Our Why
The combination of remote work and digital assets payments infrastructure has unleashed opportunities for people all over the world.
As countries across the Global South struggle with rampant inflation, depreciating local currencies, and a dearth of jobs, young students and working professionals have become increasingly desperate to emigrate to the West.
But for far too many, that is not a viable option. Charles Winnsboro was born of two convictions: first, that educational and economic opportunity is a fundamental human right; and second, that advances in technology make it possible for these opportunities to be imported to the Global South, especially in Africa, which has the highest population of young, digitally-native workers.
Our Name
Charles Winnsboro is not the name of a natural person (at least, not one known to us).
Rather, “Charles Winnsboro” is a portmanteau of sorts: Charles is the street that the company’s founder grew up on in Enugu, Nigeria; and Winnsboro is the street on which he lived as a young boy before moving to Nigeria.
Our company name, then, signifies the bridge we form between Africa and the West and our unique insight into both cultures from having lived and worked on both continents.
It also symbolizes the unique role the African-American and Diaspora community must necessarily play in seeing Africa and her people achieve their full potential.
Our Team
Jude Chidi Ogene
FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Jude Chidi Ogene is the Founder and CEO of Charles Winnsboro Corporation, which partners with US and African universities to train working professionals in Africa in high-growth areas such as cybersecurity, data privacy, AI and cloud computing.
He is also the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of OpenNode, a Bitcoin payments infrastructure company. Prior to joining OpenNode, Jude served as the Chief Legal Officer for Paxful, a global peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange. He began his career as a financial services lawyer with Sullivan & Cromwell.
Jude is a frequent writer and commentator on digital assets adoption and regulation, especially as it pertains to sub-Saharan Africa. He has a JD/MBA from Georgetown University, an LL.B. from the University of Nigeria, and a certificate in blockchain strategy from Oxford University.
Christal Chinyelu Ogene
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Chinyelu Christal Ogene is the Chief Operating Officer of Charles Winnsboro. In this role, she oversees the day-to-day running of the company, manages CWG business partnerships/contracts, and executes our business plan. She brings over 20 years of professional experience to this leadership position, including her previous roles as Business Consultant and Communications Manager in the company.
Chinyelu is a lawyer, with a Juris Doctorate from The George Washington University. At her graduation, Chinyelu received special recognition for utilizing her knowledge of the law to advance the public interest - by serving as student counsel for incarcerated immigrants in the DC area, representing victims of domestic violence through the GW Law DV Clinic, and advocating on behalf of juveniles in the abuse and neglect system at the DC Superior Court.
Chinyelu has served on various boards over her career. Most notably, the African American Advisory Council of the Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (CASA) AND the Child Abuse & Neglect (CAN) Council for the State of Utah. She continues her dedication to the public interest as our COO by seeking opportunities for Charles Winnsboro to give back to the community.
In addition to her law degree and her undergraduate degree in communications, Chinyelu has certifications in Project Management from Google, Data Analysis from IBM, and Data Law/Policy from the London School of Economics. This knowledge will form the backbone of our new partnerships as she supports the CEO and his “Africa Unchained” vision for Charles Winnsboro.
In her spare time, you can find Chinyelu hiking and enjoying the great outdoors.
Tokunbo Asagba
Country Manager - NIGERIA
Tokunbo Asagba is a versatile and seasoned professional, boasting an expansive career over three decades across multiple sectors. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar, and has a law degree from the University of Nigeria.
Tokunbo's early years were marked by a dedicated legal practice in Lagos. However, an eventual move to the United Kingdom shifted his career trajectory. There, he unearthed an interest in information technology, which prompted a new professional chapter. This newfound passion saw him working with esteemed blue-chip corporations such as Hewlett-Packard, Exxon-Mobil, Fujitsu, and AT&T. Among his notable roles, he served as a network consultant for British Telecom, a testament to his adeptness in the IT sector.
By the mid-2000s, Tokunbo's heart called him back to Nigeria. Re-embracing his roots, he reignited his legal career, joining the distinguished law firm, K.O. Tinubu & Co. His tenure there was significant, but by 2019, he ventured out on his own, founding LEGATAA LEGAL. Throughout his illustrious career, Tokunbo has garnered extensive expertise in various legal domains, including dispute resolution, commercial law with a special emphasis on compliance, regulatory and corporate governance, environmental law, and the ever-evolving realm of technology law.
Beyond his accomplishments, Tokunbo has a profound mission: to combine technology with the limitless potential of African youth. He is deeply committed to guiding them toward realizing their utmost capabilities.