Jainaba Ceesay is currently a National Science Foundation Regional Instructor at the University of Maryland, College Park, the lead institution for the Mid Atlantic I-Corps Hub, where she serves on the DEI Committee. Jainaba's involvement with I-Corps goes back to 2019, when she observed NSF National Cohorts at George Washington University in Washington D.C., while she was an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Bowie State University. Jainaba will be the Industry Mentor for NSF I-Corps National cohort in March 2024 with a team from the University of Maryland and Texas A&M.

Jainaba also manages the Maryland Innovation Extension, an Economic Development Administration (EDA) University Center. Through the extension, the University of Maryland, along with partner institutions Bowie State University, Morgan State University, Coppin State University, and the University of Baltimore, collaborate to bring entrepreneurial resources to the entire state of Maryland, with a particular focus on underrepresented groups in entrepreneurship.

Prior to joining UMD in 2022, Jainaba had a proven record of success in strategy, management, collaboration, business development, and entrepreneurship. Since 2005, she has successfully led, mentored, lectured, and coached teams within the banking and finance industries and higher education. She launched her Global Consultancy in 2017 upon successfully completing her MBA at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

Jainaba has supported startups in her native Gambia, West Africa through the collaboration of her venture with Startup Grind Banjul, The YMCA, and The Youth Empowerment (YEP), sponsored by The International Trade Centre with the lean startup methodology to help young, talented youth discover their niche in a very small market.