Dr Carol N. Ibe is Founder and President of the JR Biotek Foundation. Originally from Nigeria, Carol understands the urgent need to develop the right capacity to advance bioscience education, research, and innovation to eradicate hunger, malnutrition, and extreme poverty in Africa. This led her to set up the JR Biotek Foundation – to provide Africa-based agricultural researchers with the right skillset and opportunities to improve widely consumed crop varieties in African countries, and to foster links between the lab and market to support smallholder farmers in the region. Carol received her PhD in Plant Sciences (as a Gates Scholar) from the University of Cambridge and is undertaking her postdoctoral research at the world renowned UK agricultural research institute – the John Innes Centre. Carol’s unwavering dedication and passion to improve the lives of others through her research and Foundation’s work has led to numerous awards including the University of Cambridge Society for the Application of Research Awards (CSAR) and the 2019 Bill Gates Sr. Prize.