Subscribe to JED XO
JED XOSpotlighting African Builders EP11: David & Gamifying Crypto Education with Play to Learn
David’s Entry into Web3David’s introduction to the crypto space came in an unusual way, through a referral-based Ethereum scheme called “Ethereum Million Money” back in 2017. While short-lived and ultimately structured like a pyramid scheme, the experience planted a seed of curiosity. His real turning point came later, when a friend needed to receive money from abroad. Watching crypto enable a fast, fee-less transfer showed David its real-world potential and pulled him deeper into Web3.The Sp...
JED XOThe Missing Link to Blockchain Adoption
The first event I attended this year was in April, a Bitget event in Abuja. It leaned more toward marketing than education, but it was still interesting to see how people responded to the buzz around crypto. A few weeks later, I joined the Avalanche Campus Tour, which had a completely different energy. This one was focused on education and onboarding, especially for newbies. The atmosphere was fresh, exciting, and relatable—you could feel the curiosity in the room as people asked questions, s...
JED XOSpotlighting African Builders EP10: Cameron Clarke & the Future of Waste Management with Aquari
On this episode of Spotlighting African Builders (SAB), the spotlight was on Cameron Clarke and his project, Aquari a blockchain-powered platform tackling waste management while creating new opportunities for community-driven impact across Africa and beyond.From Global Roots to Local SolutionsCameron Clarke, founder of Aquari, shared his journey from a childhood shaped by travel and a passion for technology to building a platform that makes waste management both profitable and purpose-driven....
<100 subscribers
JED XOSpotlighting African Builders EP11: David & Gamifying Crypto Education with Play to Learn
David’s Entry into Web3David’s introduction to the crypto space came in an unusual way, through a referral-based Ethereum scheme called “Ethereum Million Money” back in 2017. While short-lived and ultimately structured like a pyramid scheme, the experience planted a seed of curiosity. His real turning point came later, when a friend needed to receive money from abroad. Watching crypto enable a fast, fee-less transfer showed David its real-world potential and pulled him deeper into Web3.The Sp...
JED XOThe Missing Link to Blockchain Adoption
The first event I attended this year was in April, a Bitget event in Abuja. It leaned more toward marketing than education, but it was still interesting to see how people responded to the buzz around crypto. A few weeks later, I joined the Avalanche Campus Tour, which had a completely different energy. This one was focused on education and onboarding, especially for newbies. The atmosphere was fresh, exciting, and relatable—you could feel the curiosity in the room as people asked questions, s...
JED XOSpotlighting African Builders EP10: Cameron Clarke & the Future of Waste Management with Aquari
On this episode of Spotlighting African Builders (SAB), the spotlight was on Cameron Clarke and his project, Aquari a blockchain-powered platform tackling waste management while creating new opportunities for community-driven impact across Africa and beyond.From Global Roots to Local SolutionsCameron Clarke, founder of Aquari, shared his journey from a childhood shaped by travel and a passion for technology to building a platform that makes waste management both profitable and purpose-driven....
Share Dialog
Share Dialog
In this episode of Spotlighting African Builders, we sat down with Yvonne Kagondu — Head of ICP Hub Kenya to explore her journey in blockchain and how she’s shaping the future of Web3 across the continent.
Yvonne is at the helm of one of Africa’s most active Web3 ecosystems. Through ICP Hub Kenya, her mission is to evangelize, educate, incubate, and launch meaningful blockchain projects. To date, the hub has trained over 1,000 developers in Kenya, with additional ICP hubs emerging across Nigeria, Egypt, and beyond, signaling the growing reach of this global network.
A key focus of the conversation was the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) a blockchain infrastructure built to decentralize the cloud. Unlike traditional chains, ICP enables developers to build fully on-chain applications: frontend, backend, and database included.
Yvonne introduced Caffeine AI, a newly launched tool that makes it possible to “vibe code” on-chain. Though still in its alpha phase, it’s already generating buzz for how it simplifies development and opens new creative doors for builders.
