Webinar Series “Challenges of Growth” 2023 – 2024

In preparation for the upcoming AIT Swiss-Africa Alumni Meeting 2024, the Webinar Series “Challenges of Growth” brought together experts and entrepreneurs to share their insights and experiences. The sessions covered topics crucial for business growth such as building international business visibility, preparing startups for investment and how to make a business resilient.

The webinars also included discussions on investor relations, team building, achieving product-market fit and the importance of networking and strategic partnership. This series served as a platform for supporting network building and knowledge sharing. Participating companies have been equipped with knowledge needed to navigate challenges and gained valuable insights from business peers on how to advance business growth.

Webinar 1

The 21st September will kick-off our webinar series with an input from Dr. Moses Kebalepile, researcher at the Wits School of Clinical Medicine (South Africa) and founder of a medtech company, Asthma Grid, a medical device warning of imminent asthma attacks. Dr Kebalepile will share with us the journey of the related tech development, the creation of first funding streams, challenges that he encountered on his company’s growth path and ways of addressing them.

Thursday 21st September 2023, 14:30 – 15:00 CEST

Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler

Dr Moses’ advice to other entrepreneurs in a similar field:

 

The impact of running a startup on an entrepreneur’s mental health:

Speaker

Dr. Moses M. Kebalepile
A medical data scientist and research coordinator at the University of the Witwatersrand, in the School of Clinical Medicine. He is also the Founder of a MedTech startup called KTI. Dr Moses graduated with a PhD in Public Health specialising in Computational Epidemiology.His academic research used Artificial Intelligence paradigms (Deep learning, particularly Artificial Neural networks) to study and predict asthma outcomes due to air pollution in the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane. It was the unique algorithm from this doctoral research that he soft computed into a patented medical device called the Asthma Grid.

 

Webinar 2

On 5th of October, a webinar with MLaw Mr Stephan A. Hofer will follow and address the important topic of international visibility of companies. How to set up international business infrastructure and to operate from abroad will be the questions that Mr Hofer will address.

Thursday 5th of October 2023, 12:00 – 12:30 CEST

Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler

Find out how the Double Tax Agreement works:

 

What is the Investment Protection Agreement?

Can non-EU entrepreneurs settle in Switzerland?

Speaker

MLaw Mr. Stephan A. Hofer
A lawyer from Switzerland, admitted to the Swiss and Bern Bar since 2013. Since his admission he worked as a legal practitioner for several companies in the financial sector in Geneva and Basel prior to joining business law firm GHR in 2016, where he was promoted to a partner in 2022. Mr. Hofer provides for legal advice in corporate law for Swiss and international SME’s and particularly focuses on restructurings. Furthermore, he is responsible for the privacy law division in the firm, providing legal advice for Swiss companies with special consideration of GDPR.Mr. Hofer heads the Africa Desk within the firm, wherein he cares to maintain cross-continental relationships with fellow lawyers all across Africa, as well as he is further responsible for relationships with Asian clients as well. Since this year, he is elected co-chair of the League of Lawyers, a network of independent law firms with the goal to connect legal practitioners from Asia and Europe.

 

Webinar 3

On 26th of October the third webinar will take place. Mr. Mbuso Ngcongo will talk about his workbook that is entitled  “In the Beginning: Literacy, Numeracy and Coding the World”.

Mr Mbuso will share insights in his entrepreneurial journey and engage with entrepreneurs present in feedback discussion on talk and suggestions of how to increase sales.

Thursday 26th of October2023, 13:00 – 13:30 CEST

Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler

Speaker

Mr. Mbuso Ngcongo

Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of South Africa (UNISA)

Founder and CEO of the AIT Startup UMbalabala, an educational toolkit that uses pedagogical methods to advance learning for those at a foundational level of schooling.

 

Webinar 4

The fourth webinar will be held on 16th of November. The topic of this webinar will be “How to get your business investor ready?”. Ms. Amne Suedi Kagasheki will give a presentation on this question.

Thursday 16th of November 2023, 13:00 – 13:30 CEST

Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler

Speaker

Ms. Amne Suedi Kagasheki

A Swiss and Tanzanian international lawyer turned entrepreneur who founded Shikana Group, a legal and investment advisory firm focusing on foreign investments in Africa. Her company, based in Switzerland and Tanzania, collaborates with entrepreneurs, international companies, and financial institutions investing in East Africa. In 2023, she founded BintiBiz, an education technology company supporting female entrepreneurs in Africa through online courses and mentoring. Ms. Suedi, fluent in French, English, and Kiswahili, has a background in finance and banking and has worked with notable companies, receiving awards like TOP 100 Executive List 2022 and TOP 50 Women in Management in Africa 2023.

Webinar 5

The fifth webinar will be held on Friday 23th of February. The topic of this webinar will be „How to make your business resilient and how can digital tools help you with this task?“. Mr Dieter Puganigg will give a presentation on the topic “Resilience and Digitization”.

Friday 23th of February 2024, 12:30 – 13:30 CEST

Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler

Speaker

Mr Dieter Puganigg 

Dieter Puganigg, MSc, is an Executive Consultant and Academic Lecturer specializing in Digital Transformation, Resilience, and Sustainability. He is the founder and CEO of Digiwise e.U. in Vienna, where he leverages 25 years of international corporate leadership experience, notably in IT at HPE, services at Microsoft Corporation, and FMCG at Nestlé Nespresso S.A., with a focus on B2B.

In academia, Dieter serves as an Academic Lecturer covering Digital Transformation, E-Strategy, Customer Loyalty, Leadership, Resilience and Sustainability. He also heads a Diploma Program in E-Commerce Management.

