Theme: Africa: New Horizons

TEDxKilimani is a locally organized event bringing together dynamic speakers and diverse audiences to explore new horizons in development, governance, innovation, art, culture and education, some of the forefront dynamics shaping a twenty-first century Africa. The event seeks to bring out Aha moments, and to have our audience remark “I didn’t know that”. At the end, we want both our local and global audiences to look at Africa differently: As a cradle of humanity that is rising above challenges, shedding a dark past, and growing and renewing hope for a better future for close to a billion of its people.

Pawa254
Floor, Africa Alliance of YMCAs Building, State House CRE
Nairobi, Nairobi, 00100
Kenya

Bitange Ndemo

Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi Business School & former Permanent Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Information and Communication, 2005 - 2013

Bitange Ndemo is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi’s Business School. His research centers on the link between ICTs and small and medium enterprises in Kenya with an emphasis on how ICTs influence economic development in Kenya. Prof. Ndemo is an advisor to several organizations including the Better than Cash Alliance, a global initiative under UNCDF dedicated to promotion of cash alternatives; the I-Hub, a premier innovation hub in Africa etc. He also sits in the Board of Research ICT Africa that is based in South Africa. He is a former Permanent Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Information and Communication in Kenya where he was credited with facilitating many transformative ICT projects. Prof. Ndemo holds a PhD in Industrial Economics from the University of Sheffield in the UK, a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from University of St. Thomas.

Cynthia Waliaula

Medical doctor

Cynthia is a young government doctor working in remote parts of Kenya to serve the poor, who often do not have access to medical services and personnel. She has keen interests in global and public health, and women rights, and is a fervent activist having led a successful Twitter story campaign to support doctors’ bid to take universal healthcare to all Kenyans via the implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Government of Kenya. Cynthia is the previous Head of Public Health in Africa under the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA) and the National Public Health Officer for the Medical Students' Association of Kenya. She continues to pursue comprehensive change agenda for the healthcare system in Kenya to ensure that every Kenyan has access to quality and affordable healthcare.

Daniel Nyakora

Serial Entrepreneur & Founder, Hashtag Magazine

Daniel is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Hashtag Magazine, the largest mentorship and student engagement magazine in Kenya that seeks to inspire, inform and educate young Kenyans in high schools. Daniel is a passionate pan-African who views the present youthful generation as particularly gifted to use its education, energy, talents and connections to carve a 360-degree Kenyan experience, including in achieving Kenya's Vision 2030. He hopes to leverage his experience in the media industry, and skills as a marketer to contribute to a more united and prosperous nation and continent. Daniel holds a degree in Economics with Honors from the University of Pennsylvania.

Muthoni Garland

Author & Founder, Storymoja

Muthoni is a founding member of Storymoja, a writer’s collective and publishing company, based in Nairobi, Kenya. She is an African entrepreneur, author and storyteller who regularly presents in schools and at events. She has performed in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Italy, Bangladesh, USA and the UK. Writing as Muthoni Muchemi, she has authored over 30 books for children, all published by Storymoja. Her story, “Kamau’s Finish/ Amazing Race” is used as a world literature text in UK and American schools. Writing as Muthoni Garland, she has authored two adult novellas – “Halfway Between Nairobi and Dundori”, and “Tracking the Scent of My Mother”, which was short-listed for the Caine Prize. Her adult stories have been published in literary journals in Kenya, South Africa, the UK and USA.

Sitawa Wafula

Award-winning Activist & Founder, My Mind My Funk

As an eighteen-year-old, Sitawa was a victim of sexual assault. In the aftermath of this event she experienced significant depression, was suicidal and developed a mental health condition that she still suffers from today. With no support system and rising medical bills, she dropped out of university. She found it hard to keep a job, facing stigma and misunderstanding in the workplace. Out of this experience, a decade of fact finding, and a burning passion to see all Kenyans have the chance to access proper support and information concerning mental health she launched My Mind My Funk. Sitawa is now a three-time award-winning mental health and epilepsy crusader. She has a certificate in mental health advocacy, sits on Kenya’s Mental Health policy review committee and serves as the Assistant Secretary in the National Epilepsy Coordination Committee. Sitawa is also building the mental health movement in Kenya through the website http://sitawa.blogspot.com where she shares her experiences.

Tonee Ndung'u

Tech-preneur & Founder, Kytabu

Tonee Ndung’u is the founder and innovation architect behind Kytabu, and an avid tech-preneur with a good number of companies under his belt including www.nailab.co.ke. As a dyslexic student who worked twice as hard to be half as good as his classmates, creating an education application that levels the learning field while changing the dynamic of learning was a given. A speaker at 4 TED talks, founder of the first TECH incubator in Nairobi and big believer in intuitive learning, Tonee is the visionary behind Kytabu.