GreyHobb is one year old today! One year as an innovation hub from Greysoft Technologies!
GreyHobb is intentionally so named to mean that “finding grey areas is our hobby”, see that? “Grey”, “Hobby” – and our joy is to bring solutions to that area. One quick look at our logo shows three grey dots and a wine color. So yes, we are built to solve problems, but yet again, we are fun people. We have in one year, redefined the Tech and Creative industries. In fact, we have merged both into a single entity – “The CreateTech” industry. We believe that digital innovations cannot thrive without a horizontal spiraling of limitless creativity. This way of thinking is why we have made so much progress in several areas. Yet, we have yet to scratch the surface of our creative prowess.
Our overall vision is an increased access to digital opportunities across Africa as we look to help Africans leverage technology for improved livelihood. We are developing innovative solutions that cater for our unique African needs. Our partnerships and collaborations are strategically aligned to entities who share this vision and enthusiasm. Again on the creative side, we are focusing on creating exceptional African contents, telling the original undiluted African story and while at it, putting creation in the hands of the creatives. We are doing this by developing solutions and leading advocacy that position our people for equity and inclusion.
We have deliberately focused a truckload of our attention on emerging technologies such as web3 in the area of extended reality (XR) and blockchain technologies, because the world is changing really fast and Africans are usually the last to get the memo. The advent of the metaverse, which is the next version of the internet – “the embodied internet” is currently sweeping across Europe and Africa needs to jump on that boat really quickly if we must have a seat at the table. For instance, 90% of the avatars on most virtual spaces are white. The idea of a fully immersive virtual existence/experience to most Africans is still alien, talk more of the opportunities that exist therein. Extended Reality in education is a key focus for us, VR tours for real estates and gaming are a huge opportunity. Augmented Reality (AR) in e-commerce is a whole new conversation. We are leading an advocacy in this apace and building solutions and Afrocentric virtual experiences to help Africans align appropriately.
Kaduna, Northern Nigeria which is where we have pitched our fortress is gaining a plethora of mentions and attention because of our activities and contributions to the digital space. This year, we plan to start our campus tours with all higher institutions in Kaduna as part of our planned advocacy program to enlighten students in the field of computer science on the need to brace up for a new Africa, whose foundation we will build together inclusively.
In a few weeks, the Extended Reality bootcamp will be announced at GreyHobb, followed by a hackathon. This is also part of our strategy for XR advocacy. We are currently in talks with partners and donors to acquire scholarships/sponsorships for interested XR enthusiasts.
YES, we are building solutions for web2 still… and offering trainings to improve digital literacy. We know that most Africans are yet to fully explore the many opportunities of web2, and may not even be ready for web3 yet. What we are doing is putting all the options out there and helping those who are ready for whatever level get the most out of it. We are putting our folks out there, not just on the map, but on the table, from the beginning, so that we can be part of the team that builds the framework for new and emerging technologies that will eventually exploit or impact Africans.
We have undoubtedly become one of the leaders in our industry because of some of the words that describes us. Words such as; People, Productivity, Teamwork, Innovation and Quality. These words describe what makes us tick, what drives our passion, what is at our core, the heart of Greysoft “GreyHobb”.
Why do customers, governments, you do business with Greysoft? Why do hubbers work their local and international jobs from GreyHobb? I have found that it is primarily because we have come understand the
importance of treating others with respect, placing a great deal of value on People. Our work embodies Innovation and that births Quality. The tireless spirit of our culture of hard work highlights our Productivity and with Teamwork, a win has always been certain.
These words are virtues that we can’t teach in a class; they are part of what makes up each and every one of us. It’s our core, these are our core values, and it’s what makes our heart go boom-boom every day. Whether it was in our individual upbringing or in our genes before we found each other, I am not really sure, but one thing is for sure: People with these virtues are the ones we want to be a part of our team, our family.
Continuing to be committed to finding the right people will be one of the keys to taking Greysoft “GreyHobb” to the next level. Identifying what makes us tick is important, because it lays the groundwork for who we are, where we are going, how we are going to get there, and
when. We are on a path that will take us to places we have never been before, and things we have not achieved before. We are on a path that will send us and drive us to wherever we want to go.
If you think you saw something this last year… we’re just getting warmed up! I am driven and dedicated to making the next year at Greysoft the best ever. I hope you will all join us for this ride—it’s going to be fun! Here’s to our next year of escapades!
Sincerely,
Raphael Isah
CEO, Greysoft Technologies