GEOHABARI

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On Part II of **The Making Of Penta-B**, Haitham Harras takes us through the company's growth journey — from a small team of two, with three cofounders who refused to join them, to a team of 120 engineers, a headquarters in the Netherlands, a dedicated GeoAI lab and a growing presence across multiple markets.

From being broke to reaching a business valuation of over **US$10 million**, this journey was about more than growth. It took strategic shifts, persistence, taking risks and rethinking what kind of company they wanted to become.

We get into what it took to build and scale the business, Haitham's perspective on AI and what geospatial professionals should be paying attention to.

And there's one development you definitely want to watch: **Operational Spatial AI (OSAI)** — a new frontier that Penta-B is building from the ground up.

This is Part II of The Making Of Penta-B.

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What does it take to turn a technical idea into a technology business serving Africa and the Middle East?

A graduation project was the starting point. Twenty-two years later, Haitham Harras is the Founder and CEO of Penta-b.

In Part I of The Making Of we sit down with Haitham Harras, Founder & CEO of Penta-b, for the story of how a university project, a life-changing trip to Esri Redlands, and a growing conviction that there was a gap in the market eventually led him to build his own company.

From joining Esri's JavaScript API team to learning the business beyond technology, Haitham takes us through the decisions behind Penta-b's early days — building the first product, assembling the team, making the leap from employment, and navigating the moments when everything seemed to fall apart.

It's a story about spotting an opportunity, betting on yourself, and learning the hard way what it really takes to build a technology business.

CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 - Where It All Began
00:02:42 - Meet Haitham Harras, Founder & CEO of Penta-b
00:07:24 - The Graduation Project That Started It All
00:08:57 - Building a Navigation System on ArcPad
00:10:07- From Graduation Project to Esri Middle East
00:10:42 - Inside Esri's JavaScript API Team
00:15:16 - Learning More Than Tech: Product, Sales & Business
00:18:50 - Spotting the Gap in the Market
00:20:14 - Leaving Esri to Build Penta-b
00:24:01 - Building the First Penta-b Team
00:28:07 - Penta-B's first product and first pitch
00:36:36 - The Blind Spot That Nearly Broke the Business
38:00: When $20K/Month Was on the Table

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In the first episode of  **The Making Of**, we sit down with Eric Nyadimo, CEO of Oakar Services Limited, a regional geospatial consulting firm delivering solutions and training across Eastern Africa.

Eric takes us back to his early career, the beginnings of Oakar, and stepping into the role of CEO at just 31. We explore how the business has evolved from reselling software from international brands to expanding into surveying and mapping and developing its own in-house software solutions used across the region.

Beyond the business, we get into some of the conversations shaping Kenya's geospatial landscape, including the Kenya National Spatial Data Infrastructure (KNSDI) and Ardhi Sasa. Eric also shares perspectives from his wider industry leadership as President of the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) and Chair of the Land and Physical Planning Board at KEPSA.

- What does it take to grow a geospatial business, navigate change, and help shape an evolving industry?

We get into all this and more in this episode of *The Making Of*.

00:00:00 – Meet Eric Nyadimo
00:05:40 – Early career and the road to Oakar
00:06:50 – Introducing Oakar Services
00:09:46 – The early days of geospatial companies in Kenya
00:12:32 – The services Oakar started with
00:13:10 – Taking over as CEO
00:16:03 – What does it really mean to be a CEO?
00:20:16 – The key roles in building a company
00:22:35 – Understanding Oakar's business model
00:25:00 – The strategic decision to have two separate companies
00:26:00 – Oakar Services Limited and Esri Eastern Africa
00:28:28 – Expanding Oakar's business portfolio
00:31:14 – Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software
00:33:38 – The project that put Oakar on the map
00:35:27 – The tough decisions behind building a business
00:37:42 – Leadership beyond Oakar: ISK and KEPSA
00:44:00 – ISK (Institution of Surveyors Kenya) as a professional body
00:52:00 – Digitizing land in Kenya with Ardhi Sasa
00:58:55 – Advice for young professionals
01:03:41 – Kenya National Spatial Data Infrastructure (KNSDI)

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The official trailer for The Making Of. The series premieres on 12th October.

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In this episode of the GeoHabari Young Professionals Segment, I sat down with Nelson, a recent geospatial graduate, for one of those conversations that starts in geospatial and somehow ends up elsewhere.

We got into the world of Open Geospatial data and tools, his experience with OpenStreetMap (OSM) and what it has taught him about building communities around open data. Nelson also shared his experience as a microgrant juror, giving us a glimpse into the kinds of ideas and projects that are emerging from the open mapping ecosystem.

We then took things a little further out.

Nelson talked about his role as an advisor for NASA Lifelines, the thinking behind building systems that can support communities through some of the world's biggest challenges, and where geospatial data fits into that picture.

