Be a part of MEST Africa’s tech startup pitch competition from the comfort of your home!

On July 22nd, top startups from Nigeria will compete in the African tech startup pitch competition, the 2020 MEST Africa Challenge, for the chance to win $50,000 in equity funding!

The virtual Zoom event will provide a stage for technology start-ups to pitch for funding and gain international visibility in front of the MEST team and renowned judges from the local ecosystem.

The top company from Nigeria will go on to compete against those from eight other African countries on a global stage in front of entrepreneurs, investors, corporate partners, and ecosystem players for the ultimate prize of funding.

Competing businesses also stand to win support from MAC partner and leading technology giant, Microsoft, as well as the opportunity to join the MEST’s African-wide incubator community.

Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Time: 3:00-5:30PM WAT

Country finalists to be announced shortly.

Register to receive the link to join.

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More about the MEST Africa Challenge:

This MEST Africa Challenge expanded from five markets to nine this year, embracing early-stage companies based in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Sénégal, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, and providing the opportunity for the Challenge organizers – MEST, lead partner – Microsoft, and other ecosystem partners including – VC4A, Afrilabs, LeversInHeels, MoveMeBack, BriterBridges, She Leads Africa, Seedstars Lagos, GrowthLab, Impact Hub Lagos, to support even more startups through funding and resources.

Now in its fourth year, the MEST Africa Challenge has become an establishment in the start-up technology industry, giving an unprecedented global platform to hundreds of local tech entrepreneurs in Africa.

About the organizers:

MEST is an Africa-wide technology entrepreneur training program, internal seed fund, and network of hubs offering incubation for technology startups in Africa. Founded in Ghana in 2008, MEST provides critical skills training, funding, and support in software development, business, and communications to Africa’s tech entrepreneurs. Hubs are located in Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; Cape Town, South Africa; and Nairobi, Kenya. MEST is funded by the Meltwater Foundation, the non-profit arm of Meltwater, a global leader in media intelligence and Outside Insight.

We all know that a website is only a good website if its mobile version is at least equally well performing as the desktop version. A mobile version is an absolute Must-Have and what seems normal to all of us today, was a long time coming process behind the scenes.

The same destiny is happening to businesses of all sizes and industries. For a few years now, it has been expected from businesses to create and drive positive impact and not only have good products/services or rising profits. What slowly started to develop in the past years, now is suddenly put in the spotlight. In times of COVID-19, the impact aspects of your business are becoming important NOW and it is the best time to start implementing them in your brand and business.

We invite you to look with us at the 1st chapter of IMPACT IS THE NEW MOBILE to understand where we are now and what we all can do right away.

We will talk about:

What is impact? Why is it relevant in times of COVID19 and beyond?

Regenerative business framework & other impact models (tools, practices, trends that can help you lead from the emerging future)

Importance of communication & content marketing

7 tips for Content Marketing for acting in a crisis

2 approaches that will work post crisis

Human Centred approach

Responsible Storytelling

Moderator:

Arlind Haxhijaj, Founder Coolab

Workshop Hosts:

Christina Forster

I believe that every business, brand or product has a story to tell – and that’s a good one, too. My own story started in the field of journalism but already in 2005 she moved from print to online. However, it was only during my 8 years in London when I discovered how Content Marketing, Storytelling and Responsible Communication can enable sustainable success for a business – something that became my biggest passion. Since then I am helping clients – ranging from big corporation to startups, telling their stories by creating human centered content strategies for internal and external use. Throughout my career I have worked in the fashion, sports, music but also media and IT industry with companies such as Red Bull, Nivea, Labello, Boden or Cisco Austria. Startups I love to support with DIY tool-kits for Content Marketing, so everyone can implement it themselves.

Bistra Kumbaroska

Poetry is what I am, everything else is what I do and what I do is supporting individuals, organisations and companies in combining innovative tools to grow their impact. In 2008, I was one of the core drivers of a movement in Macedonia that resulted with today’s most popular youth portal in CEE Region, www.mladiinfo.com. My passion for entrepreneurship took me on a journey through Europe, Sub-Sahara Africa, and South-East Asia, supporting the creation of meaningful jobs for youth, together with partners like the European Commission, UN PRME and other international organisations. I have been involved in the creation and scaling of more than 5 networks and entities across different sectors in CEE and have organized, facilitated and shared my experience at more than 132 international events and conferences so far. At the moment, I am a managing partner of Vienna-based agency Heartbeats Innovation & Communication and I focus my time on innovations in impact management, civil society, community management, impact-driven businesses and international convenenings.

