 2010 as a poet, musician, and producer. She completed an Executive MBA at Henley Business School in 2015 and has added "actress" to her list of roles throughout her career.
In early 2025, ALX rolled out a new strategy to support the creative industry combining tech training with Africa's rich cultural scene. McLean's vision for leadership in African tech is democratizing access. She is currently enrolled in an AI foundations course and aims to train a million young Africans in creative tech by 2030.
McLean's leadership style is characterized by empathy, emotional intelligence, focus, and commitment. She embraces "feminine leadership" in a male-dominated tech space and has learned that compassion is a strength in leadership. During a difficult decision-making period at ALX, she struggled with empathy but realized that it is a valuable asset in leadership.
ALX has helped thousands of young African entrepreneurs launch and scale startups, with alumni including notable VC-backed companies such as Nigeria’s healthtech, Healthtracka, and Rwanda’s fintech startup, Kayko. The organisation adapted quickly when COVID hit in 2020, with no background in tech but a will to learn, boosted by support from the Mastercard Foundation.
McLean's current focus is on democratizing access in the creative sector using technology. She is building a vision to help drive meaningful change through technology by training storytellers, animators, editors, designers, and digital artists to build pathways to real income. Her efforts are a testament to her commitment to bridging her artistic background with strategic tech leadership.
[1] ALX [2] Naima McLean [4] TechCabal
- Naima McLean, currently the Vice President of Creative Economy at ALX, is a significant figure in Africa's tech industry, leading the organization in fostering innovation in sectors like fintech, healthtech, and climate solutions.
- ALX, a leading talent and tech accelerator in Africa, has rolled out a new strategy to support the creative industry by combining tech training with Africa's rich cultural scene, under the leadership of Naima McLean.
- Beyond her artistic background, Naima McLean, who joined ALX in 2018, has completed an Executive MBA and is currently enrolled in an AI foundations course, aiming to train a million young Africans in creative tech by 2030.
- Notable VC-backed companies like Nigeria’s healthtech, Healthtracka, and Rwanda’s fintech startup, Kayko, are among the many startups launched and scaled by young African entrepreneurs with the help of ALX.
- Tech news platforms like TechCabal are often the first to report on ALX's ongoing contributions to the tech landscape in Africa, highlighting its impact on education-and-self-development and general news.
