A life spent
building possibility.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Cofounder

Sahara Ventures

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2016 - Current

Sahara Ventures is a company on a mission to build Africa's Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship ecosystem one block at a time. Sahara Ventures owns three ventures: a startup accelerator (Sahara Accelerator), an investor-startups marketplace (Sahara Sparks), and a consulting firm (Sahara Consult).

Partner

Savannah Holdings

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2021 - Current

Savannah Holdings is a company on a mission to unlock capital and investment opportunities for high profile development projects in Africa.

Champion

SiliconDar Movement

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2017 - Current

Open community movement to promote a section of the Old Bagamoyo Road as the technology district of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's financial capital.

Senior Consultant

National Innovation Framework Tanzania, COSTECH

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2021 - Current

Working with the Commission For Science and Technology Tanzania (COSTECH) in the development of the National Innovation Framework complementing the revised National Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policy.

Senior Consultant

Grassroots and National Innovation Strategy, COSTECH

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2021 - Current

Working with the Commission For Science and Technology Tanzania (COSTECH) on grassroots innovators support programmes developing strategies for support of grassroots innovators in Tanzania.

Coach and Trainer

Innovation, Emerging Technologies and Entrepreneurship

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2015 - Current

Running training and coaching programmes on corporate innovation programmes, emerging and future technologies, and entrepreneurship programmes for leaders of public and private sector institutions.

Consultant

Refab Dar Project, The World Bank

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2015 - 2016

Working with the World Bank to design, implement and evaluate the Refab Dar Project which looked into the potential of 3D printing technologies to address environmental issues in developing countries.

Consultant

Negawatt Challenge, The World Bank

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2014 - 2015

Working with the World Bank to manage and coordinate the Negawatt Challenge project Tanzanian chapter supporting Tanzanian innovators with solutions to address urban energy efficiency.

Manager

Innovation Hub, TANZICT Project/COSTECH

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2013 - 2016

Working as an Innovation Hub Manager of the first public innovation space in Tanzania to support young innovators, entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts. The innovation space was a bilateral project between the Finnish and Tanzanian government.

Board Member

Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE)

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2021 - Current

Working with the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) as a Council Member of the institution which is mandated to oversee all issues related to quality assurance of the basic education system of the country under the Ministry of Education. The members of the council are appointed by the honorable Minister.

Founding and Board Member

Tanzania Startup Association (TSA)

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2019 - Current

Tanzania Startup Association (TSA) is an umbrella organization responsible to champion a conducive business environment for startup companies in Tanzania by working with different ecosystem stakeholders, primary regulators and policymakers.

Board Member

Imara Horizon Company Limited

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2023 - Current

Imara Horizon Company Limited is an independent and profit-making entity to run a business for profit to co-support and sustain the noble objectives of the Mkapa Foundation, the foundation of the late President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Benjamin William Mkapa.

Board Member

Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) Industrial Advisory Committee

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2021 - Current

Member of the Industrial Advisory Committee of the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) under the World Bank's EASTRIP Project Regional Flagship ICT Centre (RAFIC) to create state-of-the art ICT institutions.

Board Member

Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) Industrial Advisory Committee

Morogoro, Tanzania

2023 - Current

Advising Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) on ways to bridge the gap with the industry and on accelerating the efforts towards becoming a 3rd generation university embracing innovation and entrepreneurship.

Board Member

Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) Industrial Advisory Committee

Morogoro, Tanzania

2023 - Current

Advising NM-AIST on ways to bridge the gap with the industry and on accelerating the efforts towards becoming a 3rd generation university embracing innovation and entrepreneurship.

Member

National Regulatory Sandbox Framework Taskforce

Dodoma, Tanzania

2021 - 2022

Working with the ICT Commission of Tanzania under the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Information Technology (MICIT) to create a friendly regulatory environment for startups working in the ICT sector in Tanzania.

Member

National Entrepreneurship Development Committee (NEDC)

Dodoma, Tanzania

2020 - Current

Working with the National Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC) Tanzania to develop strategies to promote entrepreneurship among young people in the country.

Member

National Sector Skills Council (ICT Sector Skills Council)

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2020 - 2022

Advising Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology on ways to bridge the gap with the industry and on accelerating the efforts towards becoming a 3rd generation university embracing innovation and entrepreneurship.

Judge

National Competition on Science, Technology and Innovation

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2020 - Current

Volunteering to judge innovators and startups which have applied for the challenge; screening and selecting those who qualify to move to the next stage.

