Marit Linnebo Olderheim

Biography

Marit Linnebo Olderheim Marit Linnebo Olderheim is the visionary founder behind MyFarm and the driving force of the Africa Startup Foundation - initiatives that are redefining how young people in Africa learn, create, and build real futures. An entrepreneur since her early twenties, Marit previously founded and scaled a successful retail chain in Norway, building stores, teams, and brand concepts from scratch. After selling the business, she reinvested her time, capital, and energy into her lifelong mission: empowering young people in Africa to create their own opportunities. At MyFarm in The Gambia, Marit has developed a groundbreaking learning hub that combines creativity, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and technology. Here, children and youth learn by doing: they design products, grow food, run micro-businesses, and use tools and digital applications that reflect the realities of today’s world. MyFarm is not a school - it is a factory of ideas, a startup playground, and a launchpad for Africa’s next generation of innovators. Marit’s work has expanded into Leap Learning, a complete methodology now used in more than 20 countries, proving that scalable, learner-centered education can be built from the grassroots and grow globally. Her platforms demonstrate that true educational transformation does not come from theory but from practice, experimentation, and ownership. Known for her relentless drive, deep curiosity, and ability to turn complex ideas into simple, functional systems, Marit represents a new kind of education leader - not a theorist, but a practitioner who builds scalable solutions based on real-world needs. Her mission is bold and singular: To ensure that every child in Africa has the tools, the mindset, and the confidence to build something of their own - and to turn potential into prosperity.