Theme: How can we make a difference? Innovating for Climate Conscious Cities

Are you ready to join the countdown to a zero-carbon world? Do you want to be part of a global movement that is championing and accelerating solutions to the climate crisis?

Climate change is the biggest challenge facing humanity today. It threatens our health, economy, environment, and future. But we can do something about it.

The Kenya Climate Change Act seeks to create a precedent for climate action in Kenya, providing guidelines for climate action ranging from mitigation to prevention. Kenya is currently transitioning into a manufacturing and service-based economy.

Kisumu, an intermediary city, provides a unique opportunity to understand how these changes and development would affect the relationship between the city and its natural phenomenon. As the city planning and growth process is underway, this provides a unique lens into Kenya's urban cities' growth and whether sustainable development is still a reachable goal for developing African nations.

This countdown event seeks to answer the question: Can we steer urban development while protecting our environment?

TEDxKisumu Countdown is a first-of-its-kind event in Kenya, held in Kisumu City on August 26, 2023. It is part of Countdown, a TED and Leaders’ Quest collaboration that aims to champion and amplify the bold ideas and underinvested solutions that can bring us closer to achieving a zero-carbon world.

We aim to showcase innovative ideas and projects to help Kisumu and other cities achieve net-zero emissions, adapt to climate impacts, and empower communities to act.

The theme of the event is "How can we make a difference? - Innovating for Climate-Conscious Cities," and it will feature inspiring speakers, performers, and exhibitors who will share their stories, insights, and actions on how we can tackle the climate crisis at the individual, community, organizational, and systemic levels.

The event will also showcase the Countdown Challenge Competition, which invites innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from Kisumu and beyond to pitch their ideas for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience to climate impacts. The winners will receive mentorship, funding, and exposure to scaling up their solutions.

Sarova Imperial Hotel
Jomo Kenyatta Highway
Kisumu, Nyanza, 40100
Kenya

Anne Eboso Okongo

Founder, Rusinga Festival

Anne is a cultural practitioner keen on shifting narratives on culture and its policies. Her work involves promoting the creative economy through culture resuscitation, boosting cultural tourism, and strengthening literacy. She is the founder of Rusinga Festival - one of the most significant cultural celebrations in Kenya, offering music, fashion, film, food, artistry, literature, sports and games, and conversations around culture and heritage – providing an answer to the question ‘Can a people die?’ The festival has received extensive coverage in local media, drawing government attention to the resuscitation, preservation, and promotion of the endangered Suba culture and heritage.

Bhavik Barochia

Scientist and Consultant

As a scientist and consultant, Bhavik Barochia advocates for harnessing water for human, animal, environmental, and climate health monitoring. Bhavik works at the global sustainable engineering consultancy, Arup, to help deliver a unified One Health approach to projects and infrastructure. His experience in the application of water-based epidemiology is helping organizations and governments shape how they use water to monitor the impacts of climate change and the benefits of interventions they adopt at national, regional, and local levels. Bhavik’s ambitions are to utilize the abundance of data from water to help shape a healthier future.

Catherine Mungai

Senior Programme Officer, Climate and Biodiversity Engagement (IUCN)– Kenya

Catherine provides policy advice to IUCN Kenya, focusing on aligning climate and biodiversity management and economic development and private sector investments, mainstreaming climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation into national development strategies, and promoting IUCN’s work in Kenya concerning climate change and biodiversity. Before joining IUCN, Catherine was the Partnerships and Policy Engagement Specialist for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS) based at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Catherine is passionate about integrating gender and youth into science and policy interventions.

Dorine Were

Environmental Activist, Research Intern at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute

Dorine Were is a committed scholar and environmental activist with a particular interest in the effects of climate change on freshwater systems and the environment. With a background in marine and fisheries research, she has made significant contributions to the sector through skills and achievements by participating in the routine monitoring of water quality in Lake Victoria, studying the impact of pollution and its effect on the water quality and that of the aquatic ecosystem.

Dr. Aghan Oscar

CEO, Continental renewable Energy, Kenya

Dr. Aghan Joshua Oscar is a prolific innovator with over 22 years of experience in the private and public sectors. He has founded numerous social entities, of which Green Pavers and Eco Bio Fertilizer is part of a heavy presence in East Africa in the recycling space. In Eco Bio Fertilizer, he is using his newly innovated enzyme to hasten organic waste bio-degraded organic resin while incorporating the ALV technology on his freshly developed cement cellular light cement products. Today, the group's operation spans plastic recycling, organic fertilizer, bio-mas energy production, machine fabrication, chain-link manufacturing, cement manufacturing, food processing, water and sanitation, construction, agribusiness, training, and Public Health Practice and Management Consultancy.

