Six tracks · 15 October
Pick what your business actually needs
Six parallel sessions after the tea break. You do not have to choose now — but this is what each one is, who it is for, and what you should expect to leave with.
01
Finance, Capital & Investment
Where the money actually is, and what lenders need to see from you.
Panel discussion + Q&A
Who it is for
Business owners ready to raise capital, or fix the finances they already have.
What you will leave with
- —A clear map of Kenya's financing options today — grants, debt, equity, and digital lending — and which one actually fits your stage
- —What investors and lenders are really evaluating before they say yes
- —The financing mistakes that quietly stall growth-stage businesses, and how to avoid them
On this track
02
Market Acquisition, retention & growth
Getting your product past the county line and across the border, and building the partners to keep it there.
Panel discussion + Q&A
Who it is for
Businesses ready to expand beyond their local market, especially within the East African region.
What you will leave with
- —Opportunities and requirements under AfCFTA and EAC trade frameworks
- —Export documentation, compliance, and logistics essentials
- —Case studies of Kenyan SMEs that successfully scaled cross-border
- —Building distributor and partner networks abroad
03
Talent & Human Resource acquisition with safeguarding
Hiring well, and the safeguarding duties that come with it.
Workshop
Who it is for
Owners and HR leads building a team faster than their systems can keep up.
What you will leave with
- —Recruitment and retention strategies built for growing businesses, not established ones
- —How to embed safeguarding into HR policy from day one — not bolt it on later
- —How to hire fast without compromising protection for staff and vulnerable stakeholders
- —What a values-driven workplace culture actually looks like in practice, not on paper
04
Adopting AI and Technology
What is worth adopting this year for growth and efficiency, and what is noise.
Demo + panel
Who it is for
MSMEs that want AI to save them time and money — not another buzzword.
What you will leave with
- —Four specific AI use cases you can try before you leave the room — not theory
- —A live demo of at least one tool built for the Kenyan MSME context
- —Three questions to run any new tool through, so you stop chasing hype and only adopt tools that pay for themselves
- —The data protection basics you need before adopting any new tech
Four use cases, with named tools
01
Customer response
Orders and questions lost in an unread WhatsApp inbox
WhatsApp Business (free) + Meta AI catalog tools draft replies to common questions — you still review and hit send
02
Marketing content
No time or budget for an agency
Canva AI design tools turn one product photo into a shot, poster, and social post; ChatGPT or Claude (free tier) write captions and descriptions from a one-line product description
03
Financial records
Cash problems discovered only after they're a crisis
Google Sheets + your own M-Pesa/bank statement export, reviewed for 15 minutes a week, turns transaction history into a simple cash-in/cash-out picture
04
Access to finance
Cash-only income is invisible to lenders
A clean, consistent digital transaction trail (M-Pesa/bank + formal registration) is increasingly what lenders and investors score first — this is the same data investor-matching tracks are built to reward
Before you adopt anything
A simple three-question filter, walked through live — the kind of thing that sounds obvious once you hear it, and saves most businesses from buying tools they didn't need.
Live, with Victor Sila.
On this track
05
Industry and Academia collaboration
Putting a university research team on a problem in your business.
Panel discussion
Who it is for
Entrepreneurs, researchers, and institutions ready to turn research into revenue.
What you will leave with
- —How MSMEs can tap into university research, talent pipelines, and innovation hubs
- —Concrete examples of industry-academia partnerships that have worked in Kenya
- —Where the real doors are — internships, incubation, applied-research partnerships
- —Confirmed academic partners: Mount Kenya University
On this track
06
Kenya Entrepreneurship Ecosystem strengthening
The policy, the funds, and the institutions you should know by name.
Panel discussion
Who it is for
MSMEs and stakeholders who want a seat at the table where policy gets made.
What you will leave with
- —Who's actually shaping MSME policy right now, and how to reach them
- —The real gaps in Kenya's support ecosystem, and what's being done to close them
- —How to engage the policy processes that affect your business, instead of just reacting to them
- —Where government, private sector, and development partners are — and aren't — coordinating
One ticket, all six.
The tracks run in parallel, so you pick on the day rather than in advance. Chandaria Centre for Performing Arts, Thursday 15 October 2026.