Titilope Olotu

Titilope is a first-generation Nigerian-American changemaker and near-FGM survivor using education, innovation, and advocacy to transform women’s health and wellness globally. After enduring an abusive labour exchange as a child in the US and years of financial instability, she graduated salutatorian of her IB high school while working over 42 hours weekly to support her family. Now a biology major at UCLA, she is channelling her lived experience into groundbreaking work in menstrual equity, reproductive justice, and health innovation.

At 18, she is the founder of PADÍ For You – a non-profit providing wellness booths that combine menstrual care, mental health support, and financial literacy. To date, PADÍ For You has served over 14,700 students across the US, Nigeria, and India, distributing 2,570+ kits and holding dozens of workshops.

Her most notable innovation is the PADÍ Eco-Kit, which includes biodegradable banana fiber pads infused with herbal healing agents to support women with BV, yeast infections, and FGM-related trauma.Her groundbreaking invention – PADÍ – initially featured biodegradable banana fiber pads infused with herbal healing agents for conditions like yeast infections, BV, and FGM scarring. Developed in UCLA’s NSF BioPACIFIC Lab, the pads are providing support for women whom medical professionals and antibiotics have failed. Her newest advancement provides smart and sustainable menstrual care through biosensors with over 10+ biomarkers, translating menstruation into in-depth health analysis that delivers non-invasive, personalised data. Titilope’s innovation has earned her awards, widespread recognition, and partnerships with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the NBA Foundation, and others.

Committed to uplifting others, Titilope has mentored over 453 students and edited more than 620 scholarship and college applications, helping peers gain admission to top universities. She is currently building a PADÍ Global Fellows Programme to empower other first-generation college students to launch wellness initiatives in their communities.

Titilope’s long-term vision includes FDA approval for her medicinal pads, opening OB/GYN clinics in Nigeria and Somalia, and ensuring wellness resources are a human right – not a privilege.