As Rwanda strives towards establishing a knowledge based economy and achieving its Vision 2020 goals, fostering innovative ICT based SMEs becomes critically important. kLab (knowledge Lab) is a unique open technology hub in Kigali where students, fresh graduates, entrepreneurs and innovators come to work on their ideas/projects to turn them into viable business models. The growing kLab community is also made of experienced mentors who provide both technical and business assistance to needy members. At kLab we also host events, workshops, bootcamp, hackathons and networking sessions to promote collaboration/partnerships, investment and financing.
kLab's mission is to promote, facilitate and support the development of innovative ICT solutions by nurturing a vivid community of entrepreneurs and mentors.
Clement UWAJENEZA
Clement Uwajeneza is the President of the Rwanda Software Developers Association is the Founder and Managing Director at AxIS, a software development company, since 2006. Clement has build an extensive experience in software projects management and innovation based enterprise management. Clement has a Master's degree in Computer Sciences and Management.
Patrick KABAGEMA
Patrick is very active in the ICT industry in Rwanda where he holds senior positions such as Chairman of the ICT Chamber, Chairman of RICTA (Rwanda ICT Association), Board Member of the Private Sector Federation and Cluster Leader on the National ICT Strategy planning committee (NICI III). He is the Managing Director Rock Global Consulting (RGC), an ICT company operating in Rwanda, Burundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo. Prior to joining RGC, he was Technology Lead in the Global IT Operations Department of Air Products & Chemical in Pennsylvania USA. He holds a dual Bachelor degrees in Computer Science and International Studies from Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. He looks forward to mentor the next generation of ICT entrepreneurs and provide early seed capital to the most promising venture.
Michel BEZY
Michel Bézy is Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Engineering & Public Policy - School of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Dr Bézy is currently the Associate Director of Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda, a graduate engineering program announced in 2011. Dr Bézy has more than two decades of experience in developing business strategy for market introduction of software technology at IBM. He has been working with senior executives in enterprises to help them understand the value of emerging technology for their business. For three years, he was the CEO of a library automation software company based in Europe and delivering solutions to more than one hundred large corporations in the world. Dr Bézy has a degree of Engineering in Applied Mathematics from the Université Catholique of Louvain in Belgium, a Master Degree in Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA and a Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics from the Université Catholique of Louvain.
Atsushi YAMANAKA
Atsushi Yamanaka is the National ICT Strategy & Policy Implementation Advisor at Rwanda Development Board ICT department (RDB-ICT). He is sponsored by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He has been supporting Rwanda's strategic vision of becoming Information rich Knowledge based economy to achieve Vision2020 goals for the past 2 years. In 2010-2011, he has facilitated the formulation of the 3rd National ICTStrategy & Policy (NICI: 2011-2015). Atsushi has more then 17 years of experiences in supporting the ICT for Development initiatives and providing policy advisory services in the developing countries. He has worked in different organizations that include UN and other international organizations, private sector, and Civil societies. His services have rendered improved business processes and developmental results in more then 100 country offices in 5 regions and their public and private sector clients. He has also hands-on experiences in supporting ICT private sector development in the Asia Pacific region. Atsushi earned M.A in the International Political Economy with concentration in the International Economic Policy (specialized in Telecom for Development and Science & Technology Policy) at the American University.
Elie GATETE MAGAMBO
Elie Gatete Magambo,known as Tim,is a passionate software developer who freelances in web and standalone apps. He is mostly interested in learning and teaching new software development technologies. He co-founded CODEPAC,which is a community based non profit organization with the aims of sharing techy knowledge among its members who believe that learning about computers should be fun rather than just a major in education. He graduated from National University Rwanda,majoring in Computer Science and attended E-health Software Development and Implementation program which is a partnership between E-health for excellence and Partner In Health where he has got experience in writing and testing e-health softwares. He is an aggressive basketball player and a heavy gamer.
Nicolas POTTIER
Nicolas Pottier is the President and CEO of Nyaruka Limited, a Rwandan software company specializing in SMS data collection services. His previous work includes building patented algorithms to rank customer reviews at Amazon.com and improve search results for Medio Systems. Most recently, Nicolas cofounded Trileet Inc, which published top selling mobile applications across four different smartphone platforms. His background spans from building software run on thousands of servers to writing clients for mobile phones. Nicolas attended Carnegie Mellon University majoring in Computer Science and Physics. He is looking forward to bringing his passion for open source software, development methodologies and online teaching methods to the kLab community.
Claude MIGISHA K.
Technologist with over a decade of experience in the areas of ICT innovation management, ICT project design and management, ICT capacity building and the integration of ICT into international development initiatives (ICT4D). Claude has driven the adoption of technology in sectors ranging from education, health, agriculture, citizen engagement, gender empowerment and financial inclusion, etc. with organisations such as The MasterCard Foundation, The World Bank, Jhpiego - an affiliate to John Hopkins University, GSMA, The UN Foundation and Oxfam amongst others. Claude holds a MSc in ICT and Development from The University of Manchester, UK as a Chevening Scholar.
