On May 27, members of Kampala’s diverse business chambers gathered for Breaking Silos an inspired evening of learning and connection, free of pretense, hierarchy, or formal barriers. CEOs stood beside interns, founders beside managers, not to pitch but to share, learn, and grow.
The event was hosted by our sister chamber, Netherlands Trade and Investment Platform (NUTIP), and co-moderated by Happiness Daher Ebhohon (General Manager, French Chamber of Commerce Uganda) and Sjaak de Bloois (Director, East Africa Fair Food).
The topic? A bold one: Retirement, Finance, and Investment but delivered with candour, humour, and striking authenticity by a stellar lineup of speakers.
Meet the Speakers:
Aéko Ongodia – CEO & Founder, XENO Investment Uganda
Maren Hald Bjørgum – Chief Communications Officer, Emata
Mark Mutaahi – Managing Partner, BID Capital Partners
Here’s what unfolded:
From News Tickers to National Impact: Aéko Ongodia’s Journey
Ongodia’s fascination with finance began with watching CNN’s stock market tickers scroll across the screen a curiosity that grew into a career, and eventually into founding XENO, a platform with over 400,000 savers today. His motivation was personal: to give Ugandans the tools to transport today’s earnings into the future, be it for school fees, medical care, or retirement.
By 2017, there were only 2,300 savings and investment accounts across Uganda. The pandemic changed that, he said—people paused, reflected, and began rethinking their financial security. XENO capitalised on this shift by offering goal-based investing, showing users not just how to save, but how much they need, by when, and how to get there in structured, digestible steps.
His key insight? Retirement isn’t about a lump sum it’s about starting small, starting early, and using the right tools to guide you to your goals.
Unlocking Investment: Mark Mutaahi and the “Three Cs” Framework
Mark, with his calm precision, tackled a core challenge in Uganda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem: the scarcity of early-stage capital. Yet instead of lamenting, he empowered.
He broke down the “Three Cs” of Investment that every founder should understand:
Capital – The money your startup needs to build or scale.
Content – The investor’s expertise and understanding of your sector.
Connections – Their network, introductions, and social capital.
“A good investor doesn’t just bring money,” Mark noted, “they bring value. You need to ask yourself: What kind of investor does my business need right now?”
He also tackled a common fear: What if someone steals my business idea?
His response? Reassuring. “Ideas are everywhere,” he said, “but execution is what makes the difference. Don’t be afraid to share be focused on building.”
Investing in Smallholder Farmers: Maren’s Candid Lessons from the Field
With humour, heart, and unfiltered honesty, Maren Hald Bjørgum shared how Emata is building a profitable model around financing smallholder farmers, without romanticising the process.
She offered five powerful principles learned through experience:
Don’t fund dreams. Fund results. Dreams can’t be de-risked yields can. Focus on farmers with consistent deliveries and track records.
Don’t build trust. Find it. Partner with cooperatives and aggregators that already know the farmers. This gives insight and structure.
Everyone sucks at repayment. Use embedded repayment systems—cooperatives or off-takers that handle money flows—because most people forget debts the moment they receive cash.
Don’t spend on a farm. Start with a seed. Start small. Test. Learn. Grow. Never invest more than you’re prepared to lose.
Bonus: Design risk into every investment. If you don’t understand it, don’t put your money into it.
Maren’s approach wasn’t just about numbers it was about people behaviouravior, and designing financial products around reality, not theory.
A Comic Twist: Cotilda’s Retirement
In between finance talk and investment theory, Cotilda, a brilliant comedian, offered a light-hearted take on childhood, family, and money. Her comedy reminded attendees that finance isn’t just math it’s emotional, cultural, and deeply personal.
Final Reflections: What Made Breaking Silos Special?
After the talks, participants mingled over beers and bites sharing reflections, trading contacts, and breaking the very silos the event was named after.
It wasn’t just a finance event. It was a human event.
No VIP corners.
No name-tag hierarchies.
Just real people, real questions, and real answers.
Special thanks to NUTIP for curating such a bold and refreshing event. From startup founders to investors, from chamber leaders to curious interns, Breaking Silos reminded us that the future of finance and business in Uganda will be built together across titles, across silos, and ideas.