Dieter holds an MSc in Digital Business from the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Vienna and is committed to continuous learning in the dynamic digital landscape. He is a Certified Digital Consultant (ISO 17024), reflecting his dedication to industry excellence.

Guidelines to develop a resilient organization

 

Organizational Resilience

Attributes from ISO 22316:

  • Resilient leadership
  • Knowledge and information
  • Resources
  • Organizational development
  • Designing the future
  • Business purpose
  • Corporate environment

 

Business Resilience

Components of a strong business model:

  • Market attractiveness
  • Customer loyalty
  • Scalability
  • Cross-selling / Up-selling potential
  • Profitability
  • Xaas (“Anything” as a service)
  • Entry barriers

 

What to do now for your own business? Describe, understand, measure and develop resilience!

Webinar 6

The sixth webinar will be held on 16th of May. The topic of this webinar will be “How to fund Swiss-African business collaboration”. Ms. Susanne Grossmann from SECO Start-up Fund will give a presentation on this interesting topic.

Thursday 16th May 2024, 12:00 – 13:00 CEST

Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler

Speaker

Ms. Susanne Grossmann

Susanne Grossmann brings a multi-year expertise in private sector finance in emerging markets with a focus on private equity and lending to small- and mid-sized businesses (SMEs). Before joining the SSF Susanne worked 10 years in Swiss development cooperation, followed by several years in the private sector, where she was involved in social projects and impact investing in emerging markets. From 2011-2023 Susanne served on the Board and IC of the Swiss Development Finance Institution SIFEM (Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets). She has also been active as jury and board member in the impact investing space. Susanne holds a Master’s Degree in History and Economics from the University of Zurich and a Post Graduate Degree in European Integration from the University of Basel.

Webinar 7

Thursday 06th June 2024, 11:00 – 12:00 CEST

Moderator: Mr. Erich Thaler

 

SWISS SOUTH AFRICA WEBINAR

Hosted by: Swiss Academy of Sciences Switzerland (SCNAT)
Swiss Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE)

Co-Funding Success & Partnership – 10+ years of collaboration in research and
innovation between Switzerland and South Africa

Download the program

 

AIT Alumni Webinars, moderated by Pauline Koelbl

With over 20 years in international affairs and venture philanthropy, Pauline Koelbl invests in African female-led businesses and connects African innovators with global markets. She has 11+ years of experience supporting SMEs and startups in Africa, focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, and empowering youth and women.

AIT Alumni Webinar 1

Thursday 04th July 2024, 12:00 – 13:00 CEST

Moderator: Ms. Pauline Koelbl

 

Topic: “Dos and Don’ts in Investor Relations”

Pauline Koelbl, Founder and Managing Partner of ShEquity and CEO of AfriProspect, in talks with two eminent investors from Africa who are serial entrepreneurs themselves with a global exposure. Erick Yong, entrepreneur, investor, advisor and African carbon credit expert and Hema Vallabh, engineer, turned entrepreneur, turned investor. A unique opportunity to listen to investors and decision makers on what they are actually looking at while deciding on whom to invest!

AIT Alumni Webinar 2

Thursday 29th August 2024, 12:00 – 13:00 CEST

Moderator: Ms. Pauline Koelbl

 

Topic: “Team Building/ Handing over the CEO position”

Pauline Koelbl, Founder and Managing Partner of ShEquity and CEO of AfriProspect, in talk with Nick Draeger, a scientist, engineer, financial expert, entrepreneur, and business leader with global experience. Skilled in building, financing, and leading projects in various sectors, especially healthcare and nutrition, with rapid learning and decisive action. Excited about creating innovative commercial opportunities across diverse businesses and geographies to achieve results. Nicholas holds a BSc (Hons) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Natal, a PhD in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, and an MBA from the University of Warwick.

AIT Alumni Webinar 3

Monday 30th September 2024, 12:00 – 13:00 CEST

Moderator: Ms. Pauline Koelbl

 

Topic: “Product – Market – Fit”

Pauline Koelbl, Founder and Managing Partner of ShEquity and CEO of AfriProspect, in talks with Manuel Seiffe, an entrepreneur, renewable energy enthusiast and a dedicated professional with experience in impact investing. He has co-founded MPower Ventures AG, a Zurich based fintech and impact start-up, that partners with local entrepreneurs to finance and distribute clean energy to households and SMEs in emerging markets.

Final AIT Alumni Webinar

Wednesday 23rd Oktober 2024, 12:00 – 13:00 CEST

Moderator: Ms. Pauline Koelbl

This webinar is designed to help innovators and entrepreneurs understand the role of networks and strategic partnerships in unlocking growth opportunities of their businesses. In this session, industry experts and practitioners will share insights on why networking matters,  how to build meaningful connections, leverage networks for business success, and form strategic partnerships that drive innovation and expansion. Among other things, you will learn the key strategies for effective networking and building meaningful partnerships and gain practical tips to enhance your entrepreneurial journey.  Additionally, you learn why it is important to do your Due Diligence (DD) before you onboard new partners.

 

 

Topic: Importance of networking and strategic partnership

Pauline Koelbl, Founder and Managing Partner of ShEquity and CEO of AfriProspect, in talks with Seja Makoti Kekana, a experienced dealmaker with over 19 years of experience in venture capital, corporate finance, acquisitions, and project finance across various sectors like ICT, manufacturing, and infrastructure and Pascal Koenig, who has spent two decades building startups in digital health. His latest venture, Malaica, aims to improve pregnancy care in lower-income countries, following his success as CEO of Ava, a women’s health company that grew significantly under his leadership and received many awards, incl. “Best Swiss Startup”.