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Elijah Shokenu
Supporting African tech & talent through learning
Professional Background
Elijah Shokenu is an inspiring figure in the African entrepreneurial landscape, known for his steadfast commitment to empowering emerging talent and fostering high-growth businesses. Currently, as the Lead and Co-Founder of StudentBuild, Elijah drives a dual mission: he aims to simplify the transition from academic life to the workforce for African students and to assist entrepreneurs in cultivating talented individuals who can meet their growing business ambitions.
StudentBuild serves as a pioneering experiential learning platform, uniquely designed to facilitate mutual growth between African students and burgeoning businesses. Through this platform, Elijah plays a pivotal role in shaping the workforce of tomorrow, ensuring that young professionals are well-equipped to tackle the challenges of the job market and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Not only does Elijah hold a leadership position at StudentBuild, but he also has an impressive background that spans various roles within the entrepreneurship and technology sectors. His experiences as a Program Coordinator for the TEDLab Track at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management and as a Program Manager at Eridan Group and The Partnership Lab highlight his deep-rooted commitment to education and innovation.
Education and Achievements
Elijah's educational background is distinguished by his dedication to continuous learning and growth. He studied at some of the most revered institutions to sharpen his skills in entrepreneurship and management. His journey includes a transformative experience at Harvard Business School Online, where he gained invaluable insights into business strategy and innovation. Additionally, Elijah has pursued certifications that enhance his expertise, such as those from VC Academy and ProductDive, which are crucial for understanding venture capital dynamics and product management.
His academic journey began with a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, which laid a strong foundation for his career in technology and program management. Elijah's educational pursuits reflect his desire to stay ahead of industry trends and continuously improve his skill set to better serve the entrepreneurial community.
Career Trajectory and Notable Roles
Elijah's career path showcases a rich tapestry of experiences across different organizations, each contributing to his current role at StudentBuild. As a former Growth Manager at SEND Freight, he developed effective strategies that propelled business growth, demonstrating his keen understanding of market dynamics. Similarly, his role as a Product Lead at Printivo.com allowed him to hone his skills in product development and market expansion, further solidifying his reputation as an adept manager.
His entrepreneurial spirit is evident through his founding efforts, such as establishing Uptimy Advisory and Eurekapreneurs. These initiatives underscore his passion for mentoring and supporting other entrepreneurs, fostering a thriving ecosystem for innovation and growth within Africa.
Elijah's earlier roles, including his tenure as a Marketing Consultant at Slatecube and his Digital Marketing efforts at TinklingD, have equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of how to leverage marketing strategies effectively to build brands and expand reach.
Throughout his professional journey, Elijah has remained committed to leveraging his expertise for the greater good. His multifaceted experiences afford him the ability to connect aspiring entrepreneurs with the right resources and guidance needed to succeed.
Contributions to the Entrepreneurial Community
Elijah Shokenu's unwavering belief in the transformative power of entrepreneurship in Africa is at the forefront of everything he does. By nurturing a community where emerging talent can thrive, he is actively contributing to the broader economic development of the region. His innovative mindset and strategic approach to problem-solving resonate well with both students and entrepreneurs.
Through StudentBuild, Elijah has positioned himself as a catalyst for change, fostering collaborations that enable students to gain practical experience while simultaneously assisting businesses in identifying and nurturing talent. This symbiotic relationship not only benefits individual participants but also strengthens the overall ecosystem, driving progress and prosperity across various sectors.
Elijah's vision is clear: a future where African entrepreneurs lead impactful, high-growth businesses that make significant contributions to the continent. His dedication to this mission inspires both current and future generations of leaders, ensuring that the talents of today will flourish into the successes of tomorrow.
Future Outlook
As we look ahead, Elijah Shokenu is poised to continue making significant contributions to the entrepreneurial landscape in Africa. His commitment to enriching the lives of young professionals and supporting entrepreneurs remains steadfast. As he drives initiatives through StudentBuild and beyond, Elijah is not just setting a benchmark for success but also paving the way for an empowered generation of business leaders.
In a world that increasingly values innovation and entrepreneurship, Elijah Shokenu's journey exemplifies the essence of resilience, passion, and dedication. He is indeed a remarkable force in promoting the African entrepreneurial spirit and is determined to foster a brighter and more prosperous future for the continent.
Achievements
- Co-Founder and Lead of the innovative StudentBuild platform that focuses on experiential learning and talent development.
- Played a vital role as Program Coordinator for the TEDLab Track at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management, fostering creative learning experiences.
- Led growth strategies at SEND Freight, driving significant business advancements within the logistics sector.
- Successfully managed and developed products at Printivo.com, contributing to substantial market growth.
- Established multiple organizations aimed at mentoring and supporting aspiring entrepreneurs, significantly contributing to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa.
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.