NEWSROOM

Sam Lucas is a social entrepreneur and the founder of Onja, a social enterprise based in Madagascar that trains underprivileged youth into world-class software developers.

With a background in mechatronics engineering, Sam started Onja to pay it forward to those without access to the opportunities he had in his native New Zealand. That idea- that those born into privilege must play an active role in uplifting others–informed and continues to drive Onja's social enterprise model.

Sam understands that while opportunity may discriminate, talent does not. Brilliant minds are born in the world's poorest communities just as they are in the riches. The difference and the root cause of inequality lies in access to opportunity.

While nurturing the idea that would go on to become Onja, Sam lived for one year in a rural Malagasy village to understand what people most value. From that experience, he developed a unique recruitment strategy to pinpoint 30, talent-rich, opportunity-poor students from an initial pool of 250,000.

Today, Onja is playing a key role in Madagascar's development with graduates working as well-paid developers on global tech teams while funding opportunities for economic mobility for future cohorts.

Sam's work sits at the intersection of social innovation, technology, education, and economic inclusion. By bridging overlooked communities in Madagascar with global tech markets, he demonstrates how cross-sector collaboration and market-driven solutions can address systemic inequalities. His experience offers practical insight into building scalable, mission-driven enterprises that unlock human potential while delivering real value to businesses, communities and governments.

His perspective challenges traditional models of aid and invites audiences to rethink how global talent, technology, and business can work together to create lasting, inclusive change.

Mitantsoa Solofoniary is the English Course Design Manager at Onja, a social enterprise in Madagascar that trains underprivileged youth into world-class software developers.

A teacher at heart, Mitantsoa first began teaching at the age of 17 at the English Center of Arivonimamo, which marked the start of a lifelong vocation. Since 2019, she has led the development and expansion of Onja's English programme, equipping students with advanced language skills and cultural fluency to thrive in Western work environments. Today, she leads a team of ten national and international staff members, ensuring Onja can deliver high-quality English education to increasingly larger cohorts of students.

She began by teaching Onja's inaugural cohort in 2019 and has since grown into a senior leadership role within the organisation. In 2022, she was selected as a Chevening Scholar, a prestigious scholarship funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to recognise individuals with exceptional leadership potential. She spent the year in Bangor, Wales, deepening her expertise in English language education. During her studies, she explored the foundations of linguistics, second language acquisition, and EFL teaching theories, as well as the role of language in communication across diverse cultural contexts.

Prior to joining Onja, she volunteered with Teach for Madagascar from 2015 to 2018, where she nurtured a passion for expanding access to quality education across her native Madagascar. Motivated by the immense talent of Malagasy youth, who make up a significant part of the country's population, she is committed to expanding opportunities for their economic mobility.

Grace manages the day-to-day operations of the training program, working closely with students and mentors to ensure successful outcomes for all participants.