Lani Sodunke becomes 233rd Global Tech Hero

The Connected Awards has announced the induction of Lani Sodunke, ACIM, as the 233rd Certified Global Tech Hero. Lani’s ascension to this distinguished honour is the culmination of a career marked by relentless innovation, strategic vision, and transformative impact in the digital marketing and customer experience arena. From her pioneering of Nigeria’s first-ever Health-Technology Black Friday to the launch of her own marketing analytics platform, Lani has consistently demonstrated an ability to harness technology’s promise for measurable business growth and lasting societal benefit.

Lani’s journey began amidst the rich tapestry of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit, where she combined a formal education in Entrepreneurship with a deep curiosity about how digital channels could reshape consumer engagement. Early in her career, she took on the challenge of developing a pitch deck that secured $2.6 million in funding for CribMD, one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing health-technology startups. This achievement set the stage for her emergence as a thought leader whose campaigns consistently deliver high returns on investment.

Lani’s rising influence in the digital marketing world was nationally acknowledged when she was featured as a top digital marketing personality of 2021 by Tech Economy. She has accepted an invitation to be one of the keynote speakers at Women in Tech SEO Festival in Germany which shows her commitment to the global audience. At that event, her address on precision targeting and ethical data use resonated with international marketers, reinforcing her reputation as a practitioner who marries creative ingenuity with a principled approach to consumer privacy and regulatory compliance.

Lani’s professional ethos is grounded in her accreditation as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. This affiliation reflects her commitment to ethical standards and continuous professional development. At Kineo, a leading global digital e-Learning company, she orchestrated high-impact paid campaigns aligned with buyer intent, generating over £300,000 in opportunity value. By cultivating close partnerships with sales and product teams, she ensured that each campaign delivered quantifiable contributions to revenue pipelines, demonstrating how marketing can be seamlessly integrated with wider business objectives.

Beyond traditional marketing roles, Lani’s entrepreneurial drive led her to found BaxAnalytics in early 2025. Recognizing a gap in accessible, data-driven tools for digital businesses, she developed a marketing analytics platform that empowers entrepreneurs to decode user behavior and optimize site performance. Within a few months of its launch, BaxAnalytics experienced significant user adoption organically. This growth indicates that the product resonated with its target audience, addressing real-world challenges effectively. This early success demonstrates BaxAnalytics capability to engineer scalable solutions that appeal to users.

Prior to that, in her role as Growth Marketing & Automation Strategist at Diro Technologies in Uganda, Lani tackled process inefficiencies head-on, collaborating with engineering teams to automate lead segmentation and outreach workflows. Her initiatives there improved lead-to-client conversion rates and showcased her knack for weaving together technical know-how with strategic marketing acumen. Even during her internship at The Eyewear Stylist in the UK, she delivered a thirty-percent lift in lead generation by applying rigorous keyword research and competitor analysis to optimize their digital presence.

Lani’s tenure as Digital Marketing Manager at CribMD saw her steering comprehensive multi-channel campaigns that elevated the brand’s visibility and subscriber base. Whether running PPC campaigns, refining email marketing segmentation, or crafting content that spoke directly to consumer pain points, she maintained a steadfast focus on measurable outcomes. Her stewardship of SEO and content efforts drove significant organic growth, illustrating how cohesive, performance-focused strategies can accelerate the adoption of essential health-technology services.

Her academic credentials, a Bachelor’s in Entrepreneurship from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta and an MSc in Digital Marketing from the University of Salford, have fortified her practical experience with theoretical rigor. These qualifications, complemented by certifications in Google Analytics, Technical SEO, and project management, have equipped Lani with a holistic skill set. She fluently navigates tools ranging from GA4 and Power BI to Figma and WordPress, translating data insights into compelling narratives and user experiences.

Outside her day-to-day responsibilities, Lani is a dedicated mentor and advocate. She has guided youths in Nigeria through the complexities of digital marketing pathways and extended her expertise to over thirteen UK-based businesses via hands-on masterclasses. Her voluntary work with initiatives such as Digital Boost and WeForGood reflects a conviction that professional success carries a responsibility to uplift communities, particularly those underrepresented in the tech ecosystem.

Qazeem Oladejo, founder of The Connected Awards, encapsulated the significance of Lani’s induction: “Our certification process is rigorous, spanning in-depth evaluations of technical mastery, ethical leadership, and demonstrable impact. Lani has exceeded these exacting standards. Her innovative campaigns, entrepreneurial ventures, and unwavering commitment to mentorship embody the spirit of a true Global Tech Hero.” His words pay tribute to both Lani’s accomplishments and the painstaking vetting that distinguishes each honoree.

As the 233rd Certified Global Tech Hero, Lani Sodunke stands among an elite cadre of professionals whose work transcends conventional boundaries. Her career is a testament to the power of data-driven marketing, ethical best practices, and community stewardship. In celebrating her induction, The Connected Awards recognizes past achievements and the promise of her future contributions, innovations that will continue to shape digital experiences, open doors for emerging talent, and drive sustainable growth across industries.

The Connected Awards congratulates Lani Sodunke on this enduring honor and looks forward to her ongoing leadership in the digital marketing domain. Her story is an inspiration to marketers and technologists alike, demonstrating how vision, expertise, and a spirit of service can coalesce to forge a legacy worthy of global celebration.