The YAIS format centers around seminar workshops, called “Innovation Labs”, on various topic areas including Financial Services, Healthcare, Digital Content Creation, and more. Experts will introduce their industries to their respective Labs, explain some of the challenges they face in their profession, and present a case study from their work that they would like to solve with participants. Participants will then work together through the case study to pinpoint the root causes, identify project goals, and draft approach and implementation strategies. 

The end goal is for our experts to take the solutions back to their businesses, organizations, and communities and set them in action. Moreover, we hope that the work in the Labs will provide all participants with the foundation to turn their innovative ideas about African development into realities after the conference.

Although once just an idea, the realization of this conference will drive impact in African innovation. We hope our work together will benefit conference attendees, experts, innovators, and the continent as a whole in the long-run. It’s time for us to not only identify challenges faced across a variety of African industries, but also take the step in actively addressing them using sustainable and innovative ideas. In doing so, we will take a collective step towards resisting the expected and reimagining the future of Africa. I look forward to seeing you during the symposium weekend.