Leslie Ossete

Leslie Ossete is an entrepreneur committed to using digital innovation to transform Africa’s informal economy.

She holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business and Non-Profit Management from Earlham College (Indiana), where she won the 2016 Hult Prize, a US$1M award for social entrepreneurship backed by the Clinton Foundation. With this funding, she co-founded BuuPass, a mobility startup in East Africa.

She later led expansion efforts for several of the continent’s most dynamic tech companies — including Wave (Francophone West Africa’s first unicorn), Bolt, and Wasoko — operating across more than ten African countries. Her work focused on launching products, scaling teams, and reaching underserved markets.

Today, Leslie is the Co-Founder and COO of Mstudio, the first startup studio in Francophone Africa focused on building tech solutions for the informal economy. Based in Côte d’Ivoire, Mstudio supports bold entrepreneurs — many from the African diaspora — to build tech solutions for the informal economy, with a focus on improving the daily lives of women and youth working in informal trade. Leslie’s work reflects a deep belief in the power of technology to drive inclusive growth and long-term impact across the continent.