About Somet Kipchilat

Somet Kipchilat
fig. 01 Somet Kipchilat

I attribute my career to the developer communities I was part of at university.

Before Google I was a product manager at Melanin Kapital. The work was the technology that let small and medium climate businesses reach financing.

I am also exploring a wellness clinic with a co-founder. There, the standard is the patient experience.

(01) Communities

2013 — 2014
Microsoft Student Partner Lead, Kenya
2013 — 2014
Community manager, JKUAT Microsoft Technical Community
University
Community lead, JKUAT Linux User Group

(02) Speaking, judging, mentoring

Somet Kipchilat on stage at API Festival, Nairobi
fig. 02 API Festival, Nairobi
Somet Kipchilat on a panel at a Nation Media Group event
fig. 03 Panel, Nation Media Group
Somet Kipchilat speaking at iHub
fig. 04 iHub
Somet Kipchilat giving a talk
fig. 05 Talk
Somet Kipchilat speaking in front of a slide that reads The world runs on AI
fig. 06 The world runs on AI
A panel of five speakers at iHub
fig. 07 Panel, iHub
A large group photo on the steps of a building
fig. 08 Group photo
A group photo at iHub
fig. 09 Group photo, iHub
Somet Kipchilat speaking in front of a slide titled The ethics of AI
fig. 10 The ethics of AI
Somet Kipchilat speaking at a lectern, beside a slide on facial recognition technology
fig. 11 Facial recognition
2019
Speaker, droidconKE, Nairobi
2018
Judge, Microsoft Imagine Cup
2017 · 2018
Speaker, Nairobi Tech Week
2017
Speaker and trainer, AfriLabs, Nigeria
2017
Speaker, Sahara Sparks, Dar es Salaam
2017
Trainer, Presidential Digital Talent Program
2017
Organizing team, Next Tech Africa Conference
2016 — 2018
Mentor and jury, Seedstars World
2016
Judge, Connected East Africa Summit Innovation Award
—
Speaker, Africa Tech Summit, Kigali

Seedstars World: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Switzerland.

Speaker profile on Sessionize ↗

(03) Talks and interviews

2021
GetFundedAfrica: The Investment Den, with Tunji Oke
2020
TV interview: The future of Kenya in tech
2020
TheConvos, with Frank: five episodes on starting and running startups
2020
Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors: Effective teamwork
2020
Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Africa: Power up with Power Automate
2020
Afrolynk Expert Live: Creating impact beyond reach
2019
CNBC Africa, on funding for African startups, at Africa Tech Summit, Kigali
2019
droidconKE: Breathe life into your app using Microsoft, with Ernest Ndungu
2017
Sahara Sparks, Dar es Salaam: interview

(04) Writing

Oct 2025
The gravity that keeps startups from flying off course
Jan 2024
Navigating the maze of program, project, and product roles
Jul 2023
The power of developer communities
Sep 2019
Accessibility fundamentals
Jul 2018
Building trust: AI and its role in society today
Jul 2017
GDPR, and what it means for Africa

All posts on the blog ↗

(05) Recognition and certification

May 2015
Go Green Hero Award, Microsoft East Africa
March 2015
GO Green Award, Microsoft East Africa
Cert
Exam 70-535, Architecting Microsoft Azure Solutions
Cert
MTA Cloud Fundamentals
Cert
MTA Software Development Fundamentals
Course
Microsoft and INSEAD Value Negotiation