African Leadership Bridge Celebrates Expansion of Efforts in Africa at 11th Annual Fundraiser

Austin, TX, October 26, 2017 --(PR.com)-- The Austin-based charity African Leadership Bridge (ALB) will hold its eleventh annual fall fundraiser, "A Night in Africa," on Thursday, November 9, 2017, at Springdale Station located at 979 Springdale Road. This event seeks to raise money to help current and prospective students, from Africa, attend universities in the United States. A highlight of the evening will be the announcement of two new partnerships - one between ALB and TekZone, and one between ALB and Business Innovations for Good (BIG Ideas) - to leverage their education ecosystems. The new partnerships will increase the ability of all three organizations to reach young people across the African continent, some of whom will attend a university in the U.S. and some will receive training and education in Africa – all so that they can solve the problems that their communities face at home. Six students have received full scholarships to attend The University of Texas at Austin or Oklahoma State University, and two students, so far, have received full scholarships from ALB to participate in a 15-week long robotics training course in Cameroon offered by TekZone. “This is our eleventh fall fundraiser and we couldn’t be prouder of the students that have allowed us to take this journey with them,” said ALB founder, Rick Reeder. “The impact these programs have goes beyond the young people that commit to doing all the hard work, it touches the communities they call home and helps to spread knowledge and goodwill worldwide. Now, our partnership with TekZone will help us expand that influence even more, and we are thrilled to see this grow.” ALB’s second new partnership is with BIG Ideas, an incubator for female social entrepreneurs in Uganda. It is focused on empowering these women via a 15-week “mini-MBA” - a sustainable business development curriculum developed by the BIG Ideas team, led by Laura Richards. “Our second cohort starts in November. We will cover sustainability, building web-presence, product development, and other topics, while also providing a mentor in their field of endeavor. We are excited to have ALB’s support to keep the program free,” said Ms. Richards. To date, ALB has helped 6 students, from 5 African countries, enroll and pay for higher education programs at the University of Texas at Austin and Oklahoma State University. ALB gives students the opportunity to learn in the states, gain a degree and real-world experience, then return to Africa to become entrepreneurs and leaders in their home country. This year’s fundraiser will offer a variety of sponsorship opportunities, a live auction by Astounding Auctions, a performance by African Dancers and music by Ghanian musician Gidi Agbeko. The event is sponsored by Fair Trade Safaris, Mint Technologies, Kakhulu, Fixe Austin and Brain+Trust Partners.

Who: The African Leadership Bridge
When: Thursday, November 9, 2017 from 7-10 p.m.
Where: Springdale Station 979 Springdale Road Austin, TX 78702
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-austin-to-africa-bridging-the-gap-tickets-37680018951

About the African Leadership Bridge
The African Leadership Bridge (ALB) is an innovative nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to promising young African leaders. Joining ALB means more than just receiving a scholarship. We treat our students as part of our family and mentor them through the college experience, ensuring that they build the skills and relationships that will enhance their chances of making a significant impact after graduating. We believe that this experience will prepare these future leaders to tackle important issues with a unique perspective, contributing to the creation of an Africa in which all citizens have an opportunity to realize their full potential.
www.africanleadershipbridge.org

About Group TekZone
Group TekZone offers African innovators, makers and SMEs the opportunity and resources to design, prototype, test and market their own solutions. We partner with academic institutions and multinational companies to provide local access to a network of tools, expertise and training to drive innovation and build successful technology-based businesses. Our vision is for every student, maker, enthusiast, engineer & scientist in Sub-Saharan Africa to have local access to the necessary technologies to innovate and solve local problems. To deliver on this vision, we equip each of our centers design and prototyping tools such as 3D printing, machining equipment and necessary software though a membership-based model which significantly lowers costs. We complement this access with training on tools as well as a 360-incubation to help shape future local business leaders.
http://www.tek.zone/

About Business Innovations for Good
The BIG ideas' team have spent their careers trying to improve their lives of under-served groups, engaging in community empowerment through increased access to education, technology, and data. Now, collectively, we are working to give female entrepreneurs access to the skills and resources needed to start up scalable and sustainable businesses and develop solutions to their communities most pressing issues.
https://www.businessinnovationsforgood.org/

Media Contact:
Founder: Rick Reeder
Rick.reeder@africanleadershipbridge.org
512-924-7300