East African ICT and connectivity event East AfricaCom kicks off today, with entrepreneurship to take on a pivotal role in this year’s event for the first time, in the form of a dedicated Entrepreneur’s Hub.
The Entrepreneur’s Hub has been introduced to the annual East AfricaCom event, in acknowledgment of the fact that entrepreneurs and innovators form a “key segment of the digital and telecoms ecosystem”, the conference organisers said.
The Hub aims to foster business skills, encourage mentorship through an on-site mentorship scheme to be held during East AfricaCom, and promote investment in the region – with a live pitching competition to be held at the Entrepreneur’s Hub.
The pitching competition will see five finalists pitch their businesses live to a panel of judges in front of conference attendees, with the winner to take home a cash prize.
Co-founder of Disrupt Africa, Tom Jackson, has been named lead judge at the live pitching competition; with the other judges to be the iHub’s Jessica Colaco, and Dianne Dusaidi, managing director and co-founder of Legacy 45.
“It’s a real pleasure to be judging at the East AfricaCom pitching competition today, and I’m looking forward to hearing from East Africa’s most promising startups,” Jackson said.
“Disrupt Africa is dedicated to showcasing and supporting Africa’s tech-based startups – we believe the continent boasts a vibrant and world-class entrepreneurial sector. We’re so glad to see Africa’s startups receiving this recognition at East Africa’s leading connectivity conference, and I’m sure the Entrepreneur’s Hub will prove to be an outstanding feature of the event.”
East AfricaCom takes place today, May 6 and May 7 in Nairobi, at the Safari Park Hotel.
