Michael Conway

VCs don’t fund panic. 📉 Too many African founders treat fundraising like an emergency hotline. If you’re calling investors when your runway is almost gone, you’re not raising capital you’re negotiating from weakness. Fundraising is a strategy, not a rescue mission.

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🚀 A startup surge is happening at Carnegie Mellon University Africa—are you paying attention? The Industry Innovation Lab (IIL) just welcomed its largest cohort yet: 15 bold startups tackling challenges across healthcare, mobility, edtech, green energy, and more—built by CMU-Africa students, alumni, and entrepreneurs from across the continent. 🌍 These ventures are powered by a year-long incubation program with seed funding, legal & business support, mentorship, and investor access—thanks to a powerful partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. For VCs, angels, and ecosystem builders, CMU-Africa is emerging as a hotbed of investable, impact-driven innovation. If you're not plugged into this ecosystem yet—now’s the time. 💡 Learn more about this dynamic new cohort and the startups shaping Africa’s future in the article link below. #CMUAfrica #AfricaInnovation #Entrepreneurship #FutureOfAfrica https://lnkd.in/eNyZUMwx

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« Eligible students (18+) in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe can now sign up for free access — including Guided Learning, study guides, quizzes, and 2TB of storage to make studying simpler and smarter. »

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Know anyone else that creates Digital Literacy Telenovelas in Haitian Creole? I don't! I'm extremely impressed by the Senior Tech Connect team's ability to harness our diverse instructors' linguistic and cultural backgrounds to create truly impactful products to support our seniors and clients. Go Team! This video, advising Creole-speaking communities about the "Cash App Scam," is an amazing example of how we are bridging the gap amongst many diverse populations in need. As it turns out, voice emulators don't quite exist in all languages, so we had to voice-record our instructors - animating the skit around them. We continue to innovate the educational experience we provide for the members of our healthcare and senior living clients nationwide. This includes English, Spanish, Creole, and (soon) Tagalog - as well as realistic cultural nuances associated with each demographic. One of our clients once said to me, "There are two things in life that CANNOT get lost in translation: Healthcare and Finances." We're guaranteeing that by not speaking their language. As always, I'm very thankful for the innovative mindset demonstrated by our clients to trust in our ability to test new educational models, videos, and demos. Conviva Senior Primary Care CenterWell Senior Primary Care Humana AARP Regal Medical Group Cano Health Martine Charles, MPH Elvis Austin Caines. MJPM, BS Cathy Burgos Gepsie Metellus Leonie Hermantin Naed Jasmin Désiré Erin West

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Last year, with our inaugural Black Startup Funding Report, we AfroCanadians reclaimed our narrative—our sovereignty over the data ;) Alongside our partner Rep Matters, BKR Capital remains dedicated to this work, because, well, what gets measured gets managed.. In our second report, the numbers are sobering: only 0.15% of Canadian venture dollars reached Black founders in 2025—down from an already troubling 0.4% in 2024. Yet at our Black History Month/Report Launch event, with strong partners and a remarkable turnout, we reaffirmed our belief. This isn’t just a gap; it’s an innovation arbitrage opportunity. With new funds and deals on the horizon, cautious optimism is warranted. Until the broader market catches up, we’ll continue building the bridge. 🚀 We are deeply grateful to BDC , Fasken Emerging Tech, BLCK VC Canada , and CIBC Innovation for supporting this mission and sponsoring the event. We’re equally inspired by the number of founders and ecosystem players who continue to build, invest, advocate, and believe. This is shared commitment in action. If we want funding decisions to reflect Canada’s true diversity and talent, it’s important that we keep moving from intention to allocation—from conversation to capital. I invite you to read the full report, reflect on the findings, and join us in building repeatable pathways to equitable funding. https://bit.ly/4ttpLL9 #BKRCapital #VentureCapital #BlackStartupFundingReport #BlackInTech #DiversityAndPerformance #RepresentationMatters #CanadianStartups #ClosingTheGap

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The Audacious Project's 2025 cohort is here! This new cohort of visionary projects will tackle everything from leveraging AI to discover new medical treatments to scaling solar-powered, offline edtech for primary school children in sub-Saharan Africa to protecting 500 million children in low and middle income countries from lead poisoning. Thanks to the $1.03B raised by the Audacious donor community, these projects will be supported to dream bigger as they tackle some of the world's most urgent challenges. Learn more by visiting audaciousproject.org #AudaciousProject https://lnkd.in/dwDWaEpg

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Sunflower is Now Live! 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻 We’re excited to announce that Sunbird AI has officially launched Sunflower — Uganda’s first multilingual AI model. Sunflower understands and communicates in 31 Ugandan languages, bridging the digital language divide and making technology more inclusive and locally relevant. Trained on books, radio, and community archives, it reflects the way Ugandans actually speak and share information. It enables translation, summarization, and question answering and outperforms global AI models in 24 of 31 languages. “Sunflower is the bridge that will connect the language divide.” — Dr. Ernest Mwebaze Try Sunflower: https://lnkd.in/dGZ9XSQ5 Read About It:https://lnkd.in/dHi-JnAB #Sunflower #AIforSocialGood #SunbirdAI #AfriLangAI2025 #ForAfricasManyVoices

