Ready Leaders Foundation is a non-profit whose goal is to empower young kids to  become leaders in their communities by providing them with the tools to be successful in their various fields.

Onome Akinbode-James is a former forward/center for the Duke University women’s basketball team, earning ACC Honor Roll and All-ACC Academic Team honors, and a silver medalist with Nigeria at the 2015 FIBA Africa Under-16 Championship for Women.

Passionate about empowering girls, Onome founded the Ready Leaders Foundation to help young women develop leadership, basketball skills, and personal growth. Through programs like her three-day basketball boot camp in Abeokuta, Ogun State, she has helped uncover and nurture the incredible untapped talent in girls across Nigeria.

Onome’s mission is clear: she wants every girl to know that anything is possible, even when the path isn’t obvious. She also envisions building a strong basketball community for girls, where sponsors and supporters can help amplify this impact and invest in the next generation of leaders and athletes.

Today, she balances her professional career as a Software Engineer with her ongoing dedication to growing the Ready Leaders Foundation and inspiring girls to reach their full potential.