Pan-African Product Innovation Workshop unites innovators

Staff writer

Aug 11, 2025

Bringing together 100 early-career innovators, Carnegie Mellon University Africa hosted the second edition of its Product Innovation Workshop from June 23 to June 27.

The participants took on a key challenge in the innovation ecosystem: transforming ideas into viable, customer-centered products.

The intensive, hands-on workshop was organized by the Innovation Hub and Carnegie Mellon's Integrated Innovation Institute. Entrepreneurs from 19 African countries spent the week teaming up to design products that solve problems, which they shared during a final pitch showcase. While the inaugural workshop in 2024 challenged participants to research and develop solutions for public transportation issues in Kigali, this year's innovators worked to solve real challenges submitted by industry partners collaborating with the Innovation Hub on the event.

"The hands-on group activities and real-life case studies were the highlight for me," says Sião Cabeia, a founder and software developer from Angola who participated in the workshop.

Group photo outside CMU-Africa

Entrepreneurs and innovators from 19 African countries tackled real-world business challenges using human-centered design and rapid prototyping.

Seven leading companies in Rwanda put forth challenges across various sectors for the innovators to tackle:

  • AeTrade Group: Enhancing visibility of impact metrics and empowering MSMEs through soft skills development
  • IZI Electric: Designing a scalable model for decentralized electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Rwanda
  • CMU-Africa Admissions: Innovating the applicant engagement process to attract and support prospective students
  • KABISA: Supporting internal combustion engine vehicle drivers in transitioning to electric mobility
  • Eden Care: Bridging digital health literacy gaps and streamlining insurance claims through automation and AI
  • SLS Energy: Identifying and reaching the right consumer segments for clean energy solutions
  • VW Mobility Rwanda: Improving data management and analysis systems to enhance operational efficiency
  • Three people presenting
    Ellen Ayoob, Peter Boatwright, and Maria Mayanja welcome innovators to the first day of the Product Innovation Workshop.
  • Group of people at a table
    Simulating a real-world innovation setting, participants worked in teams to design products geared towards solving business challenges.
  • Man showing car engine
    Entrepreneurs working on the challenge submitted by KABISA look at an electric vehicle up close.
  • People at a table
    A team of innovators brainstorms their product design.
  • Person gives presentation
    A team presents a product solution for AE Trade Group’s innovation challenge.

    • Through the product innovation process, which emphasized human-centered design, rapid prototyping, and systems thinking, participants identified root causes for these problems and proposed early-stage solutions with real market potential.

    "This workshop represented the very core of CMU-Africa's mission: to empower African innovators with the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to drive inclusive economic transformation," says Maria Mayanja, entrepreneurship program manager at CMU-Africa. "It wasn’t just about product creation; it was about generating thoughtful, impactful solutions that respond to real user needs."

    During the week, participants received expert guidance from leading facilitators, including Peter Boatwright, co-founder and director of the Integrated Innovation Institute and professor of marketing and new product development, and Ellen Ayoob, director of the Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services program.

    Five past participants from the inaugural workshop also came back this year to mentor the new teams and share how the program helped shape their businesses. Their return helped support the Product Innovation Workshop's commitment to continually pass down knowledge and expertise and increase the sustainability of the innovation ecosystem.

    By the end, participants were left with a critical take-home message: the need for product design to be customer-driven. "The customer doesn’t care about things like how many wires are going through the product. They care about whether the product suits their needs," says Stella Nakakande, an innovator from Uganda.
    "The mindset that I hope to carry from this workshop is designing things with the customer in mind."

    This workshop was about generating thoughtful, impactful solutions that respond to real user needs

    Maria Mayanja, Entrepreneurship program manager, CMU-Africa

    The workshop also prioritized inclusivity and representation; 40 percent of participants were women. Participant diversity brought a wide array of experiences to the table, fostering robust collaboration within the teams.

    In addition to skill development, the workshop offered tangible benefits for both the innovators and the industry partners. The entrepreneurs gained real-world experience, professional networking opportunities, and exposure to sector-specific challenges. The industry partners in return received early-stage concepts addressing their specific needs, and gained visibility as forward-thinking organizations engaged in local innovation ecosystems.

    Kevin Rudahinduka (MSIT '14), CEO of EdenCare, found that collaborating with the Innovation Hub for the workshop, and focusing on business issues through a research lens, helped refresh his perspective. "The creation of knowledge is a big plus, and I want EdenCare to always be at the center of it," he says. "I think this is just the beginning; a lot of the ideas can be further developed into prototypes."

    The companies worked directly with teams, offering feedback, mentoring, and opportunities for continued collaboration. Several participants left the workshop with potential internship or project offers, reinforcing the event's role as a bridge between innovation training and career development.