Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais Foundation Is Empowering Innovation By Afrikans For Afrika

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is the Founder Innovation Influencer at the
African Innovation Foundation, whose
stated purpose is to increase the prosperity of
Africans by catalyzing the spirit of innovation.
Jean-Claude is of Swiss-Angolan heritage, having
been born and raised in Fribourg, Switzerland.
His affinity for entrepreneurship saw him enter
the startup scene while he was still in
university with a micro-mergers and acquisitions
business that specialized in the evaluation, due
diligence, acquisition and sale of small
enterprises in the hairdressing, beauty and
carpentry space.
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Ive always believed that innovation-led
entrepreneurship is crucial to Africas growth
and development", Jean-Claude explains. "It
drives economic opportunity and has the potential
to equalize wealth distribution across all
segments of society, and it holds the key to
speeding up economic diversification and job
creation, which is a priority for many African
nations where youth are the predominant demographi
c.
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1. The African Law Library, a free one-stop
online portal and database for resources in
business, government, and civil society.
2. The Innovation Prize for Africa, which rewards
African innovators for the work that they are
doing to grow the ecosystem. Applications for the
2017 prize are currently open.
3. The Social Impact Program for Angola, which
was set up to solve pressing social problems via
socially responsible solutions and collaborations.
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Innovation is vital to the overall economic
divergence mix for African nations", Jean-Claude
says further. "There are many layers to this.
Some schools of thought believe that technology
and leapfrogging can't work in Africa because of
poor infrastructure, and concentrating on
building this infrastructure will divert vital
funds required for more basic needs such as
healthcare, education, water, and food supplies.
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In Angola", he continues, "we built Fábrica de
Sabão, the countrys first hybrid innovation hub
on land owned by a subsidiary of the Angolan
sovereign wealth fund (FSDEA). It comprises of
incubator and accelerator hubs, co-working and
maker spaces, a cultural exchange platform, local
radio station and a residence program for
visiting mentors and artists. Fábrica de Sabão is
an ecosystem to foster innovation-led education,
creativity, and entrepreneurship among Angolans,
including marginalized slum communities who are
highly resourceful and eager to learn.
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Jean-Claude says that his dual heritage has had a
significant influence on the work he does. My
background has been a major influence on who I am
today", he explains. "Growing up as a
Swiss- Angolan, Ive experienced a culturally
rich upbringing and inherited many traits from
both sides of my family. A combination of
African wisdom and Swiss ambition have shaped my
business and philanthropic goals."
"My late Angolan grandmother was a great pillar
of support", he says in conclusion. "In fact, the
African Innovation Foundation, which I founded in
2009, is a result of a promise I made to her
to give back to Africa when my time came. Now
when I look back, I see that I am fortunate to be
able to use the success that Ive worked hard to
achieve, to play a part, however small, in
Africas progress.
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