Can you imagine spending four hours trying to understand your workplace pension benefits — and still walking away confused? Or worse, realizing you’ve left $10,000 on the table in unclaimed employer matching contributions simply because the enrollment system was too complex to navigate?
Photo credit: Paola Varhen Pacheco.
That is exactly what happened to Igbagbo Ajagunna, a University of Toronto (U of T) arts and science graduate and entrepreneur.
In her first full-time role, Ajagunna sat alone at her laptop trying to make sense of the pension options offered by her employer. She knew this decision was a pillar of her financial future, but she couldn’t find the clarity needed to make the right choice.
What began as frustration became a turning point. In that moment, Ajagunna recognized a critical issue: a persistent gap between the value organizations offer and how employees understand it.
That realization led her to found CompCrafter — an AI-powered platform that helps employees maximize their benefits by eliminating the jargon and administrative confusion that often prevents them from accessing the full value of their compensation.
Lost in Translation
Before founding CompCrafter, Ajagunna worked in human resources roles, where she repeatedly witnessed the same misalignment, she had experienced herself.
“Many companies have solid compensation systems in place, but they struggle to articulate them effectively. The investment becomes wasted money that fails to resonate,” she explains. “Communication and framing are what truly make or break HR strategies.”
The problem wasn’t the benefits themselves — it was how they were communicated.
“When people feel genuinely recognized and fairly compensated, they’re far more willing to invest their time and energy into the company,” she adds. “That engagement lifts morale and reduces turnover.”
Her background in behavioural economics shaped how she approached this gap. At U of T, she learned not just to understand theory, but to translate it into action.
What emerged wasn’t simply a product idea, but a mission: to redesign how employees understand and claim their value.
When Vulnerability Builds Trust
Photo provided by CompCrafter.
CompCrafter is built on transparency — and so is its founder.
In the early stages of her entrepreneurial journey, Ajagunna made a bold choice: to share publicly the process of building her startup.
“It was really scary to talk about my experiences — especially while I was still living through them and not knowing how things would pan out,” she adds. “The scariest part is knowing people will see you fail.”
Yet opening up — sharing both the wins and the setbacks — paid off.
What followed was a growing community of people who believed in what she was building. Her transparency became traction for her business, and her willingness to be seen became momentum and inspiration for others.
“The most important advice I received was that before you have an established startup, people see the founder as the brand,” she says. “You have to show up the way you want your company to be perceived.”
So she did — not perfectly, but honestly.
Give to Gain
inside the Schwarts Reisman Innovation Campus.
Photo credit: Paola Varhen Pacheco.
Born in Nigeria, Ajagunna carries a deep awareness of both potential and disparity. Each year, when she returns home, she sees it clearly: “There is so much potential and opportunity for innovation,” she says. “But resources are really lacking.”
She knows that if she hadn’t had access to the right tools and support systems, CompCrafter might never have existed. That realization fuels her long-term vision: to create an accelerator in Nigeria that equips young female founders with the mentorship and support they need to build their own entrepreneurial journey.
“There are so many talented people who don’t have the support to pursue their ideas,” she says. “People just need more resources and belief in what they’re building.”
For Ajagunna, giving also means showing up.
She regularly leads professional development workshops for high school and university students, focused on personal branding and confidence-building. The goal is simple: make success visible.
“Giving to me means creating opportunities with whatever resources you have,” she explains.
She recalls speaking to a group of Grade 12 students when one girl approached her and admitted she had always dreamed of starting a tech company — but buried the idea because she didn’t know pathways existed. After their conversation, she realized her dream was within reach.
“That really touched me,” Ajagunna says.
Sometimes giving isn’t about capital. Sometimes it means helping someone see a future they didn’t know they were allowed to imagine.
Advice for Aspiring Female Founders
As CEO, Ajagunna is intentional about building spaces where women thrive. “I know firsthand that the support for women can pale in comparison to the support for men,” she says.
That awareness shapes how she speaks about negotiation — an area where many women still hesitate. “A lot of us undermine our accomplishments and fail to take up space in rooms,” she says. “You’ve only made it this far because you’re just as qualified as everybody else — and the worst thing they can say is no.”
alongside a friend and fellow 2023 Economics grad.
Photo provided by CompCrafter.
For Ajagunna, confidence isn’t inherent — it’s built through preparation. “Once you can clearly link what the role requires, what you bring, and how your experience drives business success; you can negotiate,” she explains.
In addition, her advice to women building careers or companies in tech is simple: don’t forget where you started.
“When you have a moral anchor tying you back to your roots, you won’t forget the hard work it took to get into these rooms,” she says.
For her, that anchor is her family and friends — the people who remind her that the means matter as much as the end. “If you lose sight of that,” she says, “you risk compromising the very values that got you started.”
At the core of her leadership is mutual respect. Regardless of age, gender, or background, she believes everyone deserves to be heard. “We all have something we can learn from one another,” she explains.
When asked what she would want the younger version of herself to see today, her answer was immediate: resilience.
“When you set your mind to something and refuse to stop until you get it right, you can do virtually anything.”
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In the context of International Women’s Day’s Give to Gain, Ajagunna’s journey reminds us that clarity creates confidence, vulnerability builds community, and when women intentionally create space for one another, everyone rises.