Ground Up

In this episode of Ground Up, your hosts Ham Namakajjo and Fay Kakai from UEEI sit down with Angie Kerubo from the Mastercard Foundation to talk about the foundation's Young Africa Works Strategy and its focus on women.

Angie Kerubo is a Program Partner (MSMEs) at Mastercard Foundation - www.mastercardfdn.org

In this episode of Ground Up, your hosts Ham Namakajjo and Fay Kakai from UEEI sit down with Charlyn Kentaro from Kentaro Handmade Organics to talk about her entrepreneurial journey, the natural hair care space in Uganda, her growth and financing story, as well as collaboration and partnership within the hair care industry in Uganda.

Charlyn is the founder and CEO of Kentaro Handmade Organics - a range of plant-based haircare, made in Uganda, by Ugandan women to help African women grow healthy thriving natural hair (www.kentaroorganics.com).

In Part Two of this two-part episode, your host Fay Kakai from UEEI sits down with Lucy Biteete from Laboremus (creating financial technology solutions for clients in East Africa and Europe) and Refactory (training the next generation of tech talents and experts in Uganda) to delve deeper into the issues around Human Resources and Capacity Development in Uganda, as well her experience with collaborations, partnerships, and success.

Lucy Biteete is a Strategic Advisor at Refactory (www.refactory.ug) as well as Head of Consulting at Laboremous Uganda (www.laboremus.ug).

In Part One of this two-part episode, your host Fay Kakai from UEEI sits down with Lucy Biteete from Laboremus (creating financial technology solutions for clients in East Africa and Europe) and Refactory (training the next generation of tech talents and experts in Uganda) to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, challenges she has faced, how she has overcome them, and the lessons learned.

Stay tuned for Part Two where we'll delve deeper into the issues around Human Resources and Capacity Development in Uganda.

Lucy Biteete is a Strategic Advisor at Refactory (www.refactory.ug) as well as Head of Consulting at Laboremous Uganda (www.laboremus.ug).

This episode picks up the conversation from where we stopped in Part One. Your hosts Ham Namakajjo and Fay Kakai from UEEI sit down with Mark Mutaahi from BiD Capital Partners (a locally embedded international Impact Investment Advisory and Asset Management firm) to delve deeper into issues around supporting SGBs access financing, collective action, innovations for financing SGBs, as well as advice for SGBs seeking finance.

Mark Mutaahi is a Managing Partner at BiD Capital Partners - www.bidcp.com

In Part One of this two-part episode, your hosts Ham Namakajjo and Fay Kakai from UEEI sit down with Mark Mutaahi from BiD Capital Partners (a locally embedded international Impact Investment Advisory and Asset Management firm) to discuss the firm's journey, lessons learned, as well as issues around access to finance for SMEs, and what the firm is doing to address them.

Stay tuned for Part Two.

Mark Mutaahi is a Managing Partner at BiD Capital Partners - www.bidcp.com

In this episode of Ground Up, your hosts Ham Namakajjo and Fay Kakai from UEEI sit down with Alex Kalimugogo from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to talk about a new innovation programme by NSSF, dubbed Hi-Innovator, that plans to support local Small and Growing businesses over the next five years.

In this episode, your hosts Ham Namakajjo and Fay Kakai from UEEI sit down with James Byaruhanga from House of DJs and Raxio Data Center. James has been referred to as a "multi-preneur" with several successful businesses and ventures in the sectors of information technology, financial technology, telecommunications, entertainment, tourism, farming, to mention but a few. James shares insights on his entrepreneurial journey, choices he has had to make along the way, challenges and lessons, collaborations and partnerships, as well as his next landmark project on the horizon.

James Byaruhanga is the founder of House of DJs - a marketing outfit which provides business solutions to clients using unique event concepts & executions, music concerts, out of the box product activations, and brand promotions. www.houseofdjs.co.ug

In this episode our Solution Panel host, Mr. Elton Mutize moderates the topic "The key levers to inspire an Agricultural Revolution in Uganda" with Solution Panel guests Dr. Fred Muhumuza, Mr. Apollo Muyanja, and Prof. Samuel Sejjaaka. The panel debates and discusses themes like optimizing the value chains, value addition, supply chains for export markets, government implementation bottlenecks, Africa free continental trade area, and the opportunity for an agricultural revolution in Uganda.

In this episode, your host Fay Kakai sits down with Joachim Ewechu from Shona to talk about how Shona is transforming East African economies and societies through "Good Business." Joachim talks about strategic segmenting of African businesses, funding challenges and new initiatives, the power of community and partnerships, as well as an alternative, thought-provoking, way to define success.

Joachim Ewechu is the Co-Founder and CEO of Shona - an organisation that provides business advisory and business training to help SME’s grow revenues and become profitable businesses. www.shona.co