Authors
Julienne Oyler is the cofounder and CEO of Inkomoko. With an MBA from the Yale School of Management, she started Inkomoko in 2012, after visiting, living and working in more than 20 countries in Africa and finding herself deeply inspired by the potential of young people across the continent to solve their own problems when provided with the tools to do so. Since launching Inkomoko, Julienne has led strategy and fundraising efforts to expand the organization’s work across Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan, building Inkomoko’s in-house investment fund and developing its small and medium enterprise programming. She has been a key driving force in developing their unique approach to supporting refugees in entrepreneurship and helping them build stable livelihoods for themselves and their communities. She is based in Kigali, Rwanda, and has lived in the country for over 12 years.
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September 4, 2025
TED
How displaced people are driving local economies
The number of forcibly displaced people across the world is on the rise. While aid systems often focus on providing basic necessities like food and shelter, Julienne Oyler and her team at the nonprofit Inkomoko have a more ambitious plan: invest in refugee entrepreneurs in order to help them build their businesses, uplift their communities and gain access to financial services. She describes how displaced people are already driving local economies — and shows what it will take to bring their innovations to scale.
