Nadya Eka Lestari
TechInAfrica — The Innovate For Africa Conference is the largest African focused conference in North America. The event gathers investors, innovators, Silicon Valley executives, technology corporations, and government agencies converging in Silicon Valley to engage in Africa focused discussions around startup empowerment, job creation, human capital development, venture capitals, AI, Blockchain, fintech, social innovation, government policies, and many more.
This event, which is initiated in San Jose, is held in order to create partnerships that will help Africa grow its improving tech sectors in cities like Lagos, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya.
A San Jose resident, Hiba Sharief, is originally from Sudan and she has been in the tech field for more than 15 years. She has been named as one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 under 40. Sharief lately launched her own company, Elevoro. This business is an inclusive community of global leaders with a shared set of values centered around driving innovation and positive change while improving lives. Elvoro aims at growing tech skills in underserved communities.
Sharief hopes to see her country join the African tech revolution and encourages the rapidly growing tech sectors to reach more people in Africa to showcase the continent’s openness to technology advancement.
“The top talent is everywhere. There are many people who come to Silicon Valley because they’re talented and they get great education and create these cool startups. And there’s the infrastructure in place to promote it, to serve as a catalyst, an accelerator. But the mind itself is everywhere,” she said. “So, how do we empower them to create, to give them an opportunity to work and to figure out how to make their own money or make their life easier. Because the talent is there, they just don’t have the access to education, to opportunity.”
Regarding the Innovate for Africa conference, Sharief explained her goals, “We are bringing founders, innovators, and variety of different entrepreneurs from Africa to Silicon Valley to connect with a community of like-minded, like-skilled, talented people in Silicon Valley who are also entrepreneurs, VCs, and potential hires,” she remarked.
“Maybe there’s an opportunity in Africa for folks who are here and want to contribute to some people and go back. Maybe their opportunities here that are available to folks in Africa, building a community. We want people to know that if they do want to go to Africa, if they want to take their business to Africa, if they want to just learn more, if they want to help, support, donate, invest, whatever it is, then they know where to go,” she concludes.
Source: kalw.org
