The Capital City African-American Chamber of Commerce (CCAACC), an African-American businesses promoter, has selected two Kenyan entrepreneurs to represent the continent at this year’s South by South West (SXSW), a major emerging technologies event in the United States.
The two are Nivi Mukherjee, founder of eLimu, a popular Kenyan education technology startup, and Simeon Oriko, founder of The Kuyu Project that teaches high school students how to harness the power of social media.
SXSW is a combination of film, interactive, and music festivals and conferences that take place each spring in Austin, Texas in the United States, and has become the highest profile event of its kind globally offering a mix of original music, independent film, and emerging technologies.
Mukherjee and Oriko will become CCAACC’s first ever Africa Diaspora Fellows, which is expected to deepen the relationship between Kenyan entrepreneurs and Austin’s globally renowned and growing technology scene.
“Opportunities like this lower the barriers to entry for entrepreneurs to participate in meaningful interactions like this which are useful in building the necessary relationships to help our ventures grow,” Oriko said.
According to Mukherjee, the fellowship offers an opportunity to connect and interact with globally significant entrepreneurs and to help put Kenya with its thriving entrepreneurial culture on the map.
CCAACC promotes the development of African-American businesses and the expansion of “the Greater Austin business community by providing resources, technical assistance, and leadership on policy issues that enhance economic growth and by promoting convention and tourism”.
“Austin is very excited to deepen our connection to global technology markets. This fellowship provides an opportunity for African entrepreneurs to learn more about our great city, and for our city to learn more about them,” Natalie Cofield, President and CEO of CCAACC, said.
The SXSW Interactive Festival is scheduled for March 8 to 12, 2013.
