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Draft:George Imafidon

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  • Comment: I have no doubt this subject will become notable if he isn't now, so hang onto this draft. But right now I'm not seeing the significant coverage that we're looking for (see WP:42). asilvering (talk) 17:38, 9 October 2024 (UTC)

George Imafidon
Born23/03/1997
NationalityNigerian
CitizenshipBritish
EducationUCL
Occupation(s)Humanitarian Engineer, Entrepreneur
Known forCEO of Motivez
Notable workRedesigning a jet-engine component for Rolls Royce
Websitehttps://www.georgeimafidon.com/

George Imafidon MBE[1] (born 23rd March 1997), is a British Nigerian humanitarian engineer, entrepreneur, and social impact leader. He is the co-founder of Motivez, an organization that connects young people to careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.[2] Imafidon was named Young Engineer of the Year by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2022 for his contributions to engineering and youth empowerment.[3] He also serves on the Board of Commissioners for the Hamilton Commission and the Board of Trustees of the Co-op Foundation.[4]

Early life and education

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George Imafidon was born on 23rd March 1997 in Peckham, South London, to Nigerian parents. From a young age, he displayed an interest in engineering, fixing bicycles in his neighbourhood as a child.[5] He attended Kingsdale Foundation School, where he excelled in engineering and placed among the top 1% of students nationwide for engineering at GCSE level. Imafidon went on to study at Richmond Upon Thames College, where he completed his A-Levels in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

In 2014, he was selected for the Amos Bursary, a scholarship program aimed at supporting young men of African and Caribbean descent.[6] He later received a full-tuition scholarship by Southwark Council to study Mechanical Engineering with Programming at UCL, graduating with First Class Honours in 2020.

Career

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During his time at UCL, Imafidon completed an internship with Rolls Royce in 2017, where he redesigned a jet engine component, improving its aerodynamic efficiency by 40%. His design reportedly and saved the company £50 million in research and development costs, and contributed to reducing emissions from the jet engines.[7]

Motivez

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In 2015, Imafidon co-founded Motivez, an organization aimed at connecting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to STEM opportunities. Under his leadership, Motivez has provided over 8,000 young people with access to employability programs, events, and mentoring. The organization also developed an iOS app that matches users with opportunities based on their profiles.[8]

Team X44

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In 2020, Imafidon joined Team x44, an off-road racing team founded by Sir Lewis Hamilton, as a Performance Engineer The team competes in Extreme E, a racing series aimed at promoting sustainability and raising awareness about climate change.[9] [10] In 2022, Imafidon and the team won the Extreme E Championship alongside drivers Sébastian Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez. [11]

Board memberships

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Imafidon serves on the Board of Trustees of the Co-op Foundation, where he helps shape the foundation's strategy, particularly in its efforts to support disadvantaged communities and promote participatory grant-making.[12] He also serves as a Commissioner on The Hamilton Commission, which was established by Sir Lewis Hamilton and the Royal Academy of Engineering to address the underrepresentation of Black people in UK motorsport.[13]

Recognition

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  • 2015: "Helena Kennedy Foundation Award", Helena Kennedy Foundation[14]
  • 2016: "Top 10 Future Leaders", Powerful Media[15]
  • 2017: "Rare Rising Stars: Top 10 Black Students", Rare Recruitment[16]
  • 2019: "The Diana Award", The Diana Award[17]
  • 2022: "Young Engineer of the Year Award", Royal Academy of Engineering[18] [19]
  • 2022: "Sir George McFarlane Award", Royal Academy of Engineering[20]
  • 2022: "Top 40 Future Leaders", Black Cultural Archives[21]
  • 2023: "Awarded MBE for Services to Engineering, Technology, and Young People"[22] [23] [24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "George Imafidon Recognised in King’s Birthday Honours". UCL Mechanical Engineering. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "KPMG Black Entrepreneurs Awards 2023 Winners Announced". KPMG. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "UK-Based Nigerian Wins Engineer of the Year Award". Daily Trust. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  4. ^ "New UCL Engineering Graduate Joins Lewis Hamilton's Diversity Commission". UCL News. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  5. ^ "Meet the Engineers: George Imafidon". This is Engineering. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  6. ^ "George Imafidon, Peer Award for Social Equity". The Amos Bursary. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  7. ^ "How I Got Here - George Imafidon". Ingenia, 11 July 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  8. ^ Parsons, Jeff (25 October 2022). "From fixing bikes in Peckham to Lewis Hamilton’s race team: George Imafidon is a Black success story". Metro. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  9. ^ "Prodrive Engineer George Imafidon Reflects on Extreme E Championship Win". Prodrive News. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  10. ^ "Prodrive Runs Prince William in Extreme E Odyssey". Prodrive News. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  11. ^ "Sustainability". Extreme E. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  12. ^ Mortimer, Andy (17 November 2021). "Co-op Foundation recruits two new young trustees". Co-op Foundation. Retrieved April 18th 2023.
  13. ^ Baldwin, Alan (9 September 2021). "Imafidon puts Hamilton's diversity push into practice". Reuters. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "House of Lords Winners Celebration". FE News. 28 March 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  15. ^ "RuTC Alumni Voted as Top 10 Future Leader"., Richmond upon Thames College, 14 September 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  16. ^ "Rare Rising Stars 2017". Rare Recruitment. Retrieved April 18 2023.
  17. ^ "Outstanding Young Heroes". The Diana Award. 1 July 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  18. ^ "Academy celebrates outstanding young engineers of the year".Royal Academy of Engineering. 7 July 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  19. ^ "Obaseki Hails Edo Indigene Imafidon for Emerging UK's Young Engineer of the Year". Edo State Government. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  20. ^ "Academy celebrates outstanding young engineers of the year". Royal Academy of Engineering. 7 July 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  21. ^ "BCA Chair's 40X40 Future Leaders Campaign & Awards". Black Cultural Archives. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  22. ^ "The London Gazette: Honours and Awards". The London Gazette. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  23. ^ "Amos Bursary Alumnus and Ambassador George Imafidon Awarded MBE". Amos Bursary. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  24. ^ "George Imafidon Recognised in King’s Birthday Honours". UCL Mechanical Engineering. Retrieved October 1, 2024.