A report by four Sote ICT graduates and current Sote Hub members from a study trip to Slovakia in May 2016, where they visited various companies, startup hubs and presented at Slovak secondary schools about their startup ideas.

1. Study Trip Report May 2016: The Fifth Kenyan Staff Trip to Slovakia. Compiled by Gift N. Mtambo
Copyright 2016

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Table of Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................3
Itinerary.....................................................................................................................4
Business Architecture............................................................................................5-6
Azylo Workshop Gallery..........................................................................................7
Knowhow and experiences from Slovakia Hubs..................................................8-9
Hubs Gallery….…..................................................................................................10
Visits to the Slovak High school………….............................................................11
Slovak School Gallery.............................................................................................12
Slovak Aid meeting and CEE CSR Summit...........................................................13
Conclusion and Testimonials ……………………….............................................14

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INTRODUCTION
Between 8th
May to 17th
May 2016, from the Sote HUB Kenya, four Startup
founders (Gift N. Mtambo- Admin Assistant- Sote Hub and CEO- Rogim designs
Agency, Robert Mburu- UX/ UI Designer- Sote Hub and Creative Director-
Rogim designs Agency, Lucia Muthoni- Community & PR Assistant and
Secretary- Redecor Company and Elizabeth Njoki- Community Assistant and
CEO Redecor Company) had the opportunity to visit Slovakia for a study and
exchange programs with Slovak Companies, Tech & Business hubs and high
schools. This was the fifth trip Kenyan staffs were making in Slovakia since the
project inception in February 2010 and it was one of the most memorable and
educative trip we had. The participating Sote Hub staffs compiled a report which
we hope will be a learning tool and a useful guide for all the startups incubated in
the Sote Hub, TaitaTaveta as well as future partners and friends. Major areas
covered are; Business Architecture i.e.Business idea business strategy, product,
communication strategy, visual identity & idea making, communication channels,
customers, customer services and returning customers, Brainstorming skills and
techniques, marketing and competitive research, and lastly experiences of the hubs
in Slovakia.
We would like to give out our sincerely appreciationsto the guys behind the scene
who facilitated the trip. Many thanks to Jakub Simek, Ivka Ulicna from Pontis
Foundation and David Ogiga from Sote Hub.
The itinerary belowprovidesa good mix of learning new skills, getting experience
and free-time. This allowed the entire team to learn a lot about the Slovak Hubs,
Companies, schools and also explore different places and landscape of Slovakia.
Ten days were an ideal length of time for this trip due to the large number of
activities involved, though short and hard time to leave the nice landscapes and
people we got to know and interacted with.
Please see the itinerary below:

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INTINERARY
Day/date People/Startups Place Details
7th
May, 2016 Sote Hub Staff Nairobi, JKIA Departure
Day 1: 8th
May, 2016 Rogim designs Austria Vienna
Airport, Impact Hub
Arrival in Slovakia and attending
Hackathon event
Redecor Pontis Foundation Meeting and presentation from
Marek and Noro
Day 2 &3: 9th
& 10th
May, 2016 Rogim designs Azylo Agency-
LiptovskyMikulas
Training on how to conduct a market
and competition research.
Redecor Nevadzova Business
Academy
Doing presentation and interacting
with students.
Day 4: 11th
May, 2016 Rogim designs Azylo Agency-
LiptovskyMikulas
Training on the business architecture
and how to build business foundation
i.e. Nice/ viable business idea,
business strategy and product.
Redecor Watsonova Business
Academy
Doing presentation and interacting
with students.
Day 5: 12th
May, 2016 Rogim designs Azylo Agency-
LiptovskyMikulas
Business architecture - training on
communication strategy, visual
identity & idea making and
communication channels.
Redecor Bratislva, Orange
lab
Meeting with a lady from AJty VIT
Girls IT Education
Day 6: 13th
May, 2016 Rogim designs Azylo Agency-
LiptovskyMikulas
and Hotel Academy
Brain storming and wrap up meeting
with the Azylo Agency on what we
learnt and also made a visit to Hotel
Academy high school in
LiptovskyMikulas.
Redecor Connect hub Know-how of the hub
Day 7, 14th
May, 2016 Rogim designs Bratislava Ten senses Trade Fair- networking
with different people.
Day 8: 16th
May, 2016 Sote Hub Staff Slovak Aid Office,
University of
Recycling Biomass
and Rubixlab in
Bratislava
Meeting and presentation about Sote
ICT project at Slovak Aid,
information about the university and
lastly, getting to knowhow Rubixlab
works.
Day 9: 17th
May, 2016 Sote Hub Staff Bratislava and
Austria Vienna
Airport
Attending to CEE CSR Summit and
going back to Kenya.
Day 10: 18th
May, 2016 Sote Hub Staff Nairobi, JKIA Arrival

