Our Roots, Our Mission
What ITAV Means
“It Takes a Village”
A call to community-led empowerment
Our Roots & Mission
ITAV Empower CIC was inspired by the growing impact of It Takes a Village (ITAV) Africa — a grassroots initiative in Africa connecting underserved communities to technology, skills, and mentorship.
While ITAV’s work across Africa is still evolving, its early achievements (from equipping learners with laptops to running digital skills bootcamps) have shown the life-changing power of access and opportunity.
Building on these foundations, ITAV Empower CIC brings the same spirit of innovation and inclusion to the UK, focusing on underrepresented youth here at home.
We believe that no young person should be left behind in the digital age. Our mission is to close the gap for young people (especially those from Black and minority communities aged 18–25) by providing access to devices, in-demand skills, mentorship, and career pathways.
Our goal is simple but ambitious: empower 10,000 young people in three years to not just participate in the tech economy, but to lead, create, and thrive in it.
Emmanuel Asika
Founder, ITAV Empower CIC
Founder Profile
Emmanuel Asika is a seasoned tech executive, ecosystem builder, and digital equity advocate with over two decades of leadership across Africa and the UK. As former Country Head of HP Inc., he oversaw more than $300 million in annual revenue and steered omnichannel strategies across 16 diverse African markets, driving growth, innovation, and resilience in challenging environments.
He currently serves on the boards of Oikus (Nigeria) and Ingomu (USA), and previously held a board seat at the American Business Council (Nigeria), bringing a rare blend of global insight and local execution to every role he undertakes.
Through It Takes a Village (ITAV) — his evolving pan-African initiative — Emmanuel has championed access to technology, mentorship, and future-focused skills for underserved youth, creating pathways to opportunity where few existed before.
With ITAV Empower CIC, he now extends this mission to the UK, equipping underrepresented communities, particularly Black youth aged 18–25, with the tools, confidence, and career pathways to thrive in a tech-driven world. Emmanuel’s leadership is defined by a commitment to bridging corporate excellence with grassroots transformation — building inclusive ecosystems where talent can flourish regardless of background.