Here is a presentation I gave recently that gives a nice summary of my work and interest.
My name is Ben White. I was born in the deserts of New Mexico but quickly found the urge to travel. I have spent several years working and living in different countries across Europe, Central/Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. At some point along the way I discovered my love for kicking around with starting projects, it’s always about the bold ideas doomed to fail. There is something in the process of starting a new business that I love. At the same time I see the potential entrepreneurship has to change the world. This is my blog where I explore this interest and often link to different projects I might be working on. A lot of my work is Africa related. It’s not something I planned but more something that just happened. If I spend more than three hours anywhere in Africa I somehow manage to find an entrepreneur with an inspired idea. I can’t help but want to be involved in building new businesses in beautiful yet challenging climates. It might very well be the entrepreneurial struggle that drives me most and Africa where I see the most potential.
- My focus is technology as an empowering agent for entrepreneurship in Africa.
- I first visited Africa in 91′ and later returned to help launch Africa Report as the first African Business News program, a predecessor to CNBC Africa.
- Next I joined a small team to start Africa Interactive the online publisher of AfricaNews.com. Now a leading press agency with over 2000 reporters, film makers and photographers in over 50 African countries.
- Recently I founded VC4Africa.biz as a platform for connecting investors and entrepreneurs dedicated to building new businesses on the continent. Now 10.000 members world wide.
- We have organized more than 35 VC4Africa meetups including meetups in Abuja, Johannesburg, Kampala, Nairobi, Kigali, New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington DC, London and Amsterdam.
- I actively support Appfrica Labs, iHub, ActivSpaces, Nailab and other incubation platforms in the African tech startup space. Specifically in the effort to establish Afrilabs as a network organization and revolving investment facility.
- I previously worked to develop a tech entrepreneurship program at Hivos, a co-financing organization based in the Netherlands. Our investments included projects like Ushahidi, Sodnet, MapKibera and the iHub.
- I teach courses on Interactive Media, User Centered Design, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the Hoogeschool van Amsterdam (a local college).
- I facilitate workshops on Business Modeling for sustainability and have conducted workshops with the HvA, ActivSpaces, OxfamNovib, Butterfly Works and others.
- I am a co-founder of Sanaga Ventures, a consultancy and early stage investor in African tech.
- I am interested in supporting starting entrepreneurs in any way that I can.
Specialties:
Entrepreneurship, Concept Development, Business Development, Program Development, Fundraising, Sales Strategy, Marketing and Strategic Partnerships Terrain: United States, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Public sector, Private sector, Government Interests: Social Venture, Start up, New Media, Social Media, Internet, Web, Mobile, ICTs for Development, International Cooperation
Some projects I also work on in different capacities:
VC4Africa.biz Community – Fast growing community of entrepreneurs and investors dedicated to building sustainable businesses in Africa
AfriLabs – A leading network of technology incubators and innovation centers in Africa
ACTIVSpaces – an open collaboration space, innovation hub and startup incubator for African techies. Based in Buea, Cameroon.
Africa Interactive – A fast growing content/press agency specialized on Africa. Clients include media channels like AlJazeera, CNN and BBC. Multinationals like Philips, Nike, Heineken International and Starbucks. And non profit like the FMO, SNV, Hivos and WorldBank.
AfricaNews.com – The first open publishing platform for a Pan African network of journalists, photographers and film makers. Now 2500 media professionals in 50+ African countries
AfrikaNieuws.nl – A leading Dutch news website on Africa. Features, stories, blogs, photos and events.
Voices of Africa – Non profit mobile reporting initiative in 5 African countries.
UvA New Media & Digital Culture – Contributor University of Amsterdam Blog.
ICT4Uganda – Research Project.
Hi Ben
I ve gone through your topic of research area. I am quite interested to know more about ICT for differently able persons. If you come across those kind of topic please send me the link, it would be a great help for me.
With regards
Sam S
ICT Research Scholar
Hi Ben,
Great work!
