Women Who Build Africa hosted its inaugural two-day assembly in Nairobi on September 2023. The Assembly, aimed at fostering connections and stimulating discussions among women in the tech industry, attracted over 200 attendees from across Africa and globally, including notable names like Micheline Ntiru, of Kenya Climate Ventures, Dr. Ola Brown of HealthCap Africa, Maya Famodu of Ingressive Capital, Shola Akinlade and Amandine Lobelle of Paystack and many others.
Providing a platform for engaging conversations covering a wide spectrum of topics, including empowering women entrepreneurs and addressing the gender disparity in leadership within the African tech ecosystem, the WWBA inaugural assembly highlighted initiatives everyone can take to address the gender gap within venture capital firms and in funding opportunities.
Gwera Kiwana, Co-Founder, Women Who Build Africa, said: “We envisioned an assembly that would empower women in tech to not just embrace change, but drive it. Our goal is to create a community that sparks innovation, supports growth, and redefines the future of Africa’s tech landscape.”
The event consisted of a keynote by Micheline Ntiru, venture builder and investor, as well as a panel, led by A&A Collective, exploring strategies for increasing women’s participation in venture capital. Panellists 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 challenges women founders face in reaching later stages of funding, strategies to create inclusive spaces, and general advocacy for greater support for women in the venture capital ecosystem.
The first day closed with a panel led by Enza Capital, where experienced women founders including Caitlin Dolkart of Flare, Radhika Bhachu of Ndovu, Sneha Mehta of Uncover and Sonia Kabra of BuuPass shared real stories and challenges related to their own fundraising journeys.
On day 2, discussions tailored for women founders were led by industry leaders;Joanna Bishcel of Kasha Global, Hilda Moraa of Pezesha, Marie-Reine Seshi of Kola Market, and more.