When play, purpose and passion end in African recognition

From VR labs to AI-driven innovation, Louise Claassen is on a mission to make learning accessible, experiential, and truly transformative.

When it comes to learning, I don’t believe in just sitting back and reading a case study. I believe in living it, experiencing it, and being fully immersed. Over the past decade, my work has been shaping the way we approach education at Henley Business School Africa, blending technology, creativity, and human-centered design to reimagine what learning can be.

Recently, my work earned me a nomination for the Africa Awards 2025: Women in Tech®, in the Women in Web3 category. It is surreal. It’s my very first award nomination, and honestly, I had to triple-check it was real. The awards seek to celebrate women, initiatives, and allies who are making an impact in tech. Beyond the recognition, it’s opened a gateway into a whole new community of phenomenal women across Africa and beyond, all driving innovation.

I have been fascinated by the potential of technology to solve problems for as long as I can remember. Over 11 years ago, I joined as adjunct faculty, designer, learning innovator, and Executive Fellow, which has led to my adventure of exploring the potential of tech in education. About six years ago, I was trying to solve a challenge: how do we expose students who can’t go on international or regional immersions to the energy, excitement, and innovation happening across the continent? That’s when I came across virtual reality, and I knew it was the answer.

I remember pitching the idea to my colleagues, and Linda Buckley was incredible, believing in the vision and helping make it a reality. What started as small VR labs with just a handful of participants has now grown into a weekly immersive learning operation. I could not have done it without amazing partners like BlackRhinoVR in Kenya, who helped us navigate the early complexities of VR hardware, content creation, and logistics.

Virtual reality was my gateway, but my work now spans AI, digital twins, and the convergence of emerging technologies. AI is no longer a bolt-on; it is a platform that personalises and amplifies the learning experience. Using these tools, students can explore complex scenarios in ways that feel tangible, memorable, and even fun. Watching Henley grow and innovate over this time has been one of the highlights of my life.

I am also fascinated by how technology can enhance our humanity. Exploring biohacking and neuroplasticity has helped me think about how people can become more adaptable, resilient, and present. For me, it is always about asking: how can we leverage technology to be more human?

ORBmersive, the platform I helped create, has become my playground to experiment and innovate. We can push boundaries, build for the future, and integrate foresight and vision into learning experiences in ways that traditional operations don’t allow. Even after all these years, the challenges keep me on my toes. From hardware shipping issues during COVID to constantly upgrading our VR devices, the learning never stops. And that’s what makes it exciting.

Being nominated for the Women in Tech® Award is a milestone, but what excites me even more is the community I’ve become part of. Meeting other women leading in Web3, blockchain, and AI across Africa has been inspiring.

Through it all, I remain deeply grateful for my Henley colleagues and partners who have walked this journey with me. Building immersive learning experiences isn’t a solo effort – it’s a collaborative adventure, and I’m lucky to have such a supportive team.

At the heart of it, my mission is simple: to transform learning through immersive, human-centered technology. Whether it’s VR, AI, or digital twins, my goal is to make learning accessible, experiential, and truly transformative. It’s a privilege and a deep joy to be part of this journey. Innovation, creativity, and building futures that matter, that’s what it’s all about.