And because apparently maps and space weren't enough, we also got into his new book, Astral Abyss, exploring another side of Nelson's work, hobbies and imagination.

It's a conversation about open data, mapping, community, space, technology, creativity and the strange paths a career can take when you don't put yourself in one box.

Because sometimes the most interesting geospatial careers aren't the ones that follow a straight line.

Watch. Listen. And maybe rethink what you think "Geospatial" can actually become.

The book Astral Abyss is available on Amazon; https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9914509312?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_SH2SERCMR79GR3K8N32D&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_SH2SERCMR79GR3K8N32D&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_SH2SERCMR79GR3K8N32D&bestFormat=true

#GeoHabari #YoungProfessionals #OpenStreetMap #OpenGeoSpatial #GIS #NASA #Geospatial #OpenData #Space #AstralAbyss

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What does it take for countries to build data systems that serve their people, strengthen governance, and shape their own digital futures?

On the sidelines of the Global Data Festival and the Kenya Space Expo and Conference 2026, we sat down with Jenna Slotin, CEO of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, to explore what success looks like for national data systems in the years ahead.
In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why countries should invest in data systems as critical infrastructure
• What it means for nations to drive their own digital futures in the age of AI
• The role of governments, citizens and partnerships in building resilient, trusted data ecosystems

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Have you ever heard someone introduce themselves as a Space Weather Expert?

Neither had we.

In this episode of the GeoHabari Young Professionals Segment, Linus sits down with Mary Dusabe, a Navigation & Positioning Engineer at the Kenya Space Agency, researcher, instrumentation engineer, and space weather specialist, to unpack one of the most fascinating careers you've probably never heard of.

Together, they explore what space weather actually is, why solar storms matter, how they affect GPS, satellites and communication systems, and why this field is becoming increasingly important in our connected world.

But beyond the science lies an equally inspiring story.

Mary shares her journey into this highly specialized field, the decisions that shaped her career, the value of curiosity, the importance of building strong technical and communication skills, and why young professionals shouldn't be afraid to explore paths that don't yet have a roadmap.

Whether you're in geospatial sciences, engineering, technology, or simply trying to figure out your own career path, this conversation is packed with practical insights and a refreshing reminder that some of the most exciting careers are the ones we were never told about.

If you enjoyed this conversation, don't forget to Like, Subscribe, and Share it with someone who loves technology, science, or is still figuring out where their career might take them.

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What keeps the Director-General of the Kenya Space Agency, Major General Hillary Kipkosgey, up at night?

We caught up with him on the sidelines of the Global Data Festival and Kenya Space Conference & Expo to hear his perspective on:

• What success looks like for Kenya's space sector and the broader African ecosystem
  
  
• How Africa can collectively strengthen the upstream and downstream space value chain. 
  
  
• The one question we couldn't leave without asking: What keeps him up at night?

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What if the best career decisions aren't the ones you planned... but the ones you were curious enough to explore?

In this episode of the Young Professionals Segment on the GeoHabari Podcast, Linus and Chelsea sit down with Majuek, whose career journey is anything but conventional. Rather than following a neatly laid-out roadmap, he shares the lessons, mindset shifts, and experiences that helped shape his professional journey, and why sometimes the path only makes sense when you look back.

Together, they explore what it really means to create opportunities for yourself, build meaningful relationships, communicate your value, and remain open to unexpected turns along the way.

One of the standout moments from the conversation?

"If I can't call you tomorrow after networking, then all I just did was add a contact to my list."

It's a simple statement, but it completely reframes what networking is really about.

Whether you're a student trying to figure out your next step, an early-career professional navigating uncertainty, or someone simply wondering if they're "behind" in life, this conversation is a reminder that careers aren't built in straight lines—they're built through curiosity, relationships, consistency, and the courage to keep moving.

Sometimes the road is murky.

That doesn't mean you're lost.

It might just mean you're discovering a path that's uniquely yours.

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On this episode, host Yariwo Kitiyo sits down with Lisa Mbwia a Data and Spatial Consultant and Nancy Kinyua - Geospatial & MERL Specialist | Data Systems to explore what it really takes to turn data into impact in two of the most data-rich sectors: public health and agriculture.

Drawing from their experience working across geospatial technologies, public health, agriculture and development programmes, they unpack the realities of working with data in complex, real-world systems. From community health workers and smallholder farms to field validation, fragmented systems and data governance, this conversation goes beyond the datasets to explore the people, processes and decisions that ultimately shape impact.

Together, they discuss:

- The current state of the public health and agriculture data ecosystem.
- Practical applications of GIS and geospatial data in solving real-world challenges.
- Why rich datasets don't always translate into better outcomes.
- The realities of navigating fragmented data systems, governance and implementation.
- What builders, policymakers, funders and practitioners should consider when designing solutions that work in practice.