Alabi: Entrepreneur Using EdTech to Democratise Access to 21st-century Skills

In September 2023, Hammed Kayode Alabi was chosen for the 16-week Western Union Foundation Fellowship powered by the Watson Institute. His mission was to scale his social innovation, the Skill2Rural Bootcamp, an initiative of the Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative aimed at helping young people in underserved communities like slums, rural areas, and internally displaced persons camps to develop essential life and 21st-century skills.

Throughout the fellowship programme, fellows had the opportunity to access seed funding to further develop their ventures. Alabi clinched the second prize and will be receiving $5000 in seed funding based on his outstanding performance, dedication, and involvement during the fellowship. He plans to utilize this funding to create an edtech platform that democratises access to 21st-century skills for young people in underserved communities across Africa. His vision includes employing interactive and regenerative AI to power the platform. This idea has been brewing since 2020 when the onset of Covid-19 prevented him from conducting in-person bootcamps. Alabi and his team devised open and free digital resources to empower young people in rural areas with 21st-century knowledge and tools. Additionally, he aims to repurpose abandoned buildings in underserved communities into innovation centers.

Following his participation in the Western Union Foundation Fellowship, Alabi was among the fifteen chosen to join the London Business School (LBS) Launchpad programme with a 15 percent selection rate. This pre-accelerator program assists some of London’s most promising entrepreneurial minds in turning their ideas into viable products.

Hammed’s focus will be on further developing the Skill2Rural Bootcamp edtech platform with the ambitious goal of reaching 1 million young people by 2030.

Previous participants of the LBS Launchpad program have progressed to join the highly esteemed incubator at the London Business School, secure funding from local venture capitalists, and receive invitations to European startup conferences. Hammed aspires to follow in their footsteps as he strives to reach millions with his initiative.