For the first gathering we did not want a panel discussion about “African entrepreneurship”. We wanted specific people, who have done specific things, and who are willing to talk about the detail.
So that is what we did. We invited people based here, in Barcelona, who have built something, and we asked them the questions we all ask ourselves when starting out: where did you begin, with whose money, who helped you, what did you not see coming.
The evening
5:00pm — People arrive. Coffee, tea, hellos. Nothing formal — nobody pins a badge on your chest.
5:30pm — The talks. Each speaker takes about twenty minutes to tell their story. Not a pitch: an account, with the hesitations left in.
6:45pm — Questions from the room. This is the part we care about most. Ask whatever you like, including the daft questions. Especially those, in fact.
7:30pm — We stay. Nobody gets shown the door. This is usually where the real conversations start.
The exact running order may shift by a few minutes depending on the speakers. The date and the opening time are fixed.
Who it is for
For you, if you have already built something and want to compare notes with other people who have.
Also for you, if you have built nothing at all but the idea keeps nagging, and you would like to see what someone who has done it actually looks like.
And for you too, if you are not African and simply want to listen. The gathering runs in French, with stretches in Spanish where speakers are more comfortable that way.
It is free. You do not need to be a member. You do not need to know anyone. You just come.
Getting there
The gathering is at the Casal de Barri Besòs, Rambla Prim 87-89. It is a municipal neighbourhood centre: you walk in, that’s it — there is no reception desk to get past.
