Iyore Olaye
Iyore Olaye
Iyore Noelle Olaye is a technology innovator and a product & development engineer. She is the lead engineer for Walker & Company, a health and beauty products company for people of color. [1]
Early Life & Education
Iyore Olaye on her graduation day at Cornell
Iyore grew up in Hillside, New Jersey. She graduated from Winslow Township High School.
In 2016, Olaye graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor's in chemical and Bimolecular & Chemical Engineering. Inspired by the lack of Black women graduating in STEM fields, she was the only Black woman to graduate with a degree in Chemical Engineering that year and one of six Black women in the entire engineering school. [1]
In addition, she received a business CORe Credential of Readiness from Harvard Business School.
Career
Early Beginnings
Before working in R&D, Iyore worked in the fields of academics. In the summer of 2011, between her junior and senior years of high school, she was a Research Assistant at Rutgers University's BioMEMS Lab. She also served as a programs coordinator at Cornell University's Career Services, as well as a teaching assistant for a Fluid Mechanics class.
Walker & Co.
In June 2015, Olaye started working for a health and beauty company targeted towards people of color called Walker & Company Brands. She started off as an intern and was eventually promoted as a Product Development Manager and Engineer.
As the lead product engineer, she has been responsible for the development of products like men's grooming brand Bevel and haircare line FORM.
STEM Advocacy
Since her early adult years, Olaye has been an advocate for women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (S.T.E.M.). Iyore has toured the nation engaging in interviews and conferences sharing her personal journey to inspire others.
In addition, she founded her own scholarship called the Iyore Noelle Olaye Scholarship Award to support students during their first collegiate year; she considers the freshman year one of the most difficult years for S.T.E.M. students.
Awards & Accomplishments
In November 2017, it was announced that Iyore Olaye was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2018. She was listed in the 'Retail & Ecommerce' and 'Youngest' categories, respectively. [21]