Testimonials

What are people saying about Africa Gathering?

In order to be unbiased about our impact, here are some thougts from people that have spoken at Africa Gathering:

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Africa Gathering team for their kind connection and recommendation to the Unreasonable Institute. Africa Gathering invited me to speak at their Nairobi event in December 2010. I was deeply humbled by their vision to promote Africa and help Africans share ideas that can change our beloved continent. I attended and shared insights with my fellow Africans without realizing that day will bring some transformation. My connection to Africa Gathering has deeply transformed my business and myself as an African entrepreneur. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire team for giving me the opportunity to spend six amazing weeks in Boulder Mountains with the Unreasonable Institute” Anne Githuku-Shongwe -Founder of Afroes, South Africa

“The Africa Gathering platform is real time, real life, real faces, real stories, real inspiration; something that with our busy lives overwhelmed with technology tools we sometimes miss.  The forum offers a warm and welcoming space for anyone with an idea or project to help Africa to share it and make connections with other people.  We met people who had posted ideas on our website and grew our audience of supporters simply by sharing our story and aspirations.  Anyone who attends this conference comes away from it as part of the Africa Gathering family.”
Molly Mattessich, Manager of Africa Rural Connect

“The Africa Gathering platform has given us enormous visibility both in and outside Africa. A perfect example of how it offers visibility outside Africa is when after watching an Africa Gathering event on the web, a gentleman in Michigan USA contacted us and offered to distribute our solar lantern for us in the US at no cost whatsoever to us. This has given us the opportunity to expand our market as well as improve our cashflows.”
Joseph Nganga, Renewable Energy Ventures, Kenya

“For some time there has been a desperate need for a forum where people from a range of different disciplines could gather and talk through many of the issues, hopes, opportunities and successes on the African continent. Africa Gathering is the answer at least I was looking for, and has proved a refreshing addition to the conference calendar. By bringing people together from all continents, disciplines and backgrounds who would have unlikely met, the depth of discussion is motivating and educational, and it has been an honour to have been involved as a speaker from the very beginning. Taking FrontlineSMS out of the ‘technical arena’ and into the wider world is a key objective for us, and Africa Gathering has been a huge help in enabling us to do this”.
Ken Banks, Founder kiwanja.net and FrontlineSMS.

“Africa Gathering has been instrumental in creating the a much-needed space for young entrepreneurs and start-ups to bring to the fore their grassroots work and competencies to an audience that can listen, respond, fund and stand together to implement worthy initiatives that would otherwise succumb to forgetfulness and never see the light of day. In doing this, Africa Gathering has personally given me personally opportunities to meet technologically savvy entrepreneurs whom I would never otherwise have met. We are working together on several platforms and projects because Africa Gathering gave us the space to meet, talk and exchange ideas. Africa Gathering has captured the spirit of Africans who are willing to stand in the gap to see Positive Change across the continent and therefore ought to be supported in its efforts.”
David Nahinga, Entrepreneur, Kenya.

“It is my hope that spaces like Africa Gathering will gather more support. The pre-existing global conversation about Africa is severely outdated and ineffective. This whole international conversation that pits Africa as fundamentally problematic, instead of fundamentally bursting at the seams with possibility and promise is wildly off-center.”
Danya Steele, Author and Change Agent, Atlanta USA

“Africa Gathering for me was a milestone in the history of GotIssuez. It gave us a platform to propel ourselves from and allowed us to mingle and meet with like-minded individuals and people who’s efforts we complemented. The networking alone was a beautiful part of the process, the inspiration it left us with was amazing. We were able to engage and imagine ourselves in present and in future as well as significantly raise our online profile. With a great series of opportunities staring at GotIssuez, it’s hard for me to say Africa Gathering was not part of the spark that landed us here. Thanks to Africa Gathering and the team for an amazing and inspiring Nairobi AG Conference.”
Mark Kaigwa, Got Issuez, Kenya

“I was honored to be invited to speak at the Africa Gathering DC event.  AG, for me, was a rare opportunity to connect with people behind some of the most innovative projects and organizations with a focus on Africa.  The DC event brought together individuals whose work was well known to me, as well as many new people whom I’ve begun to collaborate with.  The DC event broadened my understanding of the positive change taking place across the continent in areas as diverse as technology, finance, health and design.  I left feeling inspired by the discussions with speakers and attendees.  I’m also pleased to say that connections made at AG have opened doors and spawned the beginning of what I hope to be several lasting partnerships.”
Bill Zimmerman, Co-founder & board member of ActivSpaces, an open collaboration space, innovation hub and startup incubator for African techies.  Based in Buea, Cameroon.