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As delegates gather in New York for the 70th UN Commission on the Status of Women, a quiet but powerful shift is unfolding. Amidst the customary diplomatic routines—panels, pledges, policy exchanges—a new voice emerges, urging a fundamental change in how the global community approaches gender equity.
That voice belongs to Chaste Inegbedion, a Lagos-born, Oklahoma-based tech innovator and social entrepreneur, whose advocacy for true gender partnership is resonating at the highest levels.
Inegbedion’s journey is anything but conventional. With a background spanning giants like Amazon and AT&T, and a self-taught mastery of AI through YouTube and Google certifications, he embodies resilience and innovation. His titles—Head of Happiness at ConcordeApp, Head of Failure & Social Experiments at the Semaform Foundation—reflect a commitment to redefining success. He is also a bestselling author and former Chief Period Officer at Sanicle.cloud, emphasizing that menstrual health is integral to sustainable development.
Ahead of the Handshake Summit and Awards, held alongside the UN CSW, Inegbedion shared his insights from a whirlwind tour of global summits—from Davos to COP30 to the IMF and World Bank meetings—where he advocates for a new kind of diplomacy: one rooted in partnership, verification, and measurable impact.
“Self-taught in AI, Inegbedion’s scrappy learning approach underscores his belief that systemic change begins with accessible knowledge and tools. His work at ConcordeApp exemplifies this philosophy. The platform is not just a networking space; it’s a digital ecosystem designed to digitize trust, verify connections, and foster genuine relationships—especially for women navigating complex international conferences.
“Having worked at Amazon and AT&T, I saw how corporate systems often overlook what I call ‘human residue’—the social impact that doesn’t fit into spreadsheets,” he explains. “At ConcordeApp, we’re digitizing these connections to ensure they’re recognized and measured.”
The platform’s voice feature, tailored for women attending global summits, helps users prepare, connect, and confidently navigate unfamiliar spaces—turning fleeting interactions into verified, measurable opportunities. This innovation is part of a broader mission: transforming chaotic networking into strategic, impactful relationships.
Inegbedion’s dedication to women’s empowerment extends beyond technology. His work with the Semaform Foundation supports women in Africa and the diaspora through education, health, and economic inclusion initiatives. His book, The Period Passport, emerged from his tenure as Chief Period Officer, advocating for menstrual health as a cornerstone of sustainable development.
“Women are the bedrock of local resilience,” he asserts. “In our communities, they’re transforming from passive recipients into active policy architects, integrating health and dignity into the sustainability conversation.”
He emphasizes that traditional development metrics often ignore these contributions due to a “data gap”—the inability of corporate systems to capture “human residue.” His platform aims to bridge this gap, providing the verified connections and ROI that funders and policymakers need to invest confidently in women-led initiatives.
However, he said structural barriers,lack of access to capital, exclusion from technical decision-making,remain formidable hurdles for women, especially in green innovation.
Inegbedion highlights the importance of direct channels like ConcordeApp’s vendor marketplace, which connects women-led enterprises directly with government and corporate buyers, bypassing entrenched networks of exclusion.
“Empowering women accelerates progress,” he notes. “When women are given tools—whether AI skills or financial backing—they uplift their entire communities.”
He laments that the environmental movement has historically marginalized women’s voices, focusing on hardware infrastructure instead of social infrastructure like health and education. Combining both is essential for true resilience, he insists.
‘Women are proving their leadership across industries—creating femtech platforms like Sanicle.cloud that link climate, health, and technology. Their work inspires future generations, and Inegbedion makes it a point to showcase these founders at global forums.
He underscores the interconnectedness of planetary health and social equity: “When we solve for women’s health, we stabilize economies and protect environments. Everything is a handshake.”
Technology, particularly AI, can catalyze systemic change. Inegbedion advocates for what he calls “Institutional Intelligence”using AI models to make marginalized voices data-driven and undeniable. ConcordeApp’s infrastructure aims to measure the ROI of connections, transforming fleeting meetings into ongoing relationships that fuel policy and investment.
He describes women’s resilience as a “climate hack”—their resourcefulness and community management skills exemplify sustainable adaptation. “Women naturally practice SCRUM-like management in their daily lives, which is an efficiency lesson for all,” he says.
He emphasizes that female leadership is vital for solving the climate crisis, advocating for gender partnerships where men act as allies, actively participating rather than observing.
Events like the Handshake Summit serve as catalysts—turning conversations into contracts, fostering real policy traction. Inegbedion calls for a shift from intent to investment: policies mandating inclusive procurement, real-time verification tools like ConcordeApp, and platforms that empower women from Lagos to Dakar to confidently participate in global decision-making.
He concludes with a compelling vision: “An inclusive movement uses 100% of our human intelligence to solve 100% of our problems. When we work together—verified, measured, and intentional—we create a resilient, equitable future.”
For attendees of the Handshake Summit during the UN CSW, his message is clear: the era of women fixing the system alone is over. The future is a handshake—verified, data-backed, and built for everyone.
