Our success story: InnovaLab at the GES 2017

Short Biography

In addition of being the Ambassador for Guinea-Bissau of the collective O.S.E.R. Africa, Bary is also founder of the first lab in Innovation of his country « InnovaLab« : a pioneer innovation accelerator located in Guinea-Bissau.

“Entrepreneurship creates new jobs and new businesses, new ways to deliver basic services, new ways of seeing the world — it’s the spark of prosperity. It helps citizens stand up for their rights and push back against corruption. Entrepreneurship offers a positive alternative to the ideologies of violence and division that can all too often fill the void when young people don’t see a future for themselves…. The research shows that when women entrepreneurs succeed, they drive economic growth and invest more back into their families and communities”.

President Barack Obama, Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2015, Nairobi, Kenya.

Who is behind InnovaLab ?

InnovaLab (a social enterprise) was founded in 2016 by young Bissau-Guinean engineers, financiers, and managers and is the pioneer innovation accelerator in Guinea-Bissau. Innovalab fosters entrepreneurial ecosystem development and creates social impact by supporting venture creation and entrepreneurship in the following sectors: education, agriculture, healthcare and infrastructure.

Through in person and online (web and radio) mentoring activities, as well as OpenLabs, Forums, TechCamps, Hackathon and Bootcamps, we inspire and empower Guinea-Bissau entrepreneurs to solve their immediate socio-economic challenges by leveraging and providing access to technology, resources and stakeholder networks. Our objective is to achieve sustainable development in Africa, starting in Guinea Bissau, by fostering innovation among the youth.

Our mission

Achieve sustainable development in Africa, starting in Guinea-Bissau by fostering innovation among the youth and expand job opportunities.

Our participation to Global Entrepreneurrship Summit

The United States of America and the Republic of India organized the eighth annual Global
Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad, India on 28-30 November, 2017. Guinea-Bissau
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem, US Embassy Dakar and InnovaLab were represented by Adulai Bary :

« I was really honored…

Kemo Touré was also in representation of Senegal Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem, US Embassy Dakar with his startup Wutiko: a platform to connect professionals and students to recruiters in Africa.

He is Mandela Washington Fellowship 2016 cohort like me but placed at different universities: he was at Northwestern University, Illinois and I was at University of Reno, Nevada. On this occasion we had the chance to meet in Dakar for the PDO (pre departure orientation) for the fellowship and spend some days together in Washington DC for the summit with the former President Obama.

On the occasion of the GES 2017 we had the chance to spend more time together and get to know each other in a good environment to discuss business. We come up with an idea of partnership which today is materializing little by little: InnovaLab will manage Wutiko in all Portuguese-speaking countries (PALOP).

Many connections and future collaboration from the GES are now in progress for my community because as entrepreneurs, we’re always looking for the next thing to create or for that next big world to conquer. It’s a calling that we must answer, because it’s the core of who we are as people. Sometimes, answering that call means finding greener pastures and leave everything we know behind. However, we must never forget where we came from. No matter how far you roam or how successful you think you are, forgetting your roots can — and will — diminish your success. »

Let’s get an idea of what’s going on in Guinea-Bissau :

https://youtu.be/bACQ3zvd2ac

https://youtu.be/XYrojO2GDEU

For more photos and info:
Website: https://www.innovalab-gw.com/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/InnovaLabGw/

O.S.E.R. Africa team.