African Union Students' Council (AUSC) Office of the President and Founder in Kigali-Rwanda wishes to share the Application Opportunity to Register for ADIS2018 Today!Celebrate Afropioneers & Afro-Innovators , January 26-27, 2018 | Computer History Museum | Mountain View, CA

African Union Students' Council (AUSC) Office of the President and Founder in Kigali-Rwanda wishes to share the Application Opportunity to Register for ADIS2018 Today!Celebrate Afropioneers & Afro-Innovators , January 26-27, 2018 | Computer History Museum | Mountain View, CA

Register for ADIS2018 Today! Celebrate Afropioneers & Afro-Innovators January 26-27, 2018 | Computer History Museum | Mountain View, CA Join the new online ADN network and register for ADIS2018. Dear friends and colleagues, We invite you to register for the 2018 African Diaspora Investment Symposium, our signature convening bringing together Africans and friends of Africa for a common purpose: to accelerate economic, business, and social welfare in Africa and the communities in which we live for the benefit of society. The African Diaspora at its core is about community-building. We do this because we believe in the possibilities of Africans and friends of Africa working together to build strong communities. We will see this in action through numerous collaborations in ADIS2018, including the African Diaspora Tech Awards jointly presented by African Technology Foundation and the African Diaspora Network. Our partnerships with institutions such as the University of California, Davis and the Santa Clara University Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship evidence how we leverage community resources and knowledge to make this work possible. One way to support our work is attending and registering for ADIS2018. Register by December 31, 2017 and you will receive a 25% discount to attend the symposium and a one-year free membership opportunity to create your own community on our new online platform. All of this is only made possible thanks to our sponsors. Community-building is a lifetime’s work, and a lifetime begins today. Take a few minutes to register and show your support. Sincerely, Almaz Negash Founder, African Diaspora Network Convener, African Diaspora Investment Symposium Five Reasons to Attend African Diaspora Investment Symposium 2018 1) African Diaspora Investment Symposium is a catalyst for learning, networking, and building professional partnerships. 2) ADIS has been a blueprint for diaspora-driven initiatives since our first signature convening. Come and hear Amadou Duffy, co-founder & CEO of Gebeya share his take on ADIS. 3. Celebrate Afropioneers and Afro-Innovators. The 2018 edition of the African Diaspora Investment Symposium, the African Technology Foundation and the African Diaspora Network will co-present the inaugural African Diaspora Tech Awards in Silicon Valley to recognize our own technology pioneers, and amplify the ventures of young upcoming entrepreneurs. 4) Our 2018 theme, "Magnifying What is Within," is responsive and relevant to pressing needs including the growth of the Continent. By 2050, Africa is expected to have a population of 2.4 billion. Be a part of a community that seeks to co-create and re-imagine what Africa can be in 2050. 5) Participate in Design Thinking and workshops on Channels and Vehicles for Investing in Africa led in partnership with leading institutions like the University of California, Davis and Santa Clara University's Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship. African Ingenuity: Africa Start-Up Pitch Session Highlight Nominate a Founder for the Inaugural 2018 African Diaspora Tech Awards As the Startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley slowly grows in diversity and Africa seeks its own original unicorns, we are eager to celebrate and elevate our current pioneers,and increase the stakes for true afropreneurship within Silicon Valley and all the way to the continent. At the 2018 edition of the African Diaspora Investment Symposium, the African Technology Foundation and the African Diaspora Network will co-present the inaugural African Diaspora Tech Awards in Silicon Valley to recognize our own technology pioneers, and amplify the ventures of young upcoming entrepreneurs. We are calling for nominations of male and female African Founders within the diaspora over the next three weeks. Self nominations are also welcome. Nomination Criteria Group I - Afropioneers Qualifying businesses will: 1. Have growing revenue or a significantly growing customer base. 2. Have at least one founder in the African Diasporan community, and be either locally based, or willing and able to travel to ADIS for the event. Group II - Afrinnovators Qualifying businesses will: 1. Have a fully functional and demonstrable MVP and achieved product market fit. 2. Have at least one founder in the African Diasporan community, and be either locally based, or willing and able to travel to ADIS for the event. Target Sectors 1. Frugal Technologies. 2. Application Software. 3. Inclusion and Impact (E.g. Energy, Fintech, Education, Health) 4. Services (E.g. Commerce, Transportation, Agriculture) 5. Enterprise Solutions. To nominate a Founder within your network, or to nominate yourself, please fill out this nomination form before the deadline of December 22nd, 2017. All nominees will be invited to the Award ceremony to be held as part of the 2018 edition of the African Diaspora Investment Symposium. The Competition seeks to celebrate African entrepreneurs in the Diaspora. The judges will evaluate each nomination within the two groups, and contact each nominee with further questions on their qualification criteria. All the participating startups will be reviewed within a standard selection framework. We look forward to receiving your nominations and celebrating African ingenuity in the diaspora!   Meet Our Speakers: Leaders Across Sectors ADIS2018 features an array of speakers representing leaders across sectors ranging from technology, investment, education, entrepreneurship to the state of the Diaspora. Omoju Miller, PhD Senior Machine Learning Data Scientist with Github Kofi Appenteng President and CEO of the Africa-America Institute Zekarias Amslau Founder, MD IBEX Frontier/Financial Consultant, Investment Advisor - Gebeya Inc. Dr. Liesl Riddle Associate Professor of Int'l Business and Int'l Affairs, The George Washington University Amadou Daffe CEO and Co-Founder of Gebeya Inc. Ethiopia, Kenya, Silicon Valley, UK Fil Randazzo, PhD Founder & CEO, Leverage Science, LLC Bloomberg News on Africa Start-Ups

According to TechCrunch Inc., Silicon Valley has been ignoring Africa's start-up scene for far too long. This comes as TechCrunch Battlefield Africa was hosted in Kenya in October 2017, the first startup pitching event on the continent in the ten years of the competition's history. This year, 15 companies were shortlisted from 700 competitors, all of whom sought a prize of $25,000 of funding. TechCrunch's Africa event, backed by Facebook, awarded Lori Systems, a start-up providing a technology platform that connects truck owners to customers who need materials hauled. According to Edward Desmond, chief operating officer of Verizon Communications Inc., "Silicon Valley does not understand the context of Africa, so we see it as an opportunity to fill the gap." Silicon Valley Loses Out on Africa StartUps, TechCrunch Says Read More

HOW TO JOIN THE NEW ONLINE ADN NETWORK We are excited to announce the launch of this online networking platform crafted for community-building and knowledge-sharing. The ADN online network is distinct from other networking sites, in that we do not collect membership data for marketing purposes. As a registered member, you will have full access to a unique communication tool developed to enable productive relationships and expedite action. Go to African Diaspora Network platform. Enter your email address and create a password.  Fill out the demographic and professional questionnaires. After completion, you will be prompted to REGISTER FOR ADIS 2018 should you decide to attend. Join by December 31 to receive the first year of membership free. Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Approved from the Office of the President and Founder of African Union Students' Council (AUSC)"For The Better Africa We Deserve" Kigali-Rwanda. E-mail:ausc.president.office@gmail.com Whatsapp:+250736196204