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A creative space to bring new ideas to life, Microsoft opens The Garage in Africa

A creative space to bring new ideas to life, Microsoft opens The Garage in Africa

by | Mar 25, 2022 | Africa, Africa Development Center, General, Microsoft, Microsoft Kenya, Microsoft Nigeria

In November last year, we hinted that Microsoft was bringing The Garage program to Africa. Months on the company is officially launching the innovation hub and creative space to engage with the broader academic, start-up and local tech ecosystem to develop and bring new impactful ideas to life. Microsoft The Garage Africa is co-located with the ultra-modern Africa Development Center software engineering offices in Lagos and Nairobi.

Microsoft The Garage Africa

The program is primarily an extracurricular resource for Microsoft employees to connect, experiment and be creative outside of their day job. However, Microsoft will open the creative space for hacking and making to the local tech ecosystem and Microsoft customers to use technology to solve a wide range of societal and business challenges. Through hackathons, engineering internships, and an experimental outlet for students and tech communities, says Linda Thackery, Sr. Director The Garage EMEA. Who was also at the ADC office sites launch events to concurrently launch the program. The launch of the Africa sites means there are now 14 Garage sites across the globe.

Welcome Garage Africa to the Garage family! Can’t wait to see the amazingly awesome innovation to come.

Linda Thackery

The creative space has three dedicated lab sections and fosters collaboration, innovation and a growth mindset. The lab section consists of a collaboration hub for hackathons and workshops, a Makerspace and an Advanced Makerspace. The advanced Makerspace has an electronic workbench, 3D Printers, laser cutter, PCB milling machine for creating prototypes. A Reality Room dedicated to working in the space of Augmented Reality (AR) Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality applications and dedicated space and equipment for doing work on Deep Learning.

We need a place for people to feel confident to take creative liberties, and that place is The Garage.

Jeff Ramos, general manager of The Garage
The Garage East Africa

Microsoft The Garage East Africa

In Kenya it will help Microsoft employees, customers and developers tap into their creative prowess, notes Lydia Karanja, Lead of The Garage East Africa. She says The Garage is structured as a freeform workspace where Microsoft employees, interns, schools, and community groups can find the tools and training they need to launch products and learn skills.

“The Garage is meant to spread the values of openness and collaboration throughout the Microsoft ADC. Where people come to The Garage to work with interdisciplinary teams on passion projects that sometimes make their way into Microsoft products. This should ultimately allow Microsoft ADC to become a more prominent shaper of Africa’s tech culture.” 

Lydia Karanja, Microsoft Garage Lead- East Africa

The program initiative comes from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s drive to encourage employees to be creative, entrepreneurial and open-minded. It also takes inspiration from many global technology companies that started in the garage. The likes of Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Google and Hewlett-Packard to name a few. Through the Garage, employee projects have gone on to become full Microsoft branded products or features. Notable ones are Kaizala, Microsoft launcher, Seeing AI, FarmBeats, Mouse without Borders and the Xbox Adaptive Controller.

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Microsoft to open Garage sites in Nigeria and Kenya

Microsoft to open Garage sites in Nigeria and Kenya

by | Nov 3, 2021 | Africa, Editor Picks, General, hackathon, Microsoft, Microsoft Africa, Microsoft Kenya, Microsoft Nigeria

Microsoft Garage Africa Lagos Nairobi

Microsoft is bringing The Garage program to Africa with sites to be located in Kenya and Nigeria. The company says The Garage Nigeria, in Lagos, is currently in advanced planning stages, as are other Garage locations in Africa. New information reaching us including the search for a Senior Program Manager to lead the program confirms it is close.

The Garage is an extracurricular Microsoft resource for employees to connect, experiment and be creative outside of their day job. But that is not all, it will also be a creative space for hacking and making for the local tech ecosystem and Microsoft customers. Running hackathons, engineering internships, and an experimental outlet for its local students and tech communities.

There are 12 garage sites across the globe with the Africa sites to increase this number to 14. Microsoft could yet still increase this number with possible sites in South Africa, Senegal and Egypt.

I expect each Microsoft Garage site in Africa to have three dedicated lab sections just like all the other global sites. The lab sections will consist of a collaboration hub for hackathons and workshops, a Makerspace and an Advanced Makerspace. The advanced Makerspace will have an electronic workbench, 3D Printers, laser cutter, PCB milling machine for creating prototypes. A Reality Room dedicated to working in the space of Augmented Reality (AR) Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality applications and dedicated space and equipment for doing work on Deep Learning.

Every person at Microsoft has the ability to come up with a good idea. The Garage is here to help.

Jeff Ramos, GM The Garage

The Microsoft Garage in Africa

“The Garage is a program designed to support our employees’ creative ambitions and innovative instincts,” says Jeff Ramos, general manager of The Garage. “Every person at Microsoft has the ability to come up with a good idea. The Garage is here to help our great people shape and develop those ideas. We need a place for people to feel confident to take creative liberties, and that place is The Garage.”

Ramos says Microsoft is going to learn how to do business better worldwide by learning in Africa. Noting that in Lagos, Microsoft sees a tremendous opportunity to learn as a company and as a culture.

For Gafar Lawal, principal group manager at Microsoft ADC Nigeria it will be essential to both tantalize and satisfy employees’ creative curiosities. Adding that the Garage will support employees as they continue to learn at every stage of their careers.

Through the Garage, employee projects have gone on to become full Microsoft branded products or features. Notable ones are Kaizala, Microsoft launcher, Seeing AI, FarmBeats, Mouse without Borders and the Xbox Adaptive Controller.

Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos in the ecosystem.

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Check out other stories making the news in the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.