Ekene Okafor

Ivey’s Master of Management: Analytics (MM-A) program is streamlining the many lives of Ekene Okafor.

Working in multiple professional roles simultaneously, Okafor combines full-time employment with several entrepreneurial ventures along with graduate studies in the 12-month MM-A program at Ivey Business School.

Her primary role is in growth marketing at Phreesia, a U.S.-based health technology company that offers healthcare organizations a set of applications to automate and manage patient intake.

“There’s a lot of storytelling using data; it’s very enjoyable work for me,” said Okafor, who recently became a Canadian citizen, an experience that has shaped her professional interests in many ways.

Beyond her full-time role, Okafor is co-founding a boutique fertility agency focused on Canada and West Africa, connecting clients, particularly Black patients, with trusted clinics that can provide culturally competent fertility care. Her work is driven by first-hand experience navigating Canada’s health-care system as a Black person, and a desire to ensure patients are treated as individuals.

“Being a Black person, and moving here as an immigrant, I know how many questions I had around health care and how confusing it was,” said Okafor. “People know they can come to us, and we understand what it means to be a Black person navigating a really confusing health space, especially with fertility.”

She is also involved in a logistics business in Nigeria, currently operating deliveries within Lagos State with plans for expansion.

More Than One Lane

Okafor did not begin her career with a formal analytics background, but has long been interested in how data can be used to tell meaningful stories. That interest grew as she explored opportunities to better communicate outcomes with her clients.

“That kickstarted my interest in saying, ‘Ok, these numbers mean nothing unless you tell a story with them,’” she said. “What kind of story can we create for customers, so they see the value in the product they were hoping to realize?”

The MM-A program’s varied curriculum, case-study approach and immediate applicability to her roles drew her to Ivey.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s been valuable for me to know that whatever problem I have, I can look at it from the lens of the case. Those three things were what I was looking for, and I found them at Ivey.”

Turning Insight into Action

Coming from a kinesiology background, Okafor expected the case method to be “an uphill battle.” Instead, the support of her professors helped her adapt quickly, building both theoretical understanding and practical skills she applied across her work. For example, SQL and data management now support reporting and analysis at Phreesia, and marketing insights have helped position the fertility clinic more effectively.

“The leadership aspect has also really helped me understand different personalities and think about things in ways I didn’t before, because you’re learning from people in different fields and industries,” she said. “It helps to connect with people and understand them better.”

Okafor also credits the program with growing her vision for the future.

“The program has helped me expand my worldview, especially as I talk to my colleagues,” she said. “It helps me think about the many interesting things people are doing that I never would have considered if I had stayed in my little bubble.”