30 Years of Impact Generational Change Support Inspiration
Favour Orji
TAF Academy | Class of 2016
CEO & Managing Principal
Ada Unlimited
I tell folks that TAF Academy was created for me.
From curiosity to CEO—how TAF helped turn opportunity into impact
When Favour Orji first encountered the Technology Access Foundation, it felt destined. Just minutes from her home, TAF Academy became more than a school—it became a launchpad. As part of one of the Academy’s earliest cohorts, Favour spent her middle and high school years immersed in an environment that blended technology, creativity, and community.
A Foundation Built on Exploration
What I got at TAF was exposure—real opportunities to explore, create, and lead.
At TAF Academy, Favour dove headfirst into project-based learning—developing presentations, coding, participating in speech and debate, and flourishing in the collaborative creative processes that are inherent to the STEMbyTAF model.
During her time at TAF, she traveled to Japan for a cultural and academic exchange through the Kakehashi Project; an experience that broadened her global perspective. She also participated in the Young Executives of Color program at the University of Washington, where she was able to spend time on campus and explore entrepreneurship. That early exposure made college feel familiar and accessible, helping ease her transition to the University of Washington when she enrolled.
TAF’s community partnerships expanded her world even further by connecting her learning with real-world experiences, and Favour embraced every opportunity that came her way. Through an internship program with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, she gained hands-on experience conducting biometric research while still in high school. This early exposure to scientific inquiry helped inspire her to pursue a dual degree in bioengineering and sociology at the University of Washington.
From Student to Systems Thinker
Today, Favour is the Founder and CEO of ADA Unlimited, a business consulting firm that supports organizations with management, IT, and strategic growth. Her work focuses on putting the right people, processes, and procedures in place for creating sustainable impact.
The connection to TAF is clear -- the same project-based learning model that shaped her education now underpins her career.
Project management is people management—and I learned that through group projects at TAF.
Her work today reflects the interdisciplinary mindset she cultivated early on—blending technical skills with a deep understanding of people and systems.
Perseverance and Purpose
Launching a business has come with challenges. Entrepreneurship, she notes, is “24/7,” requiring resilience, adaptability, and belief in a bigger purpose. What keeps her going is the same mindset reinforced at TAF: problem-solving with intention and working toward impact beyond oneself.
This is bigger than me. It’s about creating something that helps others grow too.
Favour draws inspiration from her faith, her family—entrepreneurs and educators—and from TAF leaders who built something powerful with vision and persistence.
Advice for the Next Generation
For today’s TAF students, her message is simple but powerful:
You’re in a special place. Don’t limit yourself.
- Have a vision—but stay flexible
- Try everything and don’t fear failure
- Take full advantage of every opportunity
- Lean on your community and keep learning
Generational Change in Action
Favour’s journey illustrates what TAF has always aimed to achieve: not just academic success, but lifelong confidence, curiosity, and leadership. Through strong relationship building, early career exposure, and hands-on learning, TAF has helped shape a student into a changemaker—one who is now building pathways for others, including her own siblings. They benefit from a TAF education too, Favour is leading the way—showing them what is possible, encouraging them to embrace every opportunity, and helping carry the impact of TAF forward into the next generation.
As TAF celebrates 30 years, Favour’s story reminds us that generational change happens one student, one opportunity, and one bold step at a time.
