Tom Courtright
Tom Courtright is a Fellow at the African Tech Futures Lab. He is a researcher specializing in e-mobility and informal transport systems in East Africa, where he is based. He serves as Research Director at the Africa E-Mobility Alliance (AfEMA), E-Mobility Consultant for Energy 4 Impact, and Knowledge, Data and Policy Lead at the Global Network for Paratransit Transformation (GNPT).
Tom is also the co-founder of Lubyanza, a research group composed of boda boda riders and Makerere University academics, conducting quarterly surveys on Uganda's boda boda sector. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town, where his research focuses on accessibility and political economy of boda bodas in Uganda. His work has informed regulatory frameworks and market development strategies for electric vehicle adoption in East Africa, with particular expertise in battery swap systems, electrification pathways for two- and three-wheeled vehicles, and informal transport policy.
Tom is writing a book on the history of boda bodas in Uganda and co-created the Boda Boda Board Game. He earned his BA in International Relations from Knox College and dual Masters of Urban Planning and Masters in Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan.
