Traci Geisler
Traci Geisler, director of Syracuse University Libraries’ Blackstone LaunchPad (LaunchPad), presented a keynote address and served as an entrepreneurship competition judge at the first-ever Kenya-USA Global Launchpad Initiative (KUGLi) Innovation Summit, held at Kibabii University in Bungoma, Kenya, Aug. 15-16. The KUGLi Summit was the culmination of a technology innovation and entrepreneurship program focused on fostering multi-national ventures among science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) students to address global issues through entrepreneurship and creative opportunities.
The program was started in Winter 2023 by Churchill Saoke with support from the U.S. Embassy to promote entrepreneurialism and facilitate partnerships between Kenyan universities and Syracuse University. Throughout the Winter and Spring 2024, 131 students from Kenya and the United States participated in virtual and hybrid training sessions to identify unexploited areas for micro-multinational ventures using STEAM-focused solutions. Syracuse University student entrepreneurs in the LaunchPad partnered with Kenyan student entrepreneurs to advance several Kenyan student ventures. The Kenyan entrepreneurs were also invited to participate in virtual support and services from Syracuse’s LaunchPad, including one-on-one advisory sessions with Traci Geisler, participation in LaunchPad workshops and presentations, and entrepreneurship ideation classes offered by Bruce Kingma, professor of entrepreneurship in the School of Information Studies.
The culmination of that budding partnership resulted in the invitation to Geisler to deliver a keynote speech, at the Summit in Kenya, to student entrepreneurs from five Kenyan universities. The Summit was also attended by Drew Giblin, the USA cultural attaché in Nairobi; Bungoma County Deputy Governor Jannipher Mbatiany; university officials and faculty from Kabibii University, JKUAT University and Great Lakes University of Kisumu; and other business leaders. Geisler spoke to the entrepreneurs about how to avoid and address cash flow problems, market misalignment, and team communication challenges during the initial growth phase of a startup. Geisler and other Kenyan subject matter experts also participated in the judging panel for the 14 student teams’ business pitches.
“The project is an intensive experience training of U.S. and Kenyan university students to develop micro-multinational ventures that employ entrepreneurial solutions to address and resolve global issues,” said Saoke.
The students’ business venture ideas addressed social impact initiatives and “wicked” problems, such as infant malnutrition, financial illiteracy, plastic pollution, water scarcity, inadequate markets for local produce, teen pregnancy, food insecurity and crime, among others.
Group photo of KUGLi Innovation Summit participants, including Traci Geisler, at Kibabii University in Bungoma, Kenya on Aug. 16.
