According to The Knights Foundation report: Diversifying Investments, just 1.1 percent of the $71.4 trillion assets under management across the world is in the hands of women and minority-owned firms. We all know entrepreneurship is hard, but starting a business across Africa is particularly hard given the restraints presented by developing nations. It is a gift and a curse in that new problems call for different solutions [from the Western World], but it can be challenging facing the barriers that impact scale and success. These barriers include: Limited access to
A look at the intersection of technology and revolutionary change, with a conversation between Lina Ben Mhenni, a Tunisian blogger who rose to prominence during the Tunisian revolution of 2011, who was nominated for the Nobel peace prize, and POCIT’s own Zara Tewolde-Berhan. What inspired you to get into cyber blogging and activism? I started blogging in 2007; my country was living under a dictatorship and internet and blogs, social media had been the unique medium for me to express myself, it was a space for me to express myself and
written by Kimerie Green For the past few months, I have been working as a Software Engineering Fellow at Khan Academy. This program gives engineers from non-traditional backgrounds the opportunity to build their experience by working on real products alongside full-time engineers. During my time as a fellow, I’ve had a chance to work with amazing engineers and work on projects that have had an immediate impact on Khan Academy’s users. I was attracted to this role because of my background working for education nonprofits. The fellowship has given me
Here are a few lessons I picked up raising our seed round for Amaliah.co.uk. [All the investor quotes are genuine but anonymised]. 1. Don’t be put off Investor: “I simply believe that what you are doing is going to fail” Meh…. Everyone will have an opinion. Not everyone you meet will understand what it is that you are trying to do. As long as you know, that is all you need. 2. Know what words are sexy AI, Fintech, VR = Sexy Words 😍 E-commerce, advertising = Unsexy 😷
Behind the ‘Hidden Figures.’ “I counted everything: the steps, the dishes, the stars in the sky” – Katherine Johnson It’s the holidays, and with a huge pool of new film releases, there is one that stands out this year. This film tells the untold story of Katherine Johnson, the Black female mathematician and her peers, or even better, the “black human computers” at NASA. These women played pivotal roles in NASA’s trajectory and yet have been massively overlooked for much of American history. Until Theodore Melfi‘s ‘Hidden Figures’ does well
If you had one year of living free of bills, what would you build, what company would you start, or what problem would you solve? The issue is critical because of some today’s most famous companies [both in technology and otherwise], began with the generosity of family and friends that provided them with ‘runways’ to start. What Is A Runway? One of many typical patterns that tie successful companies together is a ‘runway.’ I describe a ‘runway’ as dedicated time and resources to help get an idea to a successful
I never grew up ‘technical’. I remember an exasperated friend having to explain the concept of MSN instant messenger [I feel old] to me around the mid-00s. Long story short, I didn’t have a clue. Computers were something I used like everyone but barely understood. I just wasn’t that ‘computer guy’ growing up. So how was it that I’ve ended up as a software engineer at a venture-backed tech startup, then as lead developer/founder at POCIT? It all started with an idea for a website I had back during my
I recently took the opportunity to head down to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California to see the arrival of Juno from behind the scenes. I was there as a social media ambassador with a group of other thought leaders to share in NASA’s next big moment of space exploration. While I was there, I met people I would not otherwise meet; the scientists who had an active part in designing the instruments on Juno, the project managers who drove the mission forward and even the Assistant Director for
One of my favorite movies is Ratatouille because of it parallels to what it’s like being a minorty entrepreneur. One of the quotes from the film describes Anton Ego’s epiphany “Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist *can* come from *anywhere*.” The quote is empowering because it puts everyone on an equal playing field. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t go to a top school, came from a poor background or what gender you are, anyone can have a great idea for business. Running a startup
Everyone loves hearing origin stories. How did you first get into tech? My father works in technology at a state university. I used to sit in his lap like a baby and play a typing game he’d pull up on his screen. As I got older, he never stopped encouraging my inner tinkerer, and so I was constantly building things and taking apart computers. Weirdly, I didn’t consider a career in tech. I was into everything: writing, chemistry, physics, art; you name it. Your background is originally in Social Entrepreneurship.
