''Temple
Management Company, a global full-service talent and events management
agency headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, is collaborating with Insider, a
US-based PR Firm as well as the U.S. African Development Foundation, an
independent federal agency established to support African-led
development, to stage the first ever Africa House at the South By South
West (SXSW).
The Africa House program will take place at Parker Jazz Club Saturday,
March 10, through Sunday, March 11, 2018, in Austin, TX. The platform is
devoted to catalyzing partnerships between entrepreneurs and investors
looking to do business with special focus on Best in African
Entertainment, Technology, Innovation, Fashion, Art, and Design.
TMC, alongside collaborating organizations, have developed a showcase
featuring compelling speakers and panels focused on the technology, art,
design, and music of Africa.
Speaking on the event, Aubrey Hruby, co-founder of Insider identified
African innovation as the future global growth. He explained, “Africa
House will give entrepreneurs, founders, artists, and designers a
platform to promote themselves globally while also providing prospective
investors the opportunity to learn about the latest innovations Africa
has to offer and how the continent’s tech boom is reshaping the
business, culture, and economic trajectory of many of its countries.”
Terfa Tilley-Gyado, Director of Communications, TMC also added, “This is
a unique opportunity to represent Africa at this major event. This is a
boom time for African talent and Temple is uniquely positioned to have
conversations across these varying spectrums.”
Pioneering African artists in attendance will include Bisola Aiyeola, a
Nigerian actress, singer, MC, and presenter; Chris Akinyemi, who has a
blazing new single out and Mr Lab, the virtuoso producer, among others.
Highlights of Africa House’s program include (full schedule and more detail in notes below):
● Lights, Power, Action: Africa Goes Green: Sandrine Nzeukou,
Executive Director, Invest Africa in conversation with Jessica O.
Matthews, CEO, Uncharted Power; Maurice Parets, CEO, Pawame; and
Kolawole Akinboye, COO, Rensource Energy
● Welcome to the Silicon Lagoon: A Nigeria Tech Breakfast Showcase: Featuring Paga, Venture Garden Group, Gidimo, Cars45
● Dancing to the Afrobeat: The Rise and Rise of African Music:
Participating companies include RocNation, OkayAfrica, First Access
Entertainment, and Touch HD
● Inside Africa: The Next Generation of PR is in Emerging Markets: Featuring Eliot Pence, Insider Co-Founder
● Tech for Development. Powered by the US African Development
Foundation. Featuring C.D. Glin, CEO, US African Development Foundation,
in conversation with Wutiko, Wazi Vision, and Cherehani
● Africa After Dark: The Official Africa House After Party:
Featuring Iyanya, Jeff Akoh, Bisola Aiyeola, Chris Akinyemi, Khaligraph
Jones
In addition to workshops, immersive panels, and networking happy hours,
Africa House will also present a pop-up shop featuring work and
products by Sonia Mugabo (“SM”), a Rwandan fashion brand that employs
local artisan talent to make high quality clothing that captures the
essence of global trends with an inspired edge that is purely African;
UNIFORM, a fashion styling subscription service designed by Chid
Liberty, Liberian co-founder of Liberty & Justice, Africa’s first
Fair Trade-certified apparel manufacturer; ENZI, an Ethiopian premium
footwear brand seeking to challenge global perceptions of Africa through
design, and YouNeek Studios, a creative character-based storytelling
and entertainment company that produces animation, comics, graphic
novels, film, and other media featuring eclectic characters inspired by
African history, culture, and mythology.''