Have a rewarding time w/your newest project… if the evolution is anything like you described over the Xmas holidays – it should be life-altering for many.
Congrats re your upcoming marriage – sounds like a beautiful celebration.
Bette
Hey Ben!
Great looking website, it sound like you’re doing a very interesting research and are visiting fascinating people and projects. Keep up the good work, have lots of fun and I’ll try to keep in touch with you.
big hug,
Dunja
I would like to attend the forth coming conference on the ICT thi month at Munyonyo.
Am a student of IT at Makerere.
Great idea for a Master thesis! How has it been gathering research in the field? How do you get access to different groups there?
Are you also approaching potential entrepreneurs or those who have entrepreneurial ambitions but have not yet implemented their ideas into working businesses?
This area of microenterprise creation is what interests me.
I am the co-founder of Kachile (meaning change in local language Baole) an initiative of focused ICT dissemination, of targeting and then teaching ICT and business skills required to get SMEs off the ground. My current work in Grand Bassam in the Cote d’Ivoire is an approach that links ICT learning to business goals that spurs endogenous growth, inspires locals, reverses a psychology of poverty, and will make lasting change.
We are searching for financial and technical support, as well as partnerships and endorsements to realise the ambitious project of building ICT and Business Guidance Learning Centres.
Please email me at victoria.ferris@kachile.com to see how we could fuse your work and research into the Kachile social venture dedicated to alleviating poverty in West Africa through creating digital opportunity.
Best regards,
Victoria Ferris
Great project. I am keenly interested in connecting with you, to discuss an ICT project for Ghana, I am a managment consultant based in Toronto.
great field Ben.i love that research topic .am headed for that and much more ”sister” undertakings for IT and society,entrepreneurship.development are my life.
CURRENTLY on a bachelors degree in IT@MAKERERE,kampala uganda.
all the best,
best regards.
I read your interview with Alemayehu girmu the founder of the ethiotube.net .I need to get his conact address please?
Thanks
Hi Ben need your support have put my project up and it needs some votes
Regards
gavin
http://arc.peacecorpsconnect.org/a/13472/8b9bba1ae798672a291ca2fe13afb7b0
Hi Ben,
Where are you based? Please send me an email with your contact details.
Regards
Gonzalo Aramayo
Hi Ben,
Very interesting and I organise workshops within developing countries encouraging/training scientists on ‘How to commercialise Research’!
Please look it up my website and we have also developed a curriculum which can be incorporated within the African Universities as part of their curriculum!
http://www.mincyt.gov.ar/index.php?contenido=noti_seminario_emprendedorismo
I wonder we could share information!
D
Ben, we share the same likes. I have been setting up a business, with some struggles on the way. We could share some information on starting up mine. I now have a blog as part of increasing my visibility. http://tiny.cc/3pjlr
Hello Ben i came across your site through google, just like that.
Am a trainer for web and graphic designing to underpreviledged youth from the slums of kampala. We also work with KIFAD. i would like to know how to help any youth you come into contact that need to get ICT skills.
here is the website of kampabits:
http://kampabits.org/
here is a blog i also run:
http://kampabits.wordpress.com/
Hi Ben,
I am leading the same tech entrepreneurship drive in Jamaica and across the Caribbean. In fact we are having our first tech entrepreneurship conference called Caribbean BETA http://www.Caribbeanbeta.com on Nov 25th here in Kingston, Jamaica. We’ve been covering the Caribbean Tech industry at http://www.SiliconCaribe.com as well.
We’re working on growing the tech entrepreneurship culture in the Caribbean, launching a startup accelerator and venture fund as well.
I’d love to talk to you some more. Maybe we can work together in some capacity.
LOoking forward to connecting with you.
Ingrid Riley
Ceo, ConnectiMass
Hi Ben,
I see a lot of complimentarity in what we are doing via ICT. Please e-mail me on wandakelly2002@yahoo.fr so as to share our projects here in africa.