About Konexio
Our Story
Konexio began in 2016 as a series of community workshops serving Paris’ immigrant-dense neighborhoods where the digital divide puts society’s most vulnerable people at high risk of unemployment. Today, Konexio's offers a wide range of digital training programs whose subjects span from beginning computer skills and freelance platform usage to advanced spreadsheet management and full-stack software development. These training programs provide a bridge to employment and socio-professional inclusion for vulnerable individuals all across France and internationally in Malawi, Jordan, and Kenya.
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Co-Founder and Executive Director Jean Guo, then a migrant health researcher, realized that with the growing labor market demand for digital skills, bridging the digital divide was key in solving unemployment. Jean, with a dedicated team of educators, IT professionals, and community volunteers, set out to create a streamlined path to employment through digital skills training for disadvantaged people, especially refugees and migrants. Fueled by community demand, these digital skills workshops grew into what is today Konexio, which facilitates the social and professional integration of refugees, migrants, and disadvantaged people through digital skills training. Konexio is now expanding to empower refugee communities globally, and has launched pilots in high-needs locations elsewhere in France, as well as internationally in Malawi.
Jean’s passion for advancing opportunity for marginalized groups stems from her own story immigrating to the United States at a young age, where she experienced firsthand the struggles faced by migrant families. Most recently a Rubenstein Scholar at the Harvard Center for Public Leadership, Jean holds degrees in economics and biology from Stanford University, was a Fulbright research fellow at the Paris School of Economics, and has worked as a consultant in Silicon Valley. |
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Awards and Prizes
Top 50 Finalist
Impact Entrepreneurship Awards 2022 |
Bronze Laureate, Woman Entrepreneur of the Year
CEO Awards 2021 |
Winner, 2020
Future Skills Innovation Challenge |
Finalist, 2019
Google Impact Challenge |
Finalist, 2019
Fondation la France s'engage Social Entrepreneurship Competition |
Innovation Award 2019
Capgemini Challenge at Vivatech |
Finalist, 2018
Social Innovation Tournament |
Semi finalist, 2018
Social Innovation Competition |
The Team
Team Konexio embodies the fighting spirit of diverse members from all walks of life and nearly every corner of the globe. We are refugees, migrants, expatriates, locals, men, women, old, and young, who are committed to using digital learning to highlight the potential for those who are excluded and disadvantaged to be at the forefront of digital and socio-economic inclusion.
Jean GuoCEO and Founder
of Konexio |
Jean-Christophe VidalDeputy CEO
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Allegra Harrison International Programs
Officer |
Laurent
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Christine GuinguenéBordeaux Programs
Officer |
Esthel
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James BennExecutif Assistant
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David
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Taninna
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Valentine ColinAlternating Communication and advocacy
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Walid KerkeniDigital Marketing Officer
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DIGITAL ADVISORS (FRENCH SERVICE)
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INTERNATIONAL TEAM
Elaine Sausen International Comm & Dev
Coordinator |
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Bienheureux MateteLocal Coordinator
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Serge
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Céline MunyerenkanaLocal Instructor
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Stany
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Josué
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Christelle
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Our Board
Konexio’s advisory board guides and supports the organization’s growth. Our board members each began their journey with Konexio as mentors and advocates. Their formal appointment to the advisory board is a natural extension of their dedication to empowerment and inclusion through digital learning. The board is comprised of individuals with a variety of professional backgrounds from both France and the USA, reflecting Konexio’s diverse and international mindset. Among other duties, board members advise on growth and expansion strategies, while also serving as ambassadors for Konexio.
Ravi Srinivasan,
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Maria Luisa Ferreira,
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Tracy is Manager, Data Research within the Data Products Group at Yodlee where she is working on new product development since 2017. Prior to her current role, Tracy worked with the finance team at Uphold, a cloud-based digital money platform to transact currencies, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. Tracy has over 15 years of experience in corporate finance and equity research. She also serves as an adviser to startups in the Yodlee Incubator and the ERA. She graduated from Stanford University with a double major in International Relations and History and pursued an M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia Business School. She was co-Chair of the Stanford Community Service in New York, recently becoming the President of the Stanford Association in New York, and was presented with the Governor's Award in 2017. Outside of her activities with the Community Service Group, Tracy serves as a volunteer at Ronald McDonald House in New York and was a volunteer for the NY Philharmonic for many years.
Tracy Young,
Manager, Data Research, Yodlee
Why Konexio?
"I appreciate the skill building that Konexio offers to motivated individuals. I appreciate the fact that it is a global initiative."
