Community-Driven Growth: How In-Person Events & Online Platforms are Shaping Founder’s Journeys
Hi {{first_name}},
Over the past year, one thing has become impossible to ignore across the ecosystem, and even the everyday conversations happening in our community; no one builds alone.
Whether it’s breaking into a new market, closing a round, or simply refining a product, the communities founders rely on often determine how far and how fast they grow. So for our final AMA of 2025, we’re closing the year with the topic that has shaped a lot of our activities: ‘Community-Driven Growth: How In-Person Events and Online Platforms Are Shaping Founders’ Journeys.’
To lead this conversation, we’re bringing together three voices who have spent years building, scaling, and nurturing communities across Africa and beyond:
Desigan “Dees” Chinniah, a lifelong community architect, investor and a creative technologist.
Valerie Kontor, founder of Black in Fintech, bridging global networks for African operators and underrepresented builders.
Joe Kinvi of HoaQ, Borderless, and Diaspora House, and a long-time builder of investment communities.
This session goes beyond the usual talking points. We’ll be exploring the real mechanics of community: how founders attract support, build trust, stay visible, gain access, and strengthen the relationships that ultimately influence their long-term growth.
Even if you’re unable to attend the event live, be sure to register anyway. We’ll share the recording with you afterwards.
Industry: Fintech
CreditChek provides a cross-border credit assessment infrastructure that simplifies credit and income verification for businesses across Africa. Register for the upcoming Meet-the-Founder session via #9-creditchek-deal-discuss on Slack.
Industry: Fintech
Billboxx is redefining how African SMEs manage cash flow. Their payment platform is designed to optimise cash flow for African SMEs by accelerating invoice payments and enabling access to working capital. Register for the Meet-the-Founder Session via #9-billboxx-deal-discuss on Slack.
Industry: Deeptech
ChipMango is building Africa’s first semiconductor design ecosystem, they are on a mission to position Africa as a credible alternative to India and Asia in the global semiconductor design supply chain, offering global chip companies reliable, skilled, and cost-effective engineering talent.
Industry: Fintech
Timon is a travel-focused fintech building a “financial passport” for global citizens offering seamless multi-currency card payments, AI-optimised FX, and lifestyle travel benefits. Designed to eliminate friction in cross-border spending, Timon enables users to pay, save, and transact across borders without the instability or fraud risks that have plagued prior African card start-ups.
Your Quick Guide to Joining Our Community 👓
Joining our community is now easier than ever. In case you missed it, few months ago, we migrated to Borderless, giving you a smoother and more seamless experience. To get started, simply head over to our website and click ‘Join HoaQ’. You’ll be redirected to Borderless, where you can either create an account or log in if you already have one.
If you’d like a step-by-step walkthrough, we put together a short video to guide you through the process: Watch the video here.
Once you are in, be sure to follow our collective on Borderless! This is where you’ll stay connected, get updates on deals, and see what's happening across the community.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter all the way to the end.
Till next time,
Zaenab for HoaQ 💚
