John Imah

He grew up in Dallas in a Nigerian immigrant family, taught himself programming as a teenager and explored computing by dismantling and rebuilding the family computer.⁠[1][2]

According to his account at Heidelberg University, he founded and sold his first technology business at 15 and sold a mobile-gaming venture at 16.⁠[3]

He attended the University of Texas at Arlington, studying business administration and management information systems. A university report records that Samsung recruited him during his freshman year to work on its Galaxy line.⁠[2][3]

In an interview, he described moving from Samsung to Take-Two Interactive, shifting from engineering to business, then working on esports and partnerships at Twitch before joining Facebook’s entertainment and gaming operations.⁠[4]

Facebook published an announcement coauthored by Imah and product manager Nick Miller introducing the Level Up program for emerging gaming creators and the fb.gg video destination. It identified him as Gaming Creator Program Lead.⁠[5]

People of Color in Tech reported that he joined Snap in 2018 to lead global partnerships and strategy, with work spanning gaming and platform partnerships.⁠[6][4]

In a Mogul Millennial interview, he advised developers to explain a game’s visual narrative, revenue model and fit with the platform, while remaining open to changes prompted by partnership feedback.⁠[4]

He cofounded SPREEAI and became CEO, developing AI for fashion retail, including virtual try-on, sizing and personalized shopping. The company identifies Bob Davidson as a fellow cofounder and chairman.⁠[7][8]

He addressed Heidelberg University’s HYPE Career Ready program, discussing entrepreneurship and corporate work and encouraging students to keep learning from others.⁠[3]

SPREEAI described a product that uses shoppers’ photographs to visualize clothing and announced that Naomi Campbell had joined its board. The release identified online stores and physical retail as intended settings.⁠[9]

The company announced financing of an undisclosed amount led by The Davidson Group, reporting a $1.5 billion valuation and partnerships with Sergio Hudson and Kai Collective. The figure referred to the company’s stated valuation.⁠[10]

He was featured in AFROTECH’s Future 50 and a related Black Tech Green Money interview. Observer placed him at number 60 on its 2025 AI Power Index.⁠[11][12]

He joined designer Stacey Bendet for a Lincoln Center discussion moderated by CFDA’s Steven Kolb, examining how AI can support fashion creativity alongside human aesthetic judgment.⁠[13]

At a Wharton Baker Retailing Center panel, he discussed embedding technology within branded shopping experiences and emphasized understanding fashion’s culture and customer relationships.⁠[7]

CFDA’s event gallery documented his Met Gala appearance in Harbison Studio alongside designer Charles Harbison.⁠[14]

School of Hard Knocks Podcast released an approximately 63-minute interview covering his early ventures, technology career, family influences and SPREEAI.⁠[15]

In Esquire Portugal, he emphasized timely decisions and responsibility for outcomes. He said virtual try-on must preserve garment fit, texture and personal style while meeting retail requirements for privacy and reliability.⁠[16]

His public biography states that he plays French horn, trumpet and piano and designs and makes clothing.⁠[2]

His website, https://www.johnimah.com/ (opens in a new window), links to X at https://x.com/iamjohnimah (opens in a new window) and LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry at https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnimah (opens in a new window). His YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry channel, https://www.youtube.com/@iamjohnimah (opens in a new window), links back to his website in its description.⁠[17][18]