2009 Tutu Fellow Geci Karuri-Sebina PhD  has joined the new Board of The Open Institute.  She was appointed to the position in February 2023.

The Open Institute is a non-profit organization based in Nairobi, Kenya that collaborates with governments, civil society organisations, citizen groups and private sector companies to find innovative ways to achieve sustainable development. The institute's goal is to support open societies managed by informed fact-driven citizens.

As the national organizer of Civic Tech Innovation Network (CTIN), Geci supports CSO's, governments, and the tech community, to develop technology and use it successfully. As an expert in bridging gaps among science, technology, and community, Geci is well placed to be a valuable addition to The Open Institute.  She accepted the position at the CTIN at the same time that she accepted a position as a Visiting Research Fellow role at the Wits School of Governance. She had been with the South African Cities Network since 2011, where she was Executive Manager.

Kenyan-born, she has been a faculty member at SingularityU, with a focus on urban futures, including smart cities, networks, urban planning, governance, and development, as well as innovation systems. She has also been the South African Coordinator of an African Development Bank Study on the 4th Industrial Revolution and the Future of Work in Africa as part of ACET - the African Centre for Economic Transformation. In 2019, she was appointed by the Minister of Higher Education & Training to an eight-person team tasked with providing a report and advice on managing both the threats and opportunities afforded by 4IR to South Africa.

You can read more about the new Board on The Open Institute website.