Exploring Groundbreaker Talents: Interview With Our Co-founder and Managing Director, Leoni Rossberg
Dive into the interview with our Co-founder and Managing Director, Leoni Rossberg, giving insights into the implementation and impact of our scholarship program, Groundbreaker Talents.
Thank you so much to Hanna von der Au and Louise Trocmé from #LiT – Ladies in Tech network for giving us the opportunity to speak about diversity in tech in African countries and how we can foster tomorrow’s talent pipeline.
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We would like to know more about your project.
Why did you choose Uganda? Are there any success stories from participants that you can tell us about?
Since Groundbreaker was founded, we have become increasingly active in the tech world. Many of the companies we have spoken to have shown great interest in getting involved but have repeatedly asked how they could actively involve their employees. We also noticed time and again how little diversification there is in the tech scene.
With our scholarship program Groundbreaker Talents, we are therefore pursuing the goal of enabling young women in Africa to find long-term ways out of poverty and, at the same time, making the talent pipeline more diverse. That is why we no longer talk about donations; we are more concerned with social investment in training the right talent.
English is the official language of Uganda, and the time zone is similar to Europe – the best conditions for uncomplicated international cooperation. The tech scene in Uganda is currently experiencing an impressive upswing, boosted by investments in digital infrastructure as part of the “Digital Agenda 2040”, which is leading to numerous new jobs in the formal sector.
Our first cohort started in June of this year and the successes are already clearly visible. The progress the young women have made after just five months is remarkable. The residential approach, i.e. studying and living on a campus, is already having an impact, even though some of our scholarship holders started their training without ever having access to a computer. It fills us with joy to see these young women acquiring tangible skills and gaining self-confidence at the same time.
In addition, we see that our mentoring program with tech companies in the Global North has a significant impact. The personal contact between mentor and mentee promotes openness and helps to break down barriers. Our goal is to promote diversity on both sides and thus achieve a sustainable impact.
Read the full interview here (in German)
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Read the full interview here (in English)
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