May Roundup + Key Takeaways from The Builders Summit ๐
For the Builders breathing life into our ecosystem
For the last couple of months, the Founders Connect team has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to create an event unlike any other. Our goal? To bring together builders in the tech ecosystem and foster a space for connection, learning, and growth. May was a month dedicated to making this vision a reality. Countless hours were poured into planning, preparation, and execution. But the culmination of this effort โ The Builders Summit itself โ was incredibly rewarding.
That being said, We're excited to share some key highlights and lessons learned from the summit!
Key Highlights:
Inspiring Keynotes and Panels: Adia Sowho , CMO of MTN Nigeria, shared insights on adaptability and self-awareness. A panel featuring Oluwatosin Olaseinde and Ife Durosinmi-Etti, MBA discussed the challenges and rewards of building businesses from communities, offering tips on securing grants and fellowships. Joe Kinvi, General Manager at HoaQ, emphasized the power of community for unlocking growth
AMA Sessions: Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, 2x Unicorn Founder and Founding Partner at Future Africa, led an AMA session that explored leadership and startup building, while Feyikemi FK Abudu, host of ISWIS Podcast, and Steven Ndukwu, an experienced filmmaker, shared their experiences and advice on building successful careers as creators
Other Speakers including Lexi Novitske, Bunmi Akinyemiju, Adebowale Banjo, Babajide Duroshola, and Oji Udezue delivered insightful talks, and various perspectives at the summit.
If you missed any sessions or want to revisit your favorite talks, you can access some keynote slides here and read Adiaโs slide here
Live Interview with Sim Shagaya:ย We had the privilege of hosting a live interview with Sim Shagaya, the Founder & Group CEO of uLesson and Chancellor at Miva Open University. He shared insights from his journey as a serial entrepreneur, shedding light on the valuable lessons he learned, and mistakes he made with Konga.
Startup Innovation Challenge Finals: The Startup Innovation Challenge at our event featured four talented semi-finalists competing for an impressive array of prizes, including a $1,000 cash prize, a Gold ticket to the Wema Bank Hackaholics for a chance to pitch for 30 Million Naira, and over $300,000 in perks supported by industry giants like AWS, Google for Startups, Intercom, Paystack, and more. Following careful consideration by our esteemed panel of judges, APISentry emerged as the victor. Led by Co-founder/CEO Emmanuel Ezehiwele, API Sentry is a pioneering company specializing in comprehensive API security solutions
Top 3 Takeaways from Planning The Builders Summit:
Community Cultivation Creates Connection:ย
Building a strong community around your event is crucial. It fosters excitement, encourages participation, and allows for valuable connections to be made. A strong community encourages participation. By fostering a space for attendees to ask questions, share ideas, and engage with speakers beforehand, the community breaks down barriers and creates a more interactive event experience.
Collaboration is Key to Success:ย
The success of The Builders Summit wouldn't have been possible without the incredible support of our partners and sponsors. Collaboration is essential for creating a truly impactful event.
Value-Driven Planning Leads to Engaged Attendees:
Delivering value was our top priority. This means offering insightful content, fostering connections, and creating a positive and engaging atmosphere through interactive sessions, we ensured attendees left feeling inspired and equipped with valuable knowledge.
Whatโs Coming Up Next?
Guess what? All sessions at The Builders Summit were recorded and will be made available on our Youtube channel soon! Once uploaded, you can rewatch Adiaโs speech, Iyinโs AMA, the live show with Sim Shagaya, and more.
Make sure to subscribe to the channel and keep our post notifications on to be notified when videos go live!ย
Once again, We're incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed to The Builders Summit's success, and we canโt wait to do it all over again.ย
With Love,
Eli, Content Marketer ๐