iHub earlier today hosted Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google .
Eric Schmidt, Google Executive Chairman with Erik Hersman at Pete’s Coffee, iHub.
Eric toured the iHub ,hung out with techies, met techpreneurs from the iHub, and visited some of the startups here, including KopoKopo and SafariDesk .
Eric Schmidt with Dylan Higgins of Kopo Kopo.
The journey with Google and iHub over the last 2 years
Google has been one of iHub’s major partners, collaborating in projects, working with the tech community and funding the expansion of the iHub space, and the build out of the UX Lab and the iHub Cluster.
Google and iHub have grown together with the community over the last two years learning from each other through events such as Ladies Mapping parties, Trainings on Google Earth, Fireside Chats with Marissa Mayer, Office Hours with Bob Aman andHackathons . These sessions have strengthened our collaboration and through them we identified areas to work together and strengthen the iHub community further.
In early 2012, iHub announced funding from Google to support the iHub community.
The funds were to:
- Expand our infrastructure (network and server technology) to provide the tech community with a “sandbox” to host and test their applications
Eric Schmidt at the iHub with Erik Hersman and Jessica Colaco at the expanded space , on 2nd floor, which now houses iHub Research , iHub Consult and the Savannah Accelerator
- Set up a UX testing lab to provide training on design thinking and carry out UX research in the tech world. The UX Lab is led by UX Designer Mark Kamau and UX expert and Researcher, Kagonya Awori.
Eric Schmidt with Mark Kamau, the UX Lab Lead at the UX Lab on 1st Floor
- Setup the “ExchangeBoard Project” to support high-quality G+ hangouts and display the latest newsfeeds within the tech community. The team is made up of Lillian Nduati, Sam Wakoba and Joseph Maathai.
At the iHub UX Lab during a Google hangout between iLab_Africa (Strathmore) and iHub
- Set up an experimental super-computer cluster environment to host data intensive applications which require high performance computing.
Eric Schmidt at the iHub Cluster with Phares Kariuki, iHub Cluster Lead
Part of the funds from Google went into setting up the iHub Cluster . The supercomputer is dubbed ISIOLO – [Immanently SuperCharged Infinitely Omnipotent Limitless Operationator) , and is touted as one of the region’s most powerful computing cluster. The team is made up of Phares Kariuki , Idd Salim and Jimmy Gitonga.
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