Google [ X ]: Solve For X

On Wednesday 16^th July 2014, all roads led to Nairobi University’s Confucius Centre (Education Building) for the Google [X]: Solve For <X> Nairobi event. This was an intimate event for a group of exceptional technologists, entrepreneurs, and polymaths-at-large to discuss and debate audacious science and technology proposals that could change the world. What we refer to as our X! Read here for more details.

 However, if you happened to walk in the room shortly after 4:00 pm during the individual introductions and you had no idea what the event was all about, you would have been slightly confused. Hehe, it was therefore wise to listen a little bit before sharing how you have a jilted past with some guy called Suarez who happened to bite into everything in the house!

Luckily, everybody got the gist of things and in turn shared some of the most amazing ideas I had heard in a while. Ideas that got you thinking, you know! There were great minds gathered in the room. Minds from refined Googlers among them +Puneet Ahira {Program Lead- Solve for X}, +Megan Smith {Vice President - Google [X]}, politicians, Google student ambassadors, entrepreneurs, business people, colleagues and even high school students. I usually walk around with so many Xs in my head, some long term while others…not so much. It was therefore more than fantastic to know that I shared some Xs with some people in that sophisticated crowd.

After the introduction session, there were presentations from: +Kola Masha who is the Managing Director of Doreo Partners - Nigeria whose main focus was on the agricultural franchise and how farmers’ profitability can be increased. There was also a presentation +Asel Sartbaeva  from London. Her X lied within the health sector, specifically creating thermally stable vaccines. Afterwards +Sara Menker from Kenya shared her vision of making food globally cheap and abundant. Finally, +Markos Lemma  from Ethiopia presented his vision of increasing literacy and promoting education through hyper local applied learning solutions.

Then there was the brainstorming session where we formed groups to discuss and come up with viable solutions for the ideas that were presented. Afterwards, all the groups shared their very feasible ideas with the entire room and notes were compared.

This was followed shortly by a networking session over some very delicious treats which I enjoyed in the lovely company of these two beautiful ladies +Jacquey Njue {GSA JKUAT} and +Esther Kinuthia {Intern - Google}. We were also given some cool branded tees and a book. This annoying city traffic jam doesn't have anything on me now! #TrafficJamForWho

Everything good must come to an end or so they say. So I had to bid farewell to the lovely company and urbane talk but with the hopes that I will get to attend another one soon. I can’t wait to see what the next +Solve for X will have in store.

However, if you thought my day ended on such a picturesque note, you should think again. Once I left the premises in the company of +Jacquey Njue and +Chintan Gohel {GSA JKUAT}, we weren't so blessed to a vehicle into the city. This little transport snarl up picked one of the worst days to rear its ugly head as I, Jackie Moraa, had decided to grace the occasion in a pair of high wedge ankle boots! Yes, you heard me…High! My feet are the kind of feet that are used to the comfort flat shoes provide. Therefore even being elevated 3 inches off the ground for an entire day was a huge task for me. By the time it was 9:00 pm, I couldn’t take it anymore.

The fact that we had to walk only added in salt to an already existing injury. A walk that would have taken us about 15 minutes took us almost three years. But I’m thankful to these guys for not leaving me behind. LOL, do you know that it even reached a point where we switched shoes with +Jacquey Njue? And now she knows what it’s like to walk a mile in my shoes…Literally! I was super excited when we finally got to my bus stop. I could have sacrificed a lamb out of gratitude I felt in my heart! But funny enough, I wasn't carrying one in my purse that day! Despite this though, I could afford a smile when I eventually got to bed. It was a good experience. I might never wear those shoes again for another two years but a good experience all the same…

Thank you so much for reading. Feel free to share your X with us :)

Wishing ya’ll a lovely Friday.

Take care!

Doing Cool Things That Matter

#HappyDays