Sheilah Birgen

Vibrant and booming, African innovation ecosystems hold the promise that digital innovation will lead to leapfrog development with truly transformative effects. Digital technologies are perceived as a powerful driver of economic growth—certainly—but also of diversity, gender equality and inclusion. And yet—no panacea—innovation ecosystems are far from inclusive. In fact, they systematically exclude traditionally marginalized groups. Join us to take a critical look at how power plays into policy making processes and ecosystem building efforts; to question whether feminist approaches could tackle existing injustices and power imbalances; and to outline how citizens, communities and governments can co-create more inclusive innovation ecosystems.