Judge

MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2019 - 2020

Volunteering to judge innovators and startups which have applied for the challenge; screening and selecting those who qualify to move to the next stage.

Coordinator

Girls in ICT Project, Universal Communication Services Access Fund (UCSAF)

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2014 - 2015

Designing and implementing a program to encourage more girls in ICT in Tanzania. I volunteered to develop a curriculum that introduces young girls to MIT App Inventor, Arduino, and Scratch building their STEAM foundation.

Advisor

She Codes For Change Initiative

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2014 - 2017

Designing and implementing a program to encourage more girls in ICT in Tanzania. I volunteered to develop a curriculum that introduces young girls to MIT App Inventor, Arduino, and Scratch building their STEAM foundation.

Advisor

SheFound Africa

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2018 - Current

Founding member and advisor of SheFound Africa a Non Profit organization which supports female founders and entrepreneurs to increase the number of women in tech and entrepreneurship scene in Africa.

Advisor

Tanzania AI Lab Community

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2019 - Current

Supporting the establishment of Tanzania AI Lab community to promote emerging and future technologies among Tanzanian youths especially in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector.

Advisor

Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation (JMKF)

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2017 - 2018

Working with the foundation of His Excellency President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, the former president of Tanzania to design programmes and a fund that targets young innovators and entrepreneurs in Tanzania.

Advisor

Ifakara Innovation Hub (IHI)

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

2018

Designing and developing the implementation strategy of Ifakara Innovation Hub (IIH), a grassroots innovation hub in rural Tanzania accelerating health innovations from grassroots communities.

Member

St. Gallen Symposium Leaders of Tomorrow

St. Gallen, Switzerland

2019 - Current

The St. Gallen Symposium is an annual conference held in Switzerland that brings together leaders from various fields to discuss issues of global significance. To become a Leader of Tomorrow, individuals must apply and be selected based on their academic and professional achievements, as well as their engagement with society and potential for leadership.

Awards For The Contribution in Field of ICT and Startups in Tanzania

ICT Commission Tanzania

Tanzania

2020

Award received from the Tanzania's ICT Commission appreciating my contribution to the Tanzania ICT and Startup sector. Primarily, on my effort to champion the Silicon Dar movement.

Innovation Ecosystem Champion

Switzerland Embassy Accolade

Tanzania

2023 - Current

Award given to appreciate my work on building innovation and technology entrepreneurship ecosystem in Tanzania. The award was given by the Switzerland Ambassador to East Africa and Zambia, His Excellence, Arthur Mattli.

Most Influential Tanzanian in Science and Technology

Avance Media

Tanzania

2017 and 2018

Winner of the open public voting on most influential people in different sectors. I was voted by the general public as the Most Influential Tanzanian 2017 and 2018 in the areas of Science and Technology.

MSc IT and Management

Avinashilingam University

DSM/Pune, India

2017 - 2019

A joint programme offered by (The Institute of Finance Management IFM - Tanzania) and (Avinashilingam University - India). I was sponsored by Millicom (Tigo) the largest operator in Tanzania, to research Mobile Money APIs and Payment Systems.

PGDM African Leadership in ICT & Knowledge Societies

Dublin City University

DSM/Dublin

2015 - 2016

I was selected from a competitive process to be part of the African Leadership ICT and Knowledge Economy programme. I received the best individual achievement from the programme out of 400 students across the continent who participate in the programme.

BSc. Computer Science and Electronics

Bangalore University

Bangalore/India

2008 - 2011

The Diary of An African Hub Manager, Lessons in Growing Our Innovation Ecosystems

My Book

2023

Technology Transfer and Commercialization Institutional Assessment Canvas for Academic and Research Institutions

TTC Tool

2023

Tool to Map and Study Different Roles Played by Actors in the Innovation Ecosystem

Innovation Ecosystem Canvas

2020

Entrepreneurs are the future Professors, is Africa ready?

Medium Article

2018

The Regulators, the Consumers, and the Creators, and the struggle to build Africa's Digital Economy

Medium Article

2020

The Machine, The People, and The Facts — The Africa AI Story

Medium Article

2020

Sahara Ventures 3 Pillars of Digitalization For African Countries

Medium Article

2020

Sahara Ventures Innovation Ecosystem Canvas, Get to Know Your Role in The Ecosystem, and Adopt Best Practices

Medium Article

2020

How COVID19 Will Transform How Africans Adopt Technology

Medium Article

2020

What you need to know about Tanzania Innovation Ecosystem. Why are we the fastest?

Medium Article

2018

Artificial intelligence in Tanzania, what's happening

Medium Article

2019