Dr. Heba Labib at the CMU-Africa Innovation Summit

Dr. Heba Labib, Assistant VP of Innovation at Nile University, has been off to the Carnegie Mellon University Africa Innovation Summit from January 24 to 26, 2024, over this past week.

She took the stage with her keynote speech for "Building Bridges – Cultivating Lasting Connections Across Africa". Inspiring students to forge profound relationships that transcend traditional university life. She underscored the importance of creating a robust network of collaborative innovators who can collectively play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Africa.

Dr. Heba focused on how youthful universities like Nile University leverage on its team of youth innovators, product leaders, project coordinators & others with their determination for change making. She showcased how NilePreneurs Initiative - مبادرة رواد النيل managed to support startups, work with SMEs, develop products & raise the capacity of young men and women all over Egypt.

She’s shared her belief that our youthful continent has got “PROBLEMS” that entrepreneurially translate to “OPPORTUNITIES” where young Africans shall innovate to generate a wealth, harnessing technology and local resources to create businesses that address the continent's challenges like availing sustainable energy solutions, access to education, connecting farmers to markets and healthcare in remote areas over digital platforms.

Dr. Heba shared her dream of a pan-African platform to share successes, inspirations, experiences, capabilities, opportunities and challenges where members work together towards African goals like attracting investments and financial inclusion and access to a market of over 1.4 billions.

Dr. Heba has also been part of a dynamic Panel Discussion titled "A Pan-African Exploration of Opportunities for Youth Entrepreneurs". Joining her was accomplished panelists, including Lenton Davies, Senior Director at One Capital Financial, Bintou Diallo, President of Afrika Tomorrow, Akpene Diata Hoggar, CMU-Africa MSIT 2024 Student & Entrepreneur, with moderation by Prof. Sunday Abayomi ADEBISI, Director, Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre, UNILAG.

This panel has been dedicated to exploring opportunities for young entrepreneurs across the African continent, touching upon emerging trends, policies, success stories, and diverse sectors.