The People
Entrepreneurs thrive when they’re connected.
Mentors
Our Mentor Base includes Google experts, venture capitalists, Angel investors and Partner representatives. As part of the Umbono program, you’ll have dedicated Google resources and have access to the wider database for specific expertise in areas like commercialization, business planning and capital-raising.
The following example Mentors (Google and South African) showcase the level of quality counsel Teams would be able to access for technical and business development advice.
Ahmad, Google Mentor and Head of Engineering for MENA
- Ahmad leads Google’s engineering teams focused on building and adapting products for the Arab world. Before coming to Google, he managed engineers at several Silicon Valley start ups and taught courses at the University of San Francisco’s Department of Computer Science.
Emma, Local Mentor and Mobile Entertainment Pioneer
- Emma recently founded a mobile media, content and entertainment company in South Africa after an illustrious career focusing on the intersection of entertainment and new media technologies. Named one of South Africa’s top businesswomen, she was also elected to the board of the Mobile Entertainment Forum after being the first African to be nominated.
Gareth, Local Mentor and Technology Entrepreneur
- Gareth has founded several online and mobile businesses and has a background in strategy consulting and venture capital. He currently runs one of SA's premier mobile aggregators, and is also founder of an online contract signature and storage service.
Gustav, Local Mentor and Mobile Tech Leader
- Gustav founded a technology company that develops mobile solutions for emerging markets and established a mobile-focused technology incubator in 2006. He also co-founded and acted as a technical director for one of Africa’s earliest digital interactive studios.
Joe, Google Mentor and Regional Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Joe was chosen to open Google’s first operation in Africa--its Nairobi, Kenya hub and currently runs Google’s regional business and operations there. Formerly the CEO of a major Kenyan telecom company, Joe has a passion for developing content and applications and holds an MBA from Stanford Business School.
Mike, Google Mentor and Product Manager
- Mike works as a PM on the internationalization and localization team, focusing on localization infrastructure and the Google Translator Toolkit. Prior to Google, he worked at several artificial intelligence start-ups. He has both an MBA and BA in Physics and Computer Science.
Network
Whether it’s capital-raising or market strategy advice you’re after, as part of the Umbono program you’ll have the opportunity to tap into a global network. The Umbono Mentor Base is just the core. From this core, you’ll have access to high-impact technologists and business leaders. Professionals spend many years building their personal networks, but via association with Umbono we provide you with accelerated access.
Partners
Local partners are essential for the sustainability of Umbono, because community involvement matters. Both Silicon Cape and the Bandwidth Barn are already on the scene in Cape Town and teams accepted into Umbono will further benefit from their visibility, local experience and connections.