Luther Hinga

Waste Management Consultant

Luther Hinga has six years of experience in the waste management industry. At Buro Happold, he works with developers, architects, and engineers to design Operational Waste Management Strategies and Construction Waste Management Plans for Residential, Commercial, and Mixed-Use Building and Masterplan Developments in Europe and the Middle East. Before this, Luther worked as a Project Manager at WasteAid UK. He managed UK Aid Match, UK Aid Direct, and corporate-funded international development projects in Kenya, Cameroon, and The Gambia. Before this, Luther worked for SUEZ UK in consultancy and account management, specializing in conducting “waste audits” for commercial and industrial facilities.

Mieke Sophia Bourne

Programme Manager, (CIFOR-ICRAF) Regreening Africa

Mieke is an engagement with evidence specialist who works at the intersection between science, policy, and practice and is a co-developer of the Stakeholder Approach to Risk-informed and Evidence-based Decision-making (SHARED). For the past two and a half years, Mieke has led Regreening Africa. This ambitious program aimed to restore a million hectares of land to benefit over 500,000 households across eight countries. Mieke has over 15 years of experience working on natural resource management, building resilience to climate change, community-based approaches, and facilitation, with 12 years spent in Kenya.

Nessie Mwendwa

Waste Management Consultant

Nessie Mwendwa is a budding social scientist passionate about mental health, environmental research, and conservation. As a counseling psychologist, she aims to use art, psychology, and love for nature to promote people's well-being, minds, and the planet. With five years of experience in waste management, Nessie is committed to contributing to policymaking and practices that ensure waste is handled as a valuable resource and biodiversity thrive alongside human beings. Her goal is to focus on the interconnectedness of things and promote positive change.

Odero Oluoch

Founder, Andishi Africa / Software Engineer at Andela/Safaricom – Mpesa

I'm a software engineer at Andela, doing my Engineering Delivery at Safaricom as a Mpesa Engineer. I'm the founder of Andishi Africa, a literary outlet keen on promoting the creation, consumption, and distribution of African stories. Engaging with communities like YALI and AYLF, I balance engineering with community and environmental campaigns. Through Andishi Africa, we use storytelling to involve children in climate change conversations, raising awareness about environmental degradation. By integrating literary arts into our campaigns, we inspire students from an early age to care for the environment. We teach the importance of planting and nurturing trees through poems, skits, and narratives, encouraging them to share the message. I strive to make a lasting impact in the fight against climate change.

Patricia Akinyi

Founder, Net Zero Afrika

Pioneer of the first "Net Zero Energy" Platinum LEED certified home project in PG County, Maryland. A USAID Development Partner, speaker at Africities Summit at CGLU AFRIQUE United Cities and Local Govts of Africa Kisumu Kenya 2022, GREEN BUILD International Washington DC 2015, trainer US Chamber of Commerce Sabit International Program, Jefferson College Department of Architecture and the Built Environment, Philadelphia PA. A Senior Level Government Adviser with 18+ years plus experience in sustainability, Technocrat, Community Developer, and Administrator in affordable housing, public-private partnerships, renewable energy generation, infrastructure development, and mixed-use development with local job creation and business opportunities.

Poline Kagendo

Environmental Consultant

Poline Kagendo is passionate about green careers and sustainability in the face of the ongoing climate crisis. As a dedicated member of a non-profit organization focused on bridging the gap between green careers and the job market, she works tirelessly to create opportunities for individuals seeking to impact the environment positively. With a deep understanding of the urgency and importance of sustainability, Poline actively promotes environmental-friendly practices and helps individuals navigate the evolving landscape of green industries. Through her unwavering commitment, she strives to build a more sustainable future and inspire others to act for the well-being of our planet.

Wangui Mwangi

Biophilic Interior Designer and Content Creator

Wangui Mwangi is an experienced Interior Designer. An EDGE Certified Green Building Consultant, a Biophilic Design Researcher, and a Champion in Kenya. Moreover, she is passionate about researching and incorporating African vernacular architecture into modern design. She has worked in several places, at Italbuild Imports as an Interior Designer in Kenya Green Building Society as a Youth Chapter Board member and as a Research and Dissemination Lead on sustainability and climate change mitigation. Wangui has been actively demystifying and championing biophilic design and green building through her LinkedIn page; she has acquired a huge and active following.