Guest Speaker:

Barbara Inmann, Managing Director, Impact Hub Viena

As we can neither use our community kitchen nor our lounge, hammocks or Café spurlos, we just use our sofas at home and laptops!

Join our weekly session if you’re keen to meet impact-makers from Basel and beyond. Feel free to also use this opportunity to pick your coworkers brains, ask questions, pitch your (business) ideas, and make meaningful connections in an easy and informal way. We also take the chance to update you about what’s happening in the Hub.

Of course, it’s also simply about enjoying each others company and drink a beer together.

You find the link to the Zoom call in the event description in our Members’ Slack Space and Nexudus.

See you there!

PS: Not a member yet? Check the Membership Packages out here: https://basel.impacthub.net/en/become-a-member/ and email us: [email protected]

Join us for our online version of ‘Meet the Changemakers‘, at which three members of our social impact community will introduce themselves, their stories and current projects.

The format is a mash-up of the ‘pecha kucha’ style, where each person will present for just four minutes.

After that, stick around for questions and some virtual networking to see in the weekend.

This event is brought to you by Impact Hub Berlin – where change goes to work.

Switzerland is one of the world’s design capitals, producing furniture classics, world-renowned architecture and innovations in building science. With such a depth of expertise, there is a great opportunity to share experience and inspire innovation. 

As we look to the future, our challenge is to design objects and environments that keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems; what we call circular design. But what does this mean for the user experience, business models, and how different elements of the industry and supply chain work together?

We aim to inspire your thinking through design portraits of Swiss furniture, architecture and the built environment, exploring how circular thinking is being implemented in their design, material selection, and service models.

JOIN YOUR TRIBE

Impact Hub Basel and Circular Economy Transition invite you to the (virtual) launch of the Circular Furniture, Architecture and Built Environment tribe.

With this event, we are launching a space for circular design discussions, by presenting you a practical case study and giving you a chance to ask questions during our expert Q&A panel. You also get an opportunity to network virtually with peers within and outside of your field. Additionally, we want you to tell us what you’d like to get out of our network, as we plan for the next FABE Tribe events.

This event is open to anyone with an interest in good design, especially industrial designers, furniture companies, architects, interior designers, building engineers, waste and recycling companies, researchers and many more of the field.

AGENDA

• 18.00 Introduction by Olena Bolger (Program Manager CET)
• 18.20 Circular Portraits – Case studies related to Furniture, Architecture and the Built Environment
• 18:30 Panel discussion and Q&A moderated by Kate Bottriell (Impact Hub Basel FABE Tribe Leader, and founder of ecochair.ch)
• 19.00 Looking forward – Building our Tribe and future events
• 19.10 Speed networking

REGISTRATION

After your registration via Eventbrite, you will receive an email with access to the Zoom call closer to the event.

ORGANIZERS

The Circular Furniture, Architecture and the Built Environment (FABE) Tribe is a network of individuals and organizations interested in the circular economy, as applied to the furniture, architecture and built environment in Switzerland. It is an initiative of Impact Hub Basel, and part of the Circular Economy Transition program.

Circular Economy Transition is a pioneer initiative that aims at accelerating the transition of Switzerland to a Circular Economy. It currently takes place in 5 Swiss cities – Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, and Zurich. The program is initiated and being implemented in close collaboration with Impact Hub Switzerland, sanu durabilitas and with the support of the MAVA foundation.

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Please note that by registering and participating in this event, you agree to the recording of your appearance and/or your voice, which Verein Impact Hub Basel can publish in photos, videos and accompanying sound recordings via online and offline media and for marketing purposes.

Circular Economy is a necessary measure to be taken in Switzerland due to the high rate of resource consumption. Redesigning technological solutions by using the cyclic flows of the ecosystem and its regeneration is the way to reach a higher sustainability where the minimal material and energy consumption is assured.

The Circular Economy initiative is a new cross-vertical focus of the KICKSTART program together with ​Impact Hub Switzerland,​ as part of the ​Circular Economy Transition to support technological innovations for sustainable development.

SPEAKERS:

Naomi MacKenzie, Co-Founder at KITRO

Manuel Winter, CEO & Co-Founder of Oxygen at Work

Amanda Byrde, Co-President of Impact Hub Switzerland

Moderated by Katka Letzing, Co-Founder & Co-Lead at KICKSTART

AGENDA:

18:30: Welcome & Introduction

18:40: Q&A & Panel Discussion between speakers

19:15: Open Q&A

19:30: Closing

WEBINAR ACCESS:

The details for accessing the webinar will be sent via the confirmation email once you have registered for the event.