October 01, (THEWILL) – Dr Toyin Ajayi and Wemimo Abbey have joined a select group of people who have achieved peak influence in their fields by making the TIME Magazine’s 2023 TIME 100 Next list. This curated list by TIME Magazine spotlights 100 emerging leaders making waves in various fields such as business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science, and activism around the globe.
While Ajayi is the co-founder and CEO of Cityblock Health, a tech-driven healthcare provider committed to enhancing health outcomes for marginalised communities facing systemic challenges, Abbey is a co-founder and CEO of Clean Water for Everyone, CWFE, an organisation that provides access to clean and affordable water supply in developing countries.
As a young girl growing up in Nairobi during the AIDS epidemic, Ajayi became attuned to how healthcare inequities affect certain groups based on racial, economic, and social characteristics. Some years later, that recognition of how health care outcomes impact patients’ social and economic capacity catalysed Ajayi’s shift from full-time clinical practice in Boston to broader leadership.
A nationally-recognised leader in value-based care delivery for underserved populations, prior to joining Cityblock, she served as Chief Medical Officer of the Commonwealth Care Alliance, an integrated health plan and care delivery system for individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
Board-certified in Family Medicine, Ajayi obtained a Bachelor degree from Stanford University, an MPhil from the University of Cambridge and her medical degree from King’s College London School of Medicine. She completed her residency training at Boston Medical Center and continues to deliver care to Cityblock members.
Since launching in 2017, Cityblock has established itself as an industry leader in value-based care for marginalized populations. Cityblock serves a heterogeneous population with complex needs – 74 per cent of its members qualify for financial assistance and 77 per cent are members of a racial or ethnic minority. The company’s unique technology-enabled, high-touch approach to building trust with and engaging these communities has demonstrated positive outcomes for Cityblock members as well as their payers and state governments.
Through CWFE Abbey has provided access to clean water for over 48,000 people, built/renovated 12 toilet facilities and awarded 51 scholarships to girls in Ghana, Nepal and Nigeria. He gained valuable experience working with Accenture and the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City. He currently consults for the European Commission Directorate General for Development and Cooperation (EuropeAid) developing tools and cases to support the European Union assistance for decentralization, local governance and local development. Amongst many speaking engagements, Abbey has presented the global water and sanitation crisis at the United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative and appeared on television to raise awareness for the cause.
He is a recipient of the 2014 Face2Face Africa Young African Committed to Excellence award, New York University (NYU) Presidential Service award, NYU Wagner Dean Scholarship, Sue W. Hancock Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) award, United States Presidential Achievement award and the National Excellence in Leadership award.
Abbey graduated with distinction (Magna Cum Laude) and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Minnesota Crookston. He is currently enrolled in a Master of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management with International Public Finance focus at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.
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