The Second Annual African Women In Technology Conference was held in Nairobi, on 14th November, 2015 at Ole Sereni Airport Hotel, Mombasa Road by Akirachix. The event is targeted individuals ranging from Tech enthusiasts to Influencers in their communities.

Ethel Cofie founded Women in Tech Africa, which was the initiator of the 1st Pan African woman in tech meetup and was shortlisted for the UN GEM Tech Award for work supporting women in ICT .

The theme of this year’s conference was “Let Women Build!” while its main objectives included;
• Creating opportunities for collaboration and partnerships through networking
• Sparking creativity and innovation through hands on training sessions
• Exposing attendees to opportunities for employment, incubation and funding
• Allowing for showcasing of interesting business ideas
• Engaging in discussions on promoting women building solutions for Africa

The one day event was steered by the following amazing and inspirational women from the tech industry who engaged women through different sessions.

The keynote speech

This was facilitated by Wambui Kinya who is the Group Managing Director of ThoughtWorks Pan Africa and South America.

Panel sessions with women leaders

Juliana Rotich – A technologist, strategic Advisor, MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, TED Senior Fellow and currently serves as a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Data Driven Development.

Ruth Efrain – The co-leader of Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), Kenya Chapter. She has vast experience with Information Security Audits, Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment, Information Security Development among others.

Aprelle Duany – She is the C.E.O of KikoRomeo, one of the leading East African fashion houses. She is also a previous IT auditor at Price Waterhouse Coopers and a communication Specialist at the World Bank. She’s currently a co-founder of The American School of South Sudan.

Dr. Sheila Ochugboju – She’s the Lead Consultant for the Global Urban Youth Report 2015-2016 for the United Nations Human Settlements Program, UN-habitat. She’s one of the Global Roving Ambassadors for the county Government of Kisumu for Transformative Science and Urban Resilience.

Break Out Sessions
There were three breakout sessions which covered a range of crucial topical challenges that women entrepreneurs face including but not limited to;
• Women In Tech on Either Side of the Divide
• Agile Development
• Entrepreneurship and Health Innovation
• Career Exploration through a focus on Self-Awareness
• How to protect your innovations

Passing The Baton Panel

Wangechi Mwangi – C.E.O and Co-founder of Valuraha Group. She’s received a global recognition, winning the Global Students Entrepreneurs Awards Social Impact Award and also participated in Blackbox Connect. She’s a top 25 under 25 and top 40 under 40 women in Kenya.

Cynthia Anyango – She is an aggressive and ambitious Software Developer who came up with Ujirani, a social app connecting neighborhoods in Nairobi, which won the Safaricom App Wizz Challenge 2014. She’s a 25 under 25 entrepreneurs in Kenya.

Florence Wanjugu – She is the co-founder of Made In Nairobi, an app that helps you discover, learn and engage with tech startups all in one place. She’s a User Experience Researcher and Web Developer at FrontlineSms.

Asha Mweru – She’s part of a global network of startups, Startup Grind powered by Google for Entrepreneurs. She’s been selected as one of the 25 young Africans to be a fellow for the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice, Building Bridges Program.

Betty Mutimba – She is the Founder of Startup Grind Nairobi and also manages ParkingLotGrass, a Nairobi based Rock Band. She co-founded Valuraha Group where she also worked on User Experience Management.

When one woman helps another, amazing things can happen. Professional careers leap forward. That’s what Women in Technology is all about.

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