The Second Edition of the African Masterclass Series, Africa’s foremost online Bootcamp for social innovators and changemakers launches across the continent on Monday, April 26, 2021.
The Series is an immersive learning experience that equips early-stage social innovators and changemakers to solve pressing problems on the continent and scale impact through innovation.
Africa today is light years behind the developed world. To offer the next generation a better continent than we are currently living in, there is a need for all hands to be on deck – a public-private partnership at its best in order to rapidly pivot the continent to a position where there is a system that works.
To cover lost ground, there is no time for innovators to work alone and accumulate so many trial and errors when there is someone else who has mastered the space and can leverage that knowledge to scale the impact.
In order to rapidly multiply impact as well as scale the work of social innovators and change-makers, the African Masterclass Series will bring together key thought leaders, change-makers and supporters of the African Social sector to connect, learn, share ideas and team up to drive social impact across Africa.
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A key goal of the Series is to strengthen the work of early-stage social innovators by providing them with valuable, real-time resources and mentors to look up to in their journey. This transformational online Bootcamp, provided for free by Ideation Hub Africa will equip, empower and connect social innovators, thought – leaders, visionaries and disruptors with experiential insights and profound learning relevant within the African context.
Debola Deji-Kurunmi, executive director of Ideation Hub Africa expressed enthusiasm saying, “We are totally committed to equipping impact-driven entrepreneurs so they can effectively drive social impact to solve pressing problems on the African Continent as well as scale lasting impact through innovation, and this is one of the ways we achieve that goal.”
In the first edition of this series which held in 2020, 8000+ entrepreneurs, NGO leaders, social innovators, academics and public servants attended with many of the participants alluding to the impact the program had on their person as an individual and with their organisation.
Building on this insightful impact, we introduce the second edition of the African Masterclass series, which will run for five weeks starting from Monday, 26th April 2021 to Monday, 31st May 2021. This edition uses a story-telling framework to highlight the importance of embracing social innovation in order to propel Africa forward and speed the development process required for the continent to take her place in the global community.
According to Deji-Kurunmi, “The 12 modules in this edition is aimed at emphasising key learning budding social innovators revolving around the Vision, Team Management, Media and Publicity, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Capacity Training. We expect thousands of practitioners across 10 – 15 impact areas such as Education, Healthcare, Energy and Environment, Gender Advocacy, Financial Inclusion, Technology Innovation etc. and our growing community of 12,000+ changemakers to tune in to the event virtually.
“These twelve modules will be delivered by our distinguished Faculty alongside 12 budding social entrepreneurs and innovators who have achieved real-time results in their different impact areas in the African space.”
The Guest Mentors include Chioma Nwankanma (SMILE With Me Foundation, Zobo), Funke Adeoye (Hope Behind Bars), Gideon Olanrewaju (AREAi), Ife Oyedele II (Kobo 360), Jordan Griffiths (Acting Chief of Staff to the Executive Mayor at City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, SA), Mohammed Sabo-Keana (Almajiri Child Rights Initiative), Temilade Salami (Ecowarriors), Ugochi Obidiegwu (The SafetyChic), Chidi Koldsweat (Donors for Africa Foundation) and other heavyweights.
Some of the speakers and guest mentors at the past African Masterclass Series I include Ndidi Nwuneli, ‘Lamide Johnson, Crystal Chigbu, Gbenga Sesan, Peju Jaiyeoba, Oluseun Onigbinde, Ini Abimbola, Tope Ogundipe, Somto Mbelu, John Obidi, Oluseyi Ojurongbe, Omotola Akinsola and Executive Director, Debola Deji-Kurunmi.