Yvonne emphasized the importance of building local solutions that capture value within Africa, rather than just exporting talent. She advocated for community-centered development, startup creation, and job opportunities rooted in the continent.
Reflecting on cultural differences across ecosystems, she praised the momentum of Nigerian builders and encouraged Kenyan devs to embrace similar energy. Her focus is now on developer studio models and enabling grassroots innovation to thrive in Kenya.
A standout moment was the announcement of the World Computer Hacker League, an ICP-led global hackathon with a prize pool of $300,000. Yvonne encouraged all African developers to participate, seeing it as an opportunity to re-engage talent and push boundaries within the ecosystem.
Yvonne shared her experience navigating the male-dominated blockchain space. She spoke on the importance of presence, confidence, and leading with authenticity, offering valuable advice for young African women entering Web3.
On DAOs, she expressed cautious optimism. While she prefers structured leadership, she acknowledged the value of decentralized models, especially when tailored to African realities. “We need African-led DAO systems that make sense for our context,” she noted.
Throughout the discussion, there was a recurring theme of collaboration over competition. The guests emphasized the need to work across borders, share resources, and support one another in building a truly Pan-African blockchain movement.
The episode closed with a strong call to action: join the ICP ecosystem, sign up for the global hackathon, and follow the work of @WeThemMediaHQ a collective dedicated to telling Africa’s real Web3 story.
🎧 Catch the full replay here:https://x.com/i/spaces/1MnGnwkzPNMJO
🙌 Special thanks to We Them Media for sponsoring the episode and continuing to amplify builders shaping the next era of innovation in Africa.
In this episode of Spotlighting African Builders, we sat down with Yvonne Kagondu — Head of ICP Hub Kenya to explore her journey in blockchain and how she’s shaping the future of Web3 across the continent.
Yvonne is at the helm of one of Africa’s most active Web3 ecosystems. Through ICP Hub Kenya, her mission is to evangelize, educate, incubate, and launch meaningful blockchain projects. To date, the hub has trained over 1,000 developers in Kenya, with additional ICP hubs emerging across Nigeria, Egypt, and beyond, signaling the growing reach of this global network.
A key focus of the conversation was the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) a blockchain infrastructure built to decentralize the cloud. Unlike traditional chains, ICP enables developers to build fully on-chain applications: frontend, backend, and database included.
Yvonne introduced Caffeine AI, a newly launched tool that makes it possible to “vibe code” on-chain. Though still in its alpha phase, it’s already generating buzz for how it simplifies development and opens new creative doors for builders.
Yvonne emphasized the importance of building local solutions that capture value within Africa, rather than just exporting talent. She advocated for community-centered development, startup creation, and job opportunities rooted in the continent.
Reflecting on cultural differences across ecosystems, she praised the momentum of Nigerian builders and encouraged Kenyan devs to embrace similar energy. Her focus is now on developer studio models and enabling grassroots innovation to thrive in Kenya.
A standout moment was the announcement of the World Computer Hacker League, an ICP-led global hackathon with a prize pool of $300,000. Yvonne encouraged all African developers to participate, seeing it as an opportunity to re-engage talent and push boundaries within the ecosystem.
Yvonne shared her experience navigating the male-dominated blockchain space. She spoke on the importance of presence, confidence, and leading with authenticity, offering valuable advice for young African women entering Web3.
On DAOs, she expressed cautious optimism. While she prefers structured leadership, she acknowledged the value of decentralized models, especially when tailored to African realities. “We need African-led DAO systems that make sense for our context,” she noted.
Throughout the discussion, there was a recurring theme of collaboration over competition. The guests emphasized the need to work across borders, share resources, and support one another in building a truly Pan-African blockchain movement.
The episode closed with a strong call to action: join the ICP ecosystem, sign up for the global hackathon, and follow the work of @WeThemMediaHQ a collective dedicated to telling Africa’s real Web3 story.
🎧 Catch the full replay here:https://x.com/i/spaces/1MnGnwkzPNMJO
🙌 Special thanks to We Them Media for sponsoring the episode and continuing to amplify builders shaping the next era of innovation in Africa.
No comments yet