REDWOOD CITY, California, May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Omidyar Network today announced that Ory Okolloh has joined as a director, investments within the philanthropic investment firm's government transparency initiative.  Okolloh will help drive the organization's work in supporting innovative organizations that use technology and media platforms to provide access to information and the tools necessary for citizens to participate in the governing process.  Okolloh was formerly a policy manager for sub-Saharan Africa with Google and co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi.

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"Ory is a well-established leader in the technology and transparency communities," said Omidyar Network Partner Stephen King.  "She will help spur Omidyar Network's growth and impact by lending her voice and considerable experience in Africa."

Okolloh will join a growing team in Omidyar Network's Johannesburg office.

"We are delighted to have Ory lend her insights and expertise to our efforts in Africa," said Malik Fal, managing director, Africa for Omidyar Network.  "She will bring a unique blend of experience, and her collaboration will be of tremendous value to all of our work on the continent."

Okolloh was also a co-founder of Mzalendo and a Chayes Fellow at the World Bank's Department of Institutional Integrity.  She is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and sits on the board of the Africa Media Initiative.  Okolloh is a frequent speaker at leading conferences such as TED, the World Economic Forum, Poptech, the Clinton Global Initiative, Techonomy, Mobile Web Africa and the Monaco Media.  She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Pittsburgh and with a law degree from Harvard Law School.

ABOUT OMIDYAR NETWORK
Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than $611 million to for-profit companies and non-profit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, government transparency, property rights, and consumer Internet and mobile. To learn more, visit www.omidyar.com.

SOURCE Omidyar Network