[FOREIGN] That is a well-known Swahili
proverb that means unity is strength,
division is weakness.
At first glance I may not look like it, but I'm from Kenya and
I've always been a very proud Kenyan.
I represented the