East Africa Cardano Innovation Hub

[IMPACT]

Vision

Our vision is to establish a co-creation space in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It will be set up as a hub for Cardano developers, entrepreneurs, students, and freelancers to foster the development of Cardano products in East Africa. Endubis Hub strives to become both a physical and virtual platform where Cardano Enthusiasts across east Africa can work, share knowledge, interact with one another, innovate solutions for the future and make ideas grow.

Open Space

The open space in the ground area will be open to the public. This means that anyone interested in learning more about Cardano can come over and interact/work with other like-minded individuals. They are free to use the cafe and bar area as well as the backyard. This is especially attractive for new members of the community that want to get more understanding of Cardano and the possibilities.

Co-working Area

The second floor will be open for members that want to either build products or get an in-depth understanding of the technology, i.e Cardano developers, Plutus students, and entrepreneurs. Membership will be free, but interested individuals will have to apply to get access.

Self Service

In order to keep costs low, the cafe will be self-service. A limited number of soft drinks, as well as snacks, will be offered the prices will be listed up and a cash box will be available there. Additionally, users can bring their own snacks and use the kitchen to warm up their food.

Platform for Sharing

Even more than a place to work from, creatives are in need of a physical platform to interact and share knowledge on a professional level. Endubis hub will encourage this as much as possible through specific features that can support this.

We will install a big users board with Polaroid photos of the community members (Citizens Board). Around the pictures, there will be information about the members; their competencies, what kind of support they could need, projects they are currently working on, job offers, and searches. Even more, members can also offer time swapping with others through the wall, so a UI/UX designer can borrow some hours from a backend developer in exchange for doing UX designs.

The citizen board is the formal space that ties the network together. It is where you find out what people are working on and how you can help. It's where you find out whom to ask for what.

Next to it will be a little table with a desktop. Here will be a database with contacts, information, and references that members can add about themselves if they want to. Additionally, there will be a complete reference guide and well-organized learning materials that will be updated by the community.

Virtual Space

Most of the features mentioned above will also be available virtually, for the community at large to get access o the hub and its members. Regular virtual workshops will be organized to network with the rest of the East African community.

Target Groups

We have identified three target groups that the Innovation Hub wants to attract.

Students of creative and tech schools: Student from higher education facilities in Addis Ababa.

The aspiring blockchain entrepreneur: A young entrepreneur that is looking for inspiration to start a business. We also considered people that are currently employed but are planning to start their own business within the near future.

The freelancer: Freelance developers and designers looking to expand on their skills and find new opportunities

Risks

Quality Membership

We have identified quality membership, to be a key factor for the success of the hub. The major risk, is the hub turning into a "shared office space".

Inorder to mitigate this risk, we will be focusing our energy on our first quarter on recruitment. This will be conducted in collaboration with ongoing funded project "student Ambassador Program" and "Cardano Networking Events"

[FEASIBILITY]

Implementation Plan

June 2022 - July 2022: Minor renovation, Small Community consultations, and meetups

July 2022 - August 2022: Furnishing and Testing: we will determine What works? What doesn't? What could be changed? How does the citizen wall work? Moreover, in this phase, we will have a series of regular events such as meetups or workshops in the location, to invite our initial members

September 2022 and on: Operating the co-working Space: Opening hours and rules can be adjusted. More marketing and Promotion within east Africa will be pushed.

Budget for 6 months

• 7 months Rent+utilities: 14,000
• Furnishing/renovation: 6,600
• Marketing: 500
• Events for community members: 2000
• Office Equipment: 2000
• Staff Salary: 6000
• Creation of a Virtual Platform: 2000
• Business meetups: 2000
• Motivational Speakers and Trainers: 3000
• Assistance in MVP development for projects: 2000
• Business Licence/registration: 300

1. Hub Manager - Bezawit
2. Recruitment head - Nebiyu
3. Community Builder - TBA
4. Partnership Manager - TBA

[AUDITABILITY]

KPI within 6 months

• 30 members for the physical space
• 200 members for the virtual space
• 10 projects/products started by the community members
• Partnership with at least 2 hubs in East Africa
• 1000 people reached through promotion within east Africa

"Without a community, a co-working space is just an office"

What success looks like in:

• 3 months: Bi-Weekly events with 20+ participants; 30 newbies to Cardano; 10 members
• 6 months: Weekly Virtual meetups 30+ participants;100 newbies to Cardano;
• 12 months: Self-sustaining Hub, through investor funding for access to talent

An entirely new one, but will be working with the ongoing "Ethiopian Student Ambassador" project funded in F5.