Dr. Ola Brown (Ola Orekunrin) is a British-Nigerian medical doctor, entrepreneur, author, investor and the founder of Flying Doctors Nigeria, an air-ambulance and medical emergency service.
Her story began with heartbreak.
While Dr. Brown was studying medicine in the UK, her 12-year-old sister became critically ill while visiting Nigeria. The family needed emergency medical transportation, but there was no suitable air-ambulance service available in Nigeria or West Africa. By the time help could be arranged from outside the region, her sister had died.
Instead of allowing that experience to remain only a tragedy, Dr. Brown returned her attention to the problem.
She founded Flying Doctors Nigeria, which provides air medical evacuation and urgent-care services, using aircraft to help transport critically ill and injured patients to appropriate medical facilities. Flying Doctors describes itself as West Africa’s first full air-ambulance service.
Her work has since expanded beyond emergency medicine. Dr. Brown is also the General Partner at HealthCap Africa, an investment firm focused on sectors including healthtech, fintech and infrastructure.
She was also named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and received Nigeria’s national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2022, according to recent profiles of her career.
Her work grew beyond medicine.
Today, her work also extends into healthcare investment.
Through HealthCap Africa, she focuses on investing in businesses and infrastructure connected to healthcare and technology across Africa.
A woman who saw a problem—and chose to build.
Dr. Ola Brown’s story reminds us that impact doesn’t always begin with a grand plan.
Sometimes, it begins with one painful question:
“How can I make sure this doesn’t happen to someone else?”
🤍 #WCW | The Women Who Serve
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