KickStart Kenya

Clipped from: www.kickstart.org (share this clip)

I just discovered KickStart via twitter, though I've lost sight of who mentioned/referred it. If you have a soul, check them out. If you are concerned with poverty, check them out. If you are able to donate, check them out. Their mission is "to help millions of people out of poverty" by enabling and fostering "sustainable economic growth and employment creation in Kenya and other countries." Founded by Martin Fisher and Nick Moon in 1991 as ApproTEC (became KickStart in 2005) the organization employs a 5-step process to transition entrepreneurs from poverty to profitability.

Kenya's been popping up plenty, and as the land of my nuptials half a decade ago, it always triggers my radar. A former student of mine from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ben White is "exploring the link between technology and entrepreneurship" in Kenya and other countries in Africa. I follow his tweets (@zia505 and @vc4africa) with fascination and pride. And there's the riveting photography of friend and Kenyan photographer Georgina Goodwin (@ggkenya) and the growing interest of tech companies such as Intel focusing more on Kenya. And the other day I discovered that Victoria, British Columbia based documentary filmmaker Mandy Leith (@mandyleith) grew up in Nairobi. It's times like this that I can hear the poetry resonating!