Martin C. MWIZERWA
Martin .C. Mwizerwa is the Acting Director of kLab. He is the Head of Planning in the Information and Communications Department at Rwanda Development Board. Martin is also the Head of the Mobile Solutions Cluster one of the 6 IT industry clusters. Martin is passionate about seeing Rwanda transform into a dynamic global hub for business, investment, and innovation. He has provided support and guidance to several ICT start-ups and several of them have turned out to be sustainable businesses. Prior to joining RDB, Martin lectured at the National University of Rwanda. Martin holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree with over 7 years’ experience in the areas of Strategic Planning & Marketing Martin initiated and coordinated the development of the Third installment of the National ICT Strategy 2015 (NICI III) and is currently working on the second phase of the National ICT strategy.
Eric Newcomer
With Kigali thirsty for a software community, Eric devoted a considerable amount of his time to the early stages of the kLab project. He also served as a mentor, working day-to-day out of the space, for several years. Eric is a Co-Founder of Nyaruka, Ltd, a Rwandan Software company. Nyaruka are the creators of TextIt, a software platform for visually building interactive messaging systems all over the world with a focus on the development sector. Before coming to Kigali, Eric was a Co-Founder of Trileet, Inc, a mobile software studio in Seattle. He is married and has two sons who lived with him in Kigali from 2011 to 2014.
Alex Ntale
Alex Ntale is founding President of The iHills, Rwanda’s Young ICT Entrepreneurs’ Association. He is currently Director of the ICT Chamber Secretariat in PSF and a visiting lecturer at Universite Libre de Kigali (ULK). He holds a Master of Science Degree in Investment and Quantitative Finance from the University of Westminster in England, a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Business InformationTechnology from National Computing Centre (NCC Education) in England as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Makerere University in Uganda. His work experience ranges from working as a computer engineer to financial services’ broker in London's financial district.
Alline Kabbatende
Patrick N. Buchana
Patrick is the CEO of AC Group Ltd, a company providing smart transport solutions like Tap&Go for public transportation in Kigali and recently launched in Yaounde Cameroon with international clients like The World Economic Forum, African Union, Government of Rwanda and Cameroon. Patrick also sits on the Board of Directors of the ICT Chamber in the Private Sector Federation (PSF).He also sits on the Invest in Africa Committee based in Cote d’Ivoire. Having a passion for literature, Patrick is also a writer and columnist with The New Times Publications. He is currently pursuing an accelerated Executive program with Stanford Seed.
Alex NTALE
Alex Ntale is founding President of The iHills, Rwanda’s Young ICT Entrepreneurs’ Association. He is currently Director of the ICT Chamber Secretariat in PSF and a visiting lecturer at Universite Libre de Kigali (ULK). He holds a Master of Science Degree in Investment and Quantitative Finance from the University of Westminster in England, a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Business InformationTechnology from National Computing Centre (NCC Education) in England as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Makerere University in Uganda. His work experience ranges from working as a computer engineer to financial services’ broker in London's financial district.
Aphrodice MUTANGANA(2015)
Aphrodice MUTANGANA, Social entrepreneur, kLab General Manager since 2015, first and big Rwandan innovation hub, the Founder and Managing Director of FOYO Group Ltd, Initiator and coordinator of tech Support Incike initiative which is a mobile crowd funding that had been used to address one of the problems faced by a portion of survivors of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, locally known as “INCIKE”. These are people, whose family members were all decimated during the Genocide, and they are left all alone today and they are more than 70 years old. Member of Global Shapers, Kigali Hub and Member of Private Sector Federation/ICT Chamber and secretary of the Private Sector Federation ICT chamber’s Young ICT entrepreneurs association. Ambassador Africa Code Week-Rwanda. Ambassador of Seedstars World-Rwanda.
Claudette Irere(2014)
Claudette Irere serves as the permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and innovation in the government of Rwabda and has been kLab General Manager till 2015.
She holds a Msc. in Computer
Engineering from Oklahoma Christian University and a Bsc. in Computer Science
from the National University of Rwanda.
From the Justice Sector to Development and ICT sectors, Claudette has acquired experience working in different environments and with different stakeholders as she started working at an early age. Prior to joining kLab, Claudette was the ICT Projects Management consultant at the Rwanda ICT Chamber of the Private Sector. She is passionate about technology and continuously thrives to empower more women to embrace tech Careers.
Jovani Ntabgoba(2013)
Jovani is an enthusiastic tech business savvy with a background in Electronics and Telecom Engineering. He has experience in setting up mobile communication towers with Ericsson in Rwanda and Tanzania. He has gradually channeled his interests into tech business and skills development where he is a consultant about Technical and Vocational Education Training at Rwanda Private Sector Federation and was a Tech business consultant with Kigali Today Limited, a digital media company.
Jovani holds a bachelors degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from KIST and is also a Microsoft Certified IT Professional.
Claude MIGISHA K.(2012)
Technologist with over a decade of experience in the areas of ICT innovation management, ICT project design and management, ICT capacity building and the integration of ICT into international development initiatives (ICT4D). Claude has driven the adoption of technology in sectors ranging from education, health, agriculture, citizen engagement, gender empowerment and financial inclusion, etc. with organisations such as The MasterCard Foundation, The World Bank, Jhpiego - an affiliate to John Hopkins University, GSMA, The UN Foundation and Oxfam amongst others. Claude holds a MSc in ICT and Development from The University of Manchester, UK as a Chevening Scholar.
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