More than 200 of Kigali’s entrepreneurs, social enterprisers, journalists, and students converged on the rooftop of The Office in Kiyovu Thursday night for Impact Hub Kigali’s kickoff event: a Social Enterprise Happy Hour.

Guests began trickling in around 6:30pm.  Our first 75 guests were treated to a free drink courtesy of our partner, One Acre Fund, and most guests were also treated to a free magazine about entrepreneurship, “The Accelerator,” courtesy of Impact Hub Kigali Connect Member Educat.

Drinks were accompanied by brochettes and tasty potatoes. DJ GiLow was in top form as guests enjoyed a soundtrack of African beats while mingling, networking, and checking out booths showcasing the amazing opportunities offered by Connect Members Akilah Net, One Acre Fund, and Reach for Change.  By 7 PM the rooftop was packed.  The rooftop was a beehive of buzzing energy and excitement!

At 7:15pm, the happy hour was officially kicked off by Impact Hub Kigali co-founder Jon Stever. Jon introduced the event’s keynote speaker, Randall Kempner, the Chief Executive Director of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs. Randall talked about how critical it is to have physical spaces for entrepreneurs to come together and work collaboratively.  Mr. Kempner emphasized the role of collaboration and entrepreneurship in driving positive social change on a local and global scale.

Mr. Kempner’s speech was followed by two minute pitches from One Acre Fund, Global Health Corps, Acumen Fund, Reach for Change, and Akilah Net.  Impact Hub Kigali’s Managing Director, Maria, closed out the pitches by asking guests to help Impact Hub Kigali create and choose an official slogan. Guests were invited to write catchy slogan ideas on the ‘Impact Board’ and vote for the top three.  Impact Hub Kigali’s will use a social media vote to select the best slogan from among the top three in votes at the event. The creator of the best slogan will receive a surprise gift from Impact Hub Kigali.

We were also honored by the appearance of the Rwandan Minister of Youth and ICT, Mr. Jean Philbert Nsengimana, who lauded Impact Hub Kigali for being “a star in the constellation” of Rwanda’s innovation ecosystem. After a brief address, he stuck around to mingle with guests and pose with them for selfies. He is without a doubt the coolest minister in the land.

At 8:45pm, the second networking session was underway and the floor was opened up to entrepreneurs to give 1 minute business pitches. Cameras flashed and business cards were exchanged in mass. By 9:30, the crowd started dissipating and the music lulled down to a slower beat. It had been a busy day full of new encounters and opportunities. Impact Hub had finally arrived Kigali.

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Written by Impact Hub Kigali