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11-12 May 2017Capital Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Join the dialogue! 

This year's SI Alumni Forum is held in Addis Ababa. The alumni network in Ethiopia together with the Swedish Embassy and the Swedish Institute invites alumni in East Africa to join this two day conference of inspiration, learning and networking. 

Entrepreneurship affects everyone, and we believe that having an entrepreneurial spirit can change others and your own life but also society as a whole . 

This event is open for all Sweden alumni meaning anyone who has studied or done research in Sweden, been on an exchange with a Swedish organisation, participated in a leadership program by the Swedish Institute, are or have studied the Swedish language or worked in Sweden. We also wlecome the students who have recently received a scholarship from the Swedish Institute to start their studies in Sweden fall 2017.  



Youtube video below" Creativity and entrepreneurship can save the world"


9:00  

Welcome speech by SI representative

Ambassador Jan Sadek - Opening Speech

Remark from the Ethio-Swedish Alumni representative

Frealem Shibabaw – Entrepreneurship – contextual meaning and what it represents

Mihiret Debebe (PhD) – Personal Development and mind maximization

                                                      Discussion/Q&A  & Networking                                

11:00 - 11:15                                                                          

Presentations on Innovation and Technological Entrepreneurship

Wondwossen Bogale (PhD) – Tech transfer, Entrepreneurial Development and commercialization of research outputs

 Werotaw Bezabih (PhD) – Entrepreneurship development

Mulu Nega (PhD) – Fostering Tech Innovation & entrepreneurship – role of Universitie                                

                   12:45 - 14:00                     

Lunch Break

Donnie Lygonis – Entrepreneurship, a truly global movement 

Anna Chojnicka – Social entrepreneurship – learning experience (TBD)

                                          15:30 – 17:00                                           

Panel discussion on Social and creative Entrepreneurship

Kibret Abebe - Tebita Ambulance Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Service)

Nikodimos Gebretsadik – Health application

Ivan Ochieng (Co-Founder of Green Pencils LTD)

Fitsum Desta(The Cake Studio)

eflections, expectation and conclusion

18: 30 – 20:30       

Mingle at the Swedish Embassy residence



Day Two: May 12, 2017

Presentations on Social Entrepreneurship

09:00

Tobias Fischer - (CSR Manager at H&M)

 Tihitina Legesse - (WARYT on the Move)            

  Alumni entrepreneurs, panel discussion 

 Discussion and Q&A

Metasebia Shewaye Yilma – Unlearn then relearn, and Cele
brating women idols/mentors – AWiB perspective

Discussion and Q&A

                     13:00 - 14:10                       

Lunch Break

 Workshop with Donnie Lygonis

 Outcome of the breakdown session & discussion

                                          17:00 – 17:15                                           

Closing remarks and good bye

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Tobias Fischer
CSR Manager at H&M

"The importance of an entrepreneurial spirit in Ethiopia"

Tobias Fischer is the head of CSR at H&M in Ethiopia and will talk about "An entrepreneurial spirit and CSR in Ethiopia" 

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Donnie Lygonis
Technology Transfer Manager @ KTH Innovation

"Entrepreneurship, a truly global movement!"

“I think entrepreneurs and innovators are one of the keys to a brighter future, and truly believe that creativity and innovation can save the world”.

Donnie Lygonis

Donnie spends his days at the innovation office at The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) helping students and researchers realize their ideas. He started out as an officer in the Swedish armed forces, but left after eight years to start his own businesses. Almost 20 years and many businesses later he joined the innovation office at KTH  and for the past seven years he has been a part of reshaping the entrepreneurial scene at the university, and is proud to have co-created a start-up ecosystem that is well in line with the top universities in the world. (ranked 1st in Sweden and 10th in the world). Apart from working at the university he also runs a number of startups and has recently founded Entrepreneurs Without Borders, a global movement seeking to unite entrepreneurs from all over the world. 

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Frealem Shibabaw
Representative of African Women in Business

"Entrepreneurship – contextual meaning and what it represents"

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Jan Sadek
Ambassador of Sweden in Ethiopia

"The future of Ethio-Swedish relations"

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Metasebia Shewaye Yilma

"Unlearn then relearn, and Celebrating women idols/mentors"

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Anna Chojnicka
Country Manager, Ethiopia at Reach For Change

"The need for social entrepreneurship in creating change"

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Tihitina Mulushewa Legesse
WARYT on the Move

"CSR with Passion"

Tihitina Mulushewa Legesse is the General Manager pf WARYT Mulutila International plc. established in 1990 by the members of the WARYT family engaged in import, manufacturing, distribution and representation of local and foreign companies. She is one of the active members of the Ethiopian business community engaged in gender equality. Throughout the years, WARYT has engaged in several social development projects like scholarship fund for students in rural areas, a nationwide programme targeting Ethiopian secondary school students to increase enrolment in higher education

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Dr Wondwossen Bogale
Head of incubation center of Addis Ababa University

"Tech transfer, Entrepreneurial Development and commercialization of research outputs"

“Technology Transfer, Entrepreneurial Development and Commercialization of Research Outputs through University Business Incubation Center : Experience of Addis Ababa University”.


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Mulu Nega Kahsay
PhD in Public Administration and Public policy

" The Role of Universities in Fostering Technological Innovation & Entrepreneurship"

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Dr. Werotaw Bezabih
Founder of Ethiogenius

"Entrepreneurship and development"

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Dr. Mehret Debebe Gebretsadik

"Personal Development and mind maximization"

Dr. Mehret Debebe Gebretsadik

Dr Mehret Debebe  Gebretsadik is a board certified psychiatrist and Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and is the founder of MindSet Consult that will soon launch several programs that will focus on personal development and mind maximization. Currently, he practices psychiatry both in Ethiopia and the  USA.  His first novel "የተቆለፈÅት  ቁልፍ" written in Amharic was published 2 years ago. 

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Ivan Ochieng
Co-Founder of Green Pencils LTD

"Impact of Entrepreneurship to Society"

Ivan Ochieng is the founder of the Kenya based company Green Pencils LTD. He is a true social entrepreneur and will talk about how to impact society by social entrepreneurship.

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Ms. Fitsum Desta
The Cake Studio

Ms. Fitsum Desta is owner and cake decorator at The Cake Studio in Addis Ababa. She is an artist transforming ideas and inspiration in to works of art celebrating different occasions. The Cake Studio makes custom design cakes depending on customer needs. 

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Kibret Abebe
Owner of Tebita Ambulance Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Service

Kibret Abebe is a professional anesthetist with over 25 years’ experience. He established TEBITA Ambulance after witnessing the poor conditions of victims of traffic accidents and other emergency medical patients when they arrived at local Addis Ababa hospitals. Abebe saw the need to improve patient transportation and pre-hospital care. He proposed the concept to the Ministry of Health, helped craft the government regulatory standards for the industry, and received the first ambulance license for TEBITA Ambulance in 2008. TEBITA remains the only licensed for-profit ambulance and pre-hospital trauma care business in the country for the last six years.

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