Henri Nyakarundi is a native Rwandan who moved to the US in 1996 to study computer science. After graduation he soon realized that a 9-5 was not his calling, and he was an entrepreneur at heart. Over the next 10 years he founded and developed trucking and construction businesses in both the US and Burundi. However, the green sector is his true passion. He has been developing ARED for the past three years, and as of 2013 has returned to Rwanda to startup this company full time.

ARED is a Rwanda based company that provides a business-in-a-box solar kiosk platform, called Shiriki Hub, to empower low-income individuals with the use of a micro-franchise business model. The kiosk is a self-contained unit from which mobile money, airtime, advertisement, and digital content using wifi technology can be purchased, as well as where customers can charge their mobile phones and other small devices. In 2018, ARED raised Rwf 240M, through crowdfunding.

Henri has been a well-respected voice on entrepreneurship in Africa, renewable energy, innovation & technology impact and more…. As a mentor, speaker, strategist on social entrepreneur in Africa, he was able to shed the light on some of the challenges in the African marketplace, but also the key solutions needed to solve some of the major challenges we encounter today as a continent such as unemployment, lack of access to energy, access to smart funding.

He is a talented and engaging communicator who can cut through the myths and misunderstandings to provide clarity and perspective on what it means to be a green leader in business. He brings to his audiences a clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing mainstream entrepreneurs on the ground as they try to build their own social enterprises in a way that drives bottom-line performance and top-line growth.

His balanced, personal experience, and credible approach to green business and clean technology has offered a different perspective on the potential of product innovation and the impact it can have for the people and the key partners.

Innovation and entrepreneurship have become an inspiration to a new generation that are exploring for ways to live a fulfilled life, make money and be in harmony with nature. Green technologies have become the real alternative to fossil fuel. All industries have experience a surge in new ways and cleaner way to do business. As a society, we finally realize, I believe, the importance to live in harmony with nature.