By Susan Cameron
Nearly two decades after building his tech career at Microsoft, Jacques Bonjawo wanted to do something profound in his homeland that could help others build their own tech careers and spark a startup ecosystem.
He in 2017, created the Ocean Innovation Center (OIC) Technopole in Cameroon.
OIC focuses on bringing young digital entrepreneurs together and helping them convert their innovative projects into high-potential companies by offering expertise and mentorship in the areas of leadership and business management, providing training in emerging technologies, and helping secure funding sources.
“Cameroon has a lot of unemployment. Believe it or not, most of the people who don’t have a job are former students with degrees. It’s relatively easy to attract young people in their 20s to OIC because most of them are doing nothing, yet they have technical skills – they may not have the management skills, but they have the technical skills,” Jacques said. “So, I thought I could really make a difference in this environment. That’s why I decided to set up OIC.”
Jacques himself developed a fascination with technology while in high school when he discovered its potential to solve problems – “real life” problems in areas including education and healthcare.
This interest led him to pursue a degree in computer science. After completing his education in France, Jacques worked for Philips in the Netherlands before coming to the U.S. to get his MBA. In 1998, he joined Microsoft.
“I really thought this was a great opportunity to learn a lot, join teams, and solve complex problems,” Jacques said. “Microsoft for me was really the ideal company. I have to say that I was truly lucky to move from the East Coast and join Microsoft.”
One of Jacques’ goals at Microsoft was to have an impact on populations, communities, and underserved people. In his role, he had the opportunity to lead initiatives aimed at bringing the benefits of technology to Africa, ranging from taking on distance learning in collaboration with the World Bank to developing projects that addressed critical needs in the region.
In 2003, Jean-Philippe Courtois invited Jacques to join Bill Gates and him to speak at Microsoft’s Government Leaders’ Forum in Johannesburg to make a case for Africa using technology. It was an experience that sticks with him to this day.
Speaking humbly, he attributes this opportunity to luck.
“To be honest, I got lucky. I happened to be working on projects in Africa and therefore it made sense to be invited, at least in the eyes of Jean-Phillipe Courtois,” he said. “It was an honor for me, and I will never forget that (experience).”
It’s experiences like these and other business management lessons he learned while at Phillips and Microsoft that he wanted to impart when he started OIC.
Each year since 2018, OIC recruits tech startups through a contest. One of the things the juries look for is what projects have the potential for having the greatest impact on people’s lives. Out of hundreds of startups applying (this year there were over 200 applicants), 10 are selected to participate at the center. The inclusion of women is a priority for OIC, and at least one of the 10 startups selected must be led by a woman. Currently, three out of the 10 startups have women CEOs.
OIC is located in a three-story building in the city of Kribi. 25 people work at OIC full-time, and consultants are brought in to share their expertise in business, management, and finance. Workshops are held at the facility, and startup participants are also encouraged to use the collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, and workstations.
OIC’s commitment is to help fund, incubate and bring the startup to life over the course of the year. By contributing to the creation of tech companies in various sectors such as education (distance learning), healthcare (telemedicine), and mobile banking, OIC is actively involved in not only giving young people opportunities but making Cameroon a digital nation and extending the impact of technology to others’ lives.
Beyond OIC, Jacques enjoys reading and traveling. His travels have not only provided him with diverse perspectives but also opportunities to advocate for digital transformation and technological advancements in various countries. He just returned from speaking in Paris about his recently published book, “My Time in Silicon Valley, My Years with Microsoft,” and he travels to New Delhi, India in March to speak at the Indian Institute of Technology.