BearingPoint a partner of Impact Week Nairobi / Innovation and Entrepreneurship are decisive values for the economy and society

Frankfurt/Nairobi, August 3, 2015 – The management and technology consultancy BearingPoint partnered with other sponsors to support Impact Week Nairobi, an event held to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Kenya and on the African continent. Participating students and alumni from host Africa Nazarene University (ANU), as well as professors and politicians, highly praised the event. The vice-chancellor of ANU described the approach as a novel change in the direction of education.

A week of conferences and workshops were part of the process of establishing the university's very own incubator for students to found startups. During the week, students and alumni of the ANU worked together with a team of 20 innovation experts from Germany on ideas, concepts and business models for the creation of startups. The five areas of education, finance, health, agriculture and mobility reflect both the interdisciplinary range of the students as well as the broad field of potential enterprises that could have a positive social impact. Other participants included senior people from the booming Kenyan startup scene. Out of 17 concepts, a jury of Kenyan and German experts awarded eight startup teams seed funding and a one-year scholarship at the newly founded ANU Incubation Center including mentoring. There was a focus on international cooperation within the scope of the long-term empowerment of participants.

When an idea is suddenly within reach

Entrepreneurship and innovation are an integral part of our DNA. We operate an innovation platform and an incubator at BearingPoint, within which we promote ideas, concepts and methods for creating startups and the optimal environment for entrepreneurship. Our aim is to pass on the lessons we’ve learned from these projects to those who urgently need them and to provide startup structures that provide opportunities.

Kiumars Hamidian, Partner at BearingPoint

In Africa, as in Europe, that sparkle in the eyes when an idea suddenly becomes tangible seems to be a constant. The team is always the most important. Only if everyone pulls together can an idea be turned into a true innovation. It’s necessary to work together and to accept right from the beginning that it’s only possible if everyone sees eye to eye.

Lukas Bosch, a consultant at BearingPoint, co-organized Impact Week and participated as a coach for innovation methods

The organization team will accompany the Kenyan entrepreneurs as well as the operation of the incubator over the next year and plans follow-up events for 2016.

About BearingPoint

BearingPoint consultants understand that the world of business changes constantly and that the resulting complexities demand intelligent and adaptive solutions. Our clients, whether in commercial or financial industries or in government, experience real results when they work with us. We combine industry, operational and technology skills with relevant proprietary and other assets in order to tailor solutions for each client’s individual challenges. This adaptive approach is at the heart of our culture and has led to long-standing relationships with many of the world’s leading companies and organizations. Our global consulting network of 9,700 people serves clients in more than 70 countries and engages with them for measurable results and long-lasting success.

For more information, please visit: www.bearingpoint.com

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