American-born Vivian Nwakah’s startup connects reputable manufacturers with consumers in a bid to save lives. Vivian Nwakah was told she wouldn’t survive in Nigeria, and she started to believe it. While her glistening dark skin makes her look just like most everyone in the capital city of Lagos, her American accent means she’s not like everyone else; and all of her friends who arrived around the same time as she did have since moved back to the U.S. Nwakah’s mission, and the reason she stays, became clear shortly after her arrival in Lagos. Before she had gotten her driver’s license, Nwakah relied on a friend to drive her around. One day, after being diagnosed with malaria, that friend died — not from the disease, but from the fake malaria medication he was taking. In 2017, Nwakah launched Medsaf to help tackle the counterfeit medicines that run rampant in Nigeria. | 
