Asmau Ahmed

Asmau Ahmed
Born1983 (age 42–43)
Kaduna, Nigeria
EducationBachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
Master of Science in Computer Science
Occupationsentrepreneur and technology advocate
OrganizationPlum Perfect

Asmau Ahmed is a Nigerian-American entrepreneur, technology advocate, and beauty expert. She has promoted initiatives supporting women in technology and entrepreneurship.

Early life and education

She was born in 1983 in Kaduna, Nigeria and spent her early childhood in West Africa and London.[1][2] Ahmed earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, USA, and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University. She also holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS with Honors in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia.[3]

Career

In 2014, Ahmed founded Plum Perfect, which is based a beauty technology company in New York City.[2] The company's flagship product is a mobile app that uses facial recognition technology to analyze a user's skin tone and recommend the best makeup products.[4] Plum Perfect was born out of Ahmed's frustration with challenges Black people face with shade-matching in the beauty industry.[5] Ahmed also developed an education app called beauTV and Girl Seeks Sample program to help users get personalized makeup recommendations while watch makeup tutorials.[3] Ahmed has licensed Plum Perfect's technology to IMAN Cosmetics.[1] Plum Perfect has won numerous awards and has been featured in major media outlets such as Forbes, InStyle, and Essence.[6]

Ahmed is an advocate for women in technology and entrepreneurship. She has spoken at various conferences and events, including the United Nations General Assembly, and has been recognized for her work with awards such as the Women in IT International's 2016 Global Leadership Award. She has also been recognized as a “Top Woman in Digital" by Cynopsis Media and “Black Business and Tech Professionals Changing the Game” by Huffington Post. Ahmed was recognized as one of “26 Women Of Color Diversifying Entrepreneurship In Silicon Valley, Media, And Beyond” by Vanity Fair for raising $1 million or more in outside capital as a woman entrepreneur.[7][8] In 2016, Ahmed wrote a letter to the Society of Women Engineers' blog explaining her company Plum Perfect, while connecting to and offering advice for other women engineers.[9]

In September 2025, Ahmed was hired at Varo Bank to be their first Chief Artificial Intelligence and Data Officer (CAIDO). [10] Ahmed has over 20 years of experience in business and tech, ranging from her work developing technology at Google to her position as a mentor at All Race, helping women and non-binary individuals through the process of creating a business. [10] Ahmed's position at google is the senior executive of the Creative Art Agency and is the president of the Yale Entrepreneurship Society. With this diverse portfolio she advocates for the youth at ivy league schools and is responsible for partnering with creators and sport talent. She is responsible for marketing collaborations between google and YouTube to promote brands and sports talents. She has experience at other companies like Capital One bank and Deloitte working in management highlighting her ability to adapt in any managerial position at a company. [11]

References

  1. 1 2 Thomas, Ellen (2016-02-16). "Asmau Ahmed Turns Frustration Into Plum Perfect". WWD. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  2. 1 2 "Meet Asmau Ahmed, Woman Who Created Beauty App That Recommends Proper Makeup For Women - Espact". 2022-07-05. Archived from the original on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  3. 1 2 "Asmau Ahmed Developed An App Called Plum Perfect To Help You Get Your Makeup Just Right". MadameNoire. 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  4. ↑ "50 Black Women Founders To Watch". Essence. 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  5. ↑ "Asmau Ahmed". Empower Africa. 2023-08-21. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  6. ↑ "7 Black Business And Tech Professionals Who Are Changing The Game". HuffPost. 2016-02-15. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  7. ↑ "26 Women of Color Diversifying Entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley, Media, and Beyond". Vanity Fair. 2018-03-27. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  8. ↑ "Top Women in Digital - Results". Cynopsis Media. 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  9. ↑ Blog, S. W. E. (2016-03-11). "Engineer Entrepreneur: Asmau Ahmed". All Together. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  10. 1 2 Towner, Lauren (2025-09-04). "Varo Bank to Accelerate Responsible and Customer-Focused AI Efforts with New Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Asmau Ahmed". FF News | Fintech Finance. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  11. ↑ "theBoardlist". theboardlist.com. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
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