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BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE
Business Idea:
This is the stage to brainstorm and come up with a strong and viable business idea which will
fit and serve the market.
Business Strategy:
This is a long-term business plan. It may cover 3-5 years (sometimes even longer)the
following are examples:
Think mobile first; over half of visitors of a business are doing so on a mobile device.
Make your website mobile friendly for longer audience.
Improve the customer experience;
Get personal = connect with them personally and listen to their feedback.
Entertain = offering entertainment helps in spreading of brand info, attracting new clients
and retain customers.
Product:
A substance/article manufactured for sale.
Identify the personality of your product. For example:
Rogim designs is reliable, friendly, creative and community-minded.
Rogim’s products are:
Graphic design
Web site
Photography
Communication Strategy:
This is a plan that is created in a business for people to communicate effectively and meet
core organizational objectives.
Given Examples;
Account manager: he communicates with the client about the whole work.
Project manager: ensures all projects are completed on time
Visual Identity:
These are concrete symbols (name, logo and slogan & design scheme) that you use to present
your company.
Communication Channels:
This is how information flows within the organization and with its client’s e.g.
Website, Social media, Business cards, Word of mouth (creating content e.g. blogs, videos)
and Email signature.

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Visual Identity
In visual identity, we learnt about a Design Manual– this is a document that helps the
organization’s communication to be consistent.
It has the following information;
1. Core message - character of the company & client.
2. Logo -contains brand name. It should be simple and memorable.
3. Typography -header, body & footer should be the same.
4. Additional elements -all documents should match with the company colors and
personality.
5. Stationary (these are the applications)
Design Process

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AZYLO GALLERY
Part of Azylo’s office inside layout. Robert undergoing training on designs by Thomas
Design process training. Rogim designs and Azylo guys posing together.

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KNOWHOW AND EXPERIENCES FROM SLOVAKIA HUBS
During this trip we also got an opportunity to visit 6 different hubs in Slovakia namely;
Impact Hub, Fab lab, Rubixlab, Travok lab and Orange lab in Bratislava and Connect
hub,Eastcubator hub in Kosice.
Impact Hub
At this hub we managed to spend a half an hour
where we got the chance to see different startups
doing 5 minute pitch before judges and
investors. Through this opportunity we really got
experience on how to present startup ideas in
five minutes and convince a judge or investor to
choose your idea and invest on it.
Fab Hub
This lab is inside one of the Universities in
Slovakia. It has different digital machines
like 3D printer which students use to make
prototypes and models for their project. We
also saw some models which were already
printed. Later our two ladies had fun
hovering with the hover boat for their first
time 
Rubixlab
Rubixlab is one of the best co-working
spaces in Slovakia. This hub helps in
connecting viable and strong startup ideas
from Europe and Africa with investors.
From this experience we managed to discuss
the possibilities of establishing partnership
between Rubixlab and Sote Hub. We also
got the know-how of helping Kenyan startup
strengthening their ideas from the
foundation, marketing process till the
ideasare viable and successful.

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Orange Lab
This Hub concentrates more with production of
models and prototypes using different digital
machines like 3D printer, laser cutter etc. But
despite that it provides small co-working space
where people can settle to Skype, surf or do online
research. In this hub we got the opportunity to see
different machines, how they operate and work to
produce different models like bulb holder among
others. It was really amazing for us.
Eastcubator Hub&Connect Hub
Social media is a strong P.R weapon to use.
For instance the hubs have different Facebook
pages for different purposes. They also have an
Instagram page to keep their members in close
proximity. They also allow their paying
members to be editors in some of the Facebook
pages so as to also market their goods and
services. Also, they initially offered the co-
working space for free so as to attract more
members then started charging them for the
space later on.

