A few days ago, one organization successfully pulled off three events on the same day. These were the Digital and Financial Inclusion Summit, the Digital Impact Awards Africa and the HiPipo Music Awards.
The first two events focus on Digital and Financial Inclusion for Uganda and Africa at large while the third event focuses on identifying, promoting and celebrating Africa’s Music, and Art.
Further, in October, 2022, the Global Business Leaders Magazine ranked HiPipo among the Top-20 companies escalating innovation across the World.
As the only African company on the American Magazine’s list, HiPipo was specifically applauded for championing digital innovation and financial inclusion across Africa under its Include Everyone program.
Today, we profile the man that is leading the team behind these projects and much more.
Innocent Kawooya is a Ugandan FinTech and financial inclusion expert, computer programmer, Internet entrepreneur, film producer and entertainment executive. He is playing a major role in the digital evolution of Uganda, the region, and the continent at large and is a highly visible advocate for and regularly sought-after authority on digital innovation and financial inclusion.
HiPipo, the organisation for which he is co-founder and CEO, is a leading voice on African entertainment and popular culture. Having started at a Makerere University computer lab as a social entertainment platform, HiPipo has grown into a multi-diversified company, incorporating fields such as diverse creative arts, digital services, financial inclusion consultancy and events management.
From 2009 to 2013, Innocent co-conceptualized and co-developed mHealth (MyDoctor) and e-Learning (AfroExaminer.com), projects that received international recognition from IndiAfrica, the Orange Africa Challenge and ITU Innovation Excellence.
Innocent has attended, spoken at and been a panellist at various Digital Financial Services (DFS)-related leadership and project management workshops, convened under the aegis of the MTN Group, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google and ModusBox, amongst others.
Innocent has spearheaded the launch of recognised brands and projects: these include the HiPipo Music Awards, which are committed to celebrating, honouring, and sustaining African music. There is also the ‘Include Everyone’ program, which is a collection of related financial inclusion outreach projects including the 40 Days 40 FinTechs, Women in FinTech Hackathon, Summit and Incubator, the Digital Impact Awards Africa and affiliated research. The Digital Impact Awards Africa in particular are celebrated for spearheading awareness, innovation and research on digital and financial inclusion.
His efforts have also been directed towards the Ugandan film industry: he played multiple roles (producer, co-director, scriptwriter and scorer) in the production of ‘Life of a Champion’, a semi-autobiographical comedy-drama on the life of popular kick-boxer Golola Moses, starring the latter himself. Innocent further contributed his marketing nous, which culminated in the film being uploaded onto one of the world’s leading streaming services, Amazon Prime, a first for a Ugandan production.
Innocent is a former computing/ICT tutorial assistant at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Makerere University.
Education:
Innocent is a former student of Sikkim Manipal University, SMACON (2007), SHACK (2005), Molly and Paul Primary School (2001) and Victoria Nursery School.
Innocent has received training in these fields:
FinTech; financial inclusion; digital inclusion; digital financial services; cyber security; web technology; internet entrepreneurship; high-level research and data analytics; creative art direction and design; content production and direction; international diplomacy; negotiation and business relations; public relations and communication; integrated marketing; client service and customer retention and experience in high value/elite, mass and emerging audiences.
Specific expert training, skills and experience:
Financial technology that works; FinTech systems architecture; interoperability; collaboration; women financial inclusion; financial Hackathon management; financial ideathon establishment and planning; financial services for the poor; financial fraud and risk management; financial regulation and policy; financial open source software solutions, including Mojaloop; mobile financial services; mobile banking; mobile money and merchant wallets business; web; mobile; social media; crowd funding; digital customer service; Revenue Assurance; Fraud Management; Operator Charging Systems Operation and Administration; Open Banking (OPEN API); Payment Initiation Service Provision (PISP); Beyond Payments Saving; Lending; Overdraft; basic financial AI; BankTech–BI, Analytics and Credit Scoring; Closed Loop Payments; open loop payments; disruptive technology; disruptive innovations; financial apps creation; Apps; Application Programming Interface (APIs); Open API specifications; real-time payment systems; cross border payments; digital remittances; Internet of Things (IoT); national cybersecurity framework drafting; penetration testing; white heart hacking; search engine optimization; CMS customization; design and management; data management systems design and analysis; bandwidth; system architecture; web to sms communication technology; digital campaigns planning and successful execution; social networking; blogs and personal web platforms establishment and management; account verification; website framework and flow design; investing in internet; programming; mysql; php; html; css; Epi Info; Epi Data; Stata; SPSS; Excel; PowerPoint; Microsoft Word; Adobe Illustrator; Adobe Premiere; Adobe Photoshop; Adobe InDesign; Adobe Audition; Windows Movie Maker; Filmola; After Cut; film production; Casting & Crewing Up; production hardware; production management; screenwriting & storyboards; cinematography; post-production; editing & video collaboration; film legal resources – Release Forms & Insurance; Networking for Creatives; content distribution; PR; negotiation.