Derived from Harambee — Swahili for working together towards a common purpose — the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance got its start in 2008. Founded by Harvard educated Okendo Lewis-Gayle, Harambe was inspired by the words of President Barack Obama, who urged Okendo at his college graduation to “hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself.” Okendo took the advice and the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance was born. What began as a “Dream on a Piece of Paper” has now blossomed into an alliance of over 300 Harambeans strong.
More than an organization, Harambe represents a core set of values, forever enshrined in the Harambe Declaration and reaffirmed each year, through an official signing ceremony, by Harambeans at the historic Mount Washington Hotel.
Culled from a competitive applicant pool of candidates from leading universities around the world, Harambeans are spearheading social and business ventures across Africa and have raised capital from leading investors in China, Europe, and the United States. Recognized by the African Union, the Economist and the Vatican, Harambeans epitomize the can-do spirit of the new generation of African leaders.
Harambeans are African innovators who have pledged “to work together as one” to unlock the potential of Africa. Over the last decade, Harambeans has spawned a series of tech-enabled ventures such as Andela, Flutterwave, and Yoco, which have collectively generated over 3000 jobs, raised over $1bn from Google Ventures, CRE Ventures and Accel.
We are an alliance of determined entrepreneurs who are building Africa’s future.
We are visionaries transforming Africa’s challenges into opportunities.
We are founders of businesses that create positive and scalable change, enabling Africa to reach its boundless potential.