Iso Bassey is an IT consultant, entrepreneur, social advocate and founder of ACADEMIX (www.academix.ng) – Africa’s fastest growing eLibrary.

He holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt (Nigeria) and a Masters in Information systems from the University of Leeds (UK). He is also an alumnus of the London School of Economics and Sung Kyun Kwan University.

He spent 8 years delivering web-based enterprise software systems to some of the UK’s leading companies including Reed Business Information, Pfizer and Bechtel.

In 2004 Iso founded http://www.nigeria-friends.com – Nigeria’s first social networking website which at the time of his exit had over 80,000 members and 10,000 schools.

Upon his return to Nigeria in 2007, Iso consulted for a number of organisations including the R.E.A.D. Africa Foundation where he played a key role in bringing to birth the maiden edition of the acclaimed Garden City Literary Festival. He has gone on to consult for both private and public organisations in Nigeria.

He served for 5 years as Special Assistant to the Governor of Cross River State on Information and Communication Technology and headed operations at the Rainbow Foundation (project manages the Port Harcourt UNESCO World Book Capital 2014).

In 2015, he founded ACADEMIX.NG – an eLibrary of Africa focused research which was a finalist of the Thomson Reuters Africa Startups Challenge, 2016 having been identified as a “High growth, high potential company”.

Iso serves on the Advisory Board for TEDxCalabar and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Cascade Initiative for Development and Change. He is currently Vice President, Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs at Calabar Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture.

Iso has a strong passion for a better Nigeria and spends much of his time mentoring young professionals and organising teams of volunteers for various causes.

In 2011 he established Lead Inspire Transform (LIT), a nation-building NGO with a mission to raise and inspire leaders to influence and build better societies.

He was featured in the Contemporary Who’s Who in Cross Rivers State. He is widely travelled and enjoys playing golf, watching documentaries and spending time with his family.