iHub Prepares to Open in Nairobi

This is the third interview I have done with Erik Hersman in a year. Each has been in a different continent and each time I find his enthusiasm for entrepreneurship to be even more inspiring. Erik is one of five founders of the iHub in Nairobi, Kenya. It is a city that is booming, yet until now, it has no focal point for those IT start-ups that need cheap, fast Internet access and a place to interact with colleagues with a similar passion. iHub is the answer and when I visited on April 6th 2010, I found them in the early stages of building out.

Erik and the iHub's new manager Jessica Colaço are both TED fellows. They combine creativity with sound business sense - as well as being great people to know. In the film you will also will also see two 3rd year students, Samuel Olembo and Angela Oduor, who are helping out.

Check out ihub.co.ke, and if you've got a great idea, I definitely recommend hooking up.

 

African Inspiration

Preferred Futures for African IT Projects - Erik Hersman from Jonathan Marks on Vimeo.

In the days when I hosted a radio programme on Radio Netherlands Worldwide, I really enjoyed the documentary work in the form of safaris to see great projects in action. Now, after travelling the world a couple of times, it is time to release the video compilations of those who have inspired me so far. I've shot everything in HDV but only recently had the capability to edit it - and the context is becoming clear now.

This profile looks at the work of the work of Erik Hersman, who grew up in Kenya and Sudan. For the last 5 years he's been organising innovative technology projects in Africa, acting as a catalyst for others. At the 2009 SxSW conference (www.sxsw.com) in Austin, Texas I got a chance to talk with him in some depth. I'm sure, like me, you'll be inspired by what Erik and his colleagues are up to.

Check out his various blogs like whiteafrican.com and afrigadget.com. He also explains in the video more about his latest collaborative effort at ushahidi.com.