Mark Kaigwa

Mark Kaigwa (born 18 January, 1988) is a Kenyan entrepreneur, author, and professional speaker. Kaigwa is the founder and CEO of Nendo, a Nairobi-based digital marketing company, he founded in 2013. Born in Kenya, Kaigwa is a recognized contributor of African digital innovation and technology. Kaigwa is a co-writer of Pamoja Mtaani, the first African video game, produced by Warner Bros. in 2007. Through Nendo, Kaigwa is known to release annually the African social media trend report, the first was released in 2014. Kaigwa is also a co-founder and partner at Afrinnovator, a digital media and analytics company. In 2013, Kaigwa was recognized among the 30 under 30 Best Young Entrepreneurs in Africa by Forbes. Quotes "The one central point that everything revolves around is the mobile phone." Currently standing at 750,000,000, African mobile subscriptions are set to hit one billion by 2015.[i] "The role that [mobile] plays in accelerating or changing the landscape for people is the most important part of the equation … mobile penetration is one of the things that distinguishes this market." "We have hundreds, if not thousands, of pilot projects: health, manufacturing, 3D printing, education … you name it. Some last a year, two years, or three years, and some are past proof of concept – saying 'yes, we can scale this'. The more you have an atmosphere where things like this are happening, the higher the likelihood that you're not going to get an M-pesa, but something greater and possibly in a field or sector that needs it the most." "The other is the more organic side of the coin, with hubs and labs investing in entrepreneurs and the very early stages of start-ups. It's creating an atmosphere where great talent is growing and thriving; good ideas and strong problems are being turned into business opportunities; and investors are finding out what it takes to get involved in an African country." "People assume that it's more of the high-level stuff that makes change happen. I really believe, though, that it's the organic stuff, initiated by the community and on the fringes – the stuff that might not have been on the government's radar previously. This is what's really going to transform our country and the rest of the East African region, if not the whole Continent." "There's plenty of room, plenty of problems and plenty of challenges that are going to need smart people to tackle them." "We are in a very unique place, but you can never stop learning, especially with how far we still have to go. Shared experiences, in both directions, set the tone for sharing ideas and potential partnerships. We can learn what we have in common and what we don't, and I might discover what I have to learn from the Berlin scene, and Nairobi could probably teach Berlin a thing or two as well." "However, sometimes I feel that dealing with governments can be very high level: a lot of handshakes, exchanging of flags and books, and that's awesome. But what does the ecosystem have to gain? What are the incentives for a Kenyan entrepreneur to work with a developer based in Berlin? … Is there an incentive for working together and forging partnerships? What's the government doing to make it easier for this to happen?" "I've understood some essentials about good communication and branding and have taken some of those concepts to invest in my own personal brand by really connecting with entrepreneurs (young and old) and with investors. I set out to meet people and make an impression." "The exposure part has been a continuous experiment. Nothing is written in stone. History is ahead of you, and it's up to you to make it. With this mindset, there is no problem with making mistakes. Fear of failure and rejection is diminished because no one else has set the expectation for you to fall below. You set your own expectations." External links Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Entrepreneurs Category:Writers