Women Building Africa held its inaugural two-day assembly in Nairobi in September 2023. The Assembly, aimed at fostering connections and stimulating discussions among women in the technology industry, attracted over 200 participants from across Africa and the world, including notable names like Micheline Ntiru. , from Kenya Climate Ventures, Dr Ola Brown from HealthCap Africa, Maya Famodu from Ingressive Capital, Shola Akinlade and Amandine Lobelle from Paystack and many others.
Providing a platform for engaging conversations covering a wide range of topics, including empowering women entrepreneurs and addressing the gender disparity in leadership within the African tech ecosystem, the inaugural meeting of WWBA highlighted initiatives everyone can take to close the gender gap within venture capital firms and funding opportunities.
Gwera Kiwana, co-founder of Women Who Build Africa, said: “We envisioned an assembly that would empower women in tech to not only embrace change, but lead it. Our goal is to create a community that drives innovation, supports growth and redefines the future of the African technology landscape.
The event included a keynote address from venture capitalist and investor Micheline Ntiru, as well as a panel led by A&A Collective, exploring strategies to increase women’s participation in venture capital. Panelists included Mika Hajjar of P1 Ventures, Maryanne Ochola of Endeavor Kenya, Harriet Adinkrah of 4DX Ventures and Wambui Kinya of Google and Obuntu Foundation. Other themes explored include the challenges female founders face in reaching later stages of funding, strategies for creating inclusive spaces, and general advocacy for greater support for women in the venture capital ecosystem. risk.
The first day concluded with a panel led by Enza Capital, where experienced founders, including Caitlin Dolkart of Flare, Radhika Bhachu of Ndovu, Sneha Mehta of Uncover and Sonia Kabra of BuuPass, shared real-life stories and challenges linked to their own fundraising journeys.
On the second day, discussions tailored to founders were hosted by industry leaders: Joanna Bishcel of Kasha Global, Hilda Moraa of Pezesha, Marie-Reine Seshi of Kola Market, and more.