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Hive Colab has partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to implement the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in Uganda. Focused on accelerating Ugandan-owned, growth stage, EdTech ventures solving the country's education challenges, the accelerator program will accelerate 36 ventures over the next three years. Applications are open for the first cohort. Tap link to apply! https://lnkd.in/ebMEAfJP

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What if you are the missing link? At TECH REACH AFRICA, we are using mobile computer labs to bring digital literacy closer to communities that need it most. Recently, we had the joy of delivering a computer literacy training to children at #JinjaConnection, an organization dedicated to rehabilitating and rehoming former street children, nurturing them into responsible, empowered citizens. We are honored to be part of their story! #DigitalLiteracy #TechForGood #YouthEmpowerment #CommunityEmpowerment #SocialImpact

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CARTA at #Evi4Dev2025! Ann Waithaka, DipCIPR, MCIPR, MPRSK will be sharing how CARTA is building a critical mass of researchers driving change across Africa. With investments at both the individual and institutional levels, CARTA is strengthening research capacity across Africa, supporting African scholars to lead change, and helping universities enhance the quality and structure of their PhD programs. African Population and Health Research Center Catherine Kyobutungi Florah Karimi Marta Vicente Crespo cavens kithinji Anthony Mveyange #CARTAimpact #Evi4Dev #EvidenceForDevelopment #IamAPHRC

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Four opportunities that stay open year-round for African founders building climate and impact ventures. 🎯 DRK Foundation Funding | Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation 💡 DRK Foundation funds post-pilot, high-impact social enterprises with up to $300,000 and intensive capacity support. Applications are accepted year-round for scalable ventures in Africa and other priority geographies. 🗓️ Deadline: Rolling 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dg66GW9 🎯 Madica Investment Program | Madica 💡 A 12-18 month program offering up to US $200,000 in equity investment and mentorship for African startups led by women, local founders, or those outside major tech hubs. 🗓️ Deadline: Rolling  🔗 www.madica.vc/apply 🎯 Renew Venture Lab | Renew Capital 💡 A venture lab & investment pipeline for African tech-enabled startups, offering capital from $50,000 to $300,000, training, mentorship and investor access. 🗓️ Deadline: Rolling  🔗 https://lnkd.in/dJXnbj6Z 🎯 Sabou Capital Investments | Sabou Capital 💡 Investment fund targeting high-growth tech-enabled SMEs in West & Central Africa (e.g., agriculture, renewable energy, climate tech) with funding between $350,000 and $1.5M and strategic support. 🗓️ Deadline: Rolling  🔗 https://saboucapital.com/

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Strengthening Education in Côte d’Ivoire 🌍 Last week, I had the privilege of traveling to Côte d’Ivoire with the TaRL Africa Board to witness firsthand the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology in action in the country, exploring both its impact and challenges. Despite high enrollment rates, too many children still struggle with basic literacy and numeracy, particularly in rural communities. Overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, high levels of absenteism, and a curriculum that advances students by age rather than ability make learning difficult. Additionally, with French as the primary language of instruction in a country with over 70 local languages, many children face further barriers in early learning. To tackle this issue, in 2024 the Ministry of National Education and Literacy (MENA) launched the Programme National d’Amélioration des Premiers Apprentissages Scolaires (PNAPAS) to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy. 📚TaRL Pilot & Expansion 📚 The TaRL journey in the country started in 2017 with the Programme d’Enseignement Ciblé (PEC), an adaptation of the TaRL methodology co-developed by MENA in collaboration with TaRL Africa and the Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities (TRECC) initiative. This would be TaRL's first-ever implementation in the French language. The programme, which is government led, was originally piloted in 50 schools and demonstrated remarkable progress—literacy rates jumped from 14% to 51%, and math competency rose from 12% to 63%. Encouraged by this success, MENA expanded PEC to over 200 schools, reaching 21,000 students, and later to 1,000 schools by 2021, benefiting 158,000 children. PEC is now fully integrated in the broader PNAPAS as the remediation approach, alongside an early grade structured pedagogy programme.  Looking ahead, the government plans to expand PEC/remediation to over 14,500  new schools in 2025, with a goal of reaching national scale with 18,000 schools by 2027. However, a recent Randomized Control Trial (SEME RCT) highlights the need for stronger government support, particularly in rural areas, where teacher mentorship and program monitoring are critical for sustained impact.This is especially crucial at higher learning levels, where educators require greater guidance. The study has provided valuable insights to refine and strengthen the next phase of expansion. 💡 Investing in foundational learning is key to breaking barriers and driving meaningful education reform. Côte d’Ivoire’s commitment to expanding evidence backed programmes such as TaRL is a step toward ensuring quality education for all children. TaRL Africa is inspired by the leadership of Côte d’Ivoire government officials in prioritizing young children's learning. We remain deeply committed to supporting the country’s expansion journey and assisting the MENA team in addressing the challenges identified by the SEME study. #Education #IvoryCoast #LearningForAll #TaRL #EdReform