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HUBS’ GALLERY
Lucia holding her first print  Picture showing different models at Orange lab
Lizzy and Lucia at Fab lab
Lucia and Lizzy at Connect hub. Lucia holding a model printed by 3D

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VISITS TO SLOVAK HIGH SCHOOLS
During this visit, we also managed to visit 3 different schools, i.e. Hotel Academy in
LiptovskyMikulas, Watsonova Business Academy in Kosice and Nevadzova Business
Academy in Bratislava which are partnering with some of our schools in Kenya. We did a
presentation about Sote Hub and Sote ICT school program to the Slovak schools and they
were really impressed and ready to create more cooperation with Kenyan students.
Furthermore, they also presented us their practice companies that they have and we were
really inspired with their Practice Companies’ methodology and experience.
Hotel Academy
At this School, Gift and Robert who runs a
creative agency called Rogim designs managed
to make a nice presentation about their company
to the students on how they started till now. The
students were really inspired and motivated
from the presentation that they had from Rogim
designs.
Nevadzova Business Academy
In this school we learnt that it is important to
have good looking and well-made documents.
For instance the students who had a practice
firm which in the coffee making industry made
their brochures and catalogues in the shape of a
coffee cup. That automatically enlightens the
customers that the business is a café.
Watsonova Business Academy
Here we learnt that, having a partnership with
real companies gives them a better
understanding about their business field. The
students have good presentation skills which
help them get more customers. During their
trade fair they dress, set up their stall and act in
reference to their business field. For instance a
modeling agency would dress their models for
the modeling showcase close to their stall.

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SLOVAK SCHOOLS GALLERY
A student from Hotel Academy making a presentation about their practice firms.
Lizzy and Lucia interacting with students from Nevadzova business academy in Bratislava.
Cool pose with Watsonova students. Watsonava students taking Lucia and Lizzy over different deptments.

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SLOVAK AID MEETING AND CEE CSR SUMMIT
SLOVAK AID MEETING
On Monday 16th
of May in the morning four us together with Jakub Simek visited Slovak Aid
who is our donorhaving a brief meeting and some discussions with Nina- (the Project Manger
of Kenyan projects) over our Sote ICT and Sote Hub project in Kenya. Four of us introduced
ourselves on the positions we are holding in the project, the successful things that we have
achieved and what are we planning to do next. In addition to that, we went ahead and discuss
more on how to improve, support and sustain startups which have been incubated in the hub.
Furthermore, we also talked about the launching of the hub and 2nd
Student Trade Fair, which
is planned to take place in July. The discussion was nice and fruitful.
CEE CSR SUMMIT
We also got a privilege
to be invited and attend
the CEE CSR Summit,
whichwas held on 17th
of May in Bratislava.
This Summit was
organized by the Pontis
Foundation, among
other NGOs to bring all
the successful business
owners and CEOs met
together and discuss the
ways which they can
improve the European
Economy. We had a
nice time to hear from different CEOs and successful entrepreneurs who had strong
inspirational talks. Despite having nice talks from great speakers, we also got a big
opportunity to create networks with great successful guys and CEOs.This was also a great
day for us.

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CONCLUSION AND TESTIMONIALS
Conclusion
The trip was awesome and educative since we learnt a lot and gained more experienced from
the people and places we visited. We had nice accommodation and hospitality wherever we
went to visit. This was one of the memorable trips ever. We would like to appreciate the
following people who gave us skills and experience and also made our trip successful: Peter,
Anton, Thomas and Zuzan from Azylo Agency, Peter’s parent from LiptovskyMikulas,
DusanDufek and his Colleagues from Rubixlab, Ann Kiapsova and students from Hotel
Academy, Marek, Noro and the Pontis Foundation fraternity and all who contributed to the
success of this trip.
Testimonials
- “This was one of my memorable trips ever. I really gained more experience and skills from Azylo
Agency, Slovak hubs, different people and high schools. The landscapes and the snow in High
Tatry Mountains were super nice to me. I want to thank and pass my sincere regards to all who
made this trip successful”.- Gift N. Mtambo