David Moinina Sengeh
David Sengeh is an inventor, scientist, and policymaker shaping Africa’s future through creativity and equity. A former MIT researcher, he bridges science and public service to reimagine education, innovation, and opportunity—championing homegrown solutions that empower young people and unlock the continent’s vast human potential.
Chief Innovation Officer
•
Biomedical Engineer
•
World’s Best Minister
•
Chief Innovation Officer • Biomedical Engineer • World’s Best Minister •
More about David
A trailblazer in biomedical engineering, mechatronics, and education, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh is a tireless advocate for Sierra Leone, where he was born and raised and where more than 8,000 people lost limbs during a brutal civil war. Growing up, he observed that many amputees avoided wearing prosthetics due to poor fit and chronic discomfort. While pursuing his PhD at the MIT Media Lab, David helped revolutionize prosthetic design by creating comfortable sockets and wearable interfaces built from the patient outward, rather than forcing users to adapt to rigid designs. This work earned him the Lemelson–MIT National Collegiate Student Prize and international recognition for improving the quality of life for people with limb loss.
-
Early in his career, David joined IBM Research Africa as a research scientist, focusing on applied analytics, machine learning, and healthcare across the continent. He is also president and co-founder of the international NGO Global Minimum, which champions innovation among African high school students through initiatives such as the GMin Innovate Challenges. This work empowers young people to turn ideas into award-winning solutions and earned him the Rockefeller Foundation Next Century Innovators Award.
In 2019, President Julius Maada Bio called David home to serve as Sierra Leone’s first-ever chief innovation officer and minister of basic and senior secondary education. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, TED Senior Fellow, National Geographic Emerging Explorer, and one of Bill Gates’ Heroes in the Field, David is globally sought after for his insights on transforming education systems. He co-authored the 2022 Brookings Institution report Transforming Education Systems and wrote Radical Inclusion, a guide to building a more just world.
Speaking Topics
Leadership
Navigating the Future
Geopolitics
Science
Innovation
Overcoming Obstacles
Culture
Watch David in action
Presentations
Radical Inclusion
As Sierra Leone’s chief innovation officer and minister of education, Dr. David Sengeh learned not everyone shared his belief that all girls belong in school. In Radical Inclusion, he shares personal experiences—from racial profiling at Harvard to developing prosthetics at MIT—and offers a roadmap for uncovering biases, reimagining exclusionary systems, and helping organizations and communities unleash the power of inclusivity.
“Change is hard. Change is possible. This is why we serve–to make the hard things possible.”
– David Moinina Sengeh