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Africa’s treats its diaspora mostly as a bank account, not a brain trust. This critique that gets to the heart of the "human capital paradox" that leaders are grappling with at the 39th AU Summit in 2026. True, African nations have treated the diaspora—as a "bank account" (prioritizing remittances, which reached over $100 billion in 2025). However, the 2026 agendum signals a shift toward treating them as a "brain trust"—the intellectual engine for industrialization and digital sovereignty. The remittance trap has, for decades, been the metric for "successful" migration - the dollar amount sent home. In countries like Egypt, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, remittances often exceed FDI, creating a consumption economy. AU is pushing the "brain trust" model through several high-stakes initiatives. The startup/innovation visa is a proposal to allow African tech talent and entrepreneurs to move seamlessly between member states. The goal is to keep "African AI Architects" working on African problems rather than losing them to Silicon Valley. The Reparations Decade isn't just about money; it’s about narrative and intellectual justice. It includes a framework for "knowledge transfer" where the '6th Region' is invited to lead specialized sectors like biotech, green energy, etc.

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You're speaking my language!" was one of my first thoughts in this third episode of Africa, Which Way Employment? with Sharmi Surianarain. The first two episodes in the series were an expansion of my vocabulary. As I am neither a development economist nor a policymaker, my learning posture was very much at the fore. As examples, I had to ask Ms. Oteh what she meant by "capital market products" and Dr Hardy exactly what she was referring to when she repeatedly mentioned "data infrastructure". 😁 Sharmi has over two decades of experience in youth capacity-building from her time aa the Vice President of Lifelong Engagement at the African Leadership Academy to her current leadership at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator as its Chief Impact Officer. While I am nowhere near her depth of experience in youth employment programming, I knew exactly what she meant throughout the conversation. Phew. 😅 Sharmi has such a thorough grasp of the youth employment space, and she breaks down its value chain, if you will, beginning from the context of Africa's exploitation, to the philosophical purpose of work, what successful policy implementation looks like, and emerging economies of work (listen 😁). When you see headline's like the International Monetary Fund's "The Clock is Ticking on Sub-Saharan Africa's Urgent Job Creation Challenge", think of Sharmi's 3x3 framework: 🎯 Purpose 🎯 Productivity 🎯 Income x 💪🏾 Social enterprise 💪🏾 Private sector 💪🏾 Government Link to full the episode below! #FutureOfWork #YouthEmployment #AfricaEmployment #JobCreation #TalentDevelopment #DecentWork #AWWE #Podcast #CareWork

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America’s innovation and digital policy continue to inspire Morocco's future leaders. 💡 This week at the State Department, Moroccan participants in the Distinguished #HumphreyFellowshipProgram on Emerging Technology Policy met with desk officers to exchange ideas. The conversation highlighted how academic and industry leaders are shaping the future of technology, and how U.S.–Morocco collaboration continues to grow through people-to-people exchanges.

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There's a paradox at play in the development sector that is hardly discussed: how the push for "pay equity" at international organizations has actually exacerbated pay *inequity* within countries. New report shows that employees of (i)NGOs & multilaterals reap the highest salaries in Kenya -- more than 10x what the average Kenyan earns (much higher for executives): https://lnkd.in/e_3mJqB7 Which raises the question: If a country's highest-paying industry is externally funded aid, is there still an incentive to make progress?

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𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Coding Ladies Academy is proud to partner with AmaliTech to expand opportunities for young women in tech. Our shared mission is to empower Africa’s next generation of digital leaders through training, mentorship, and real career pathways. Together, we are helping more girls and young women gain the skills, experience, and confidence they need to thrive in the tech industry. *#CodingLadiesAcademy #AmaliTech #WomenInTech #DigitalSkills #TechForAfrica #PartnershipForImpact*

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Africa’s EdTech conversation is clearly shifting, and it is a shift worth paying attention to. For a long time, the focus was on pilots, experimentation, and single-market proof points. What we are seeing now feels different. Capital is becoming more deliberate, governments are clearer on outcomes, and African-built education platforms are increasingly being designed with regional scale in mind from the outset. As this transition happens, one thing is becoming clearer. Solutions that scale are not only those that work, but those that are understood. Investment is moving away from novelty and toward platforms that can clearly articulate impact, align with national priorities, and communicate value consistently across markets. Expansion is maturing too. The strongest platforms are not just adding flags on a map. They are building infrastructure that understands curriculum differences, procurement realities, and long-term adoption. In this phase, scale looks less like user growth charts and more like institutional trust, credibility, and visibility with the right stakeholders. AI is part of the story, but it is no longer the headline. Its real value in Africa is practical. Supporting teachers, improving learning outcomes, and enabling better system-level decisions, when deployed responsibly and in context. Making that value visible matters just as much as building it. All of this points to a simple reality. African EdTech is moving from promise to permanence. The next phase will belong to those who can connect capital, policy, execution, and narrative across borders. #EdTechAfrica #AfricanInnovation #EducationTechnology #PanAfrican #ImpactInvesting #AIinEducation #ScalingAfrica #EducationForAll #TechRevolutionAfrica #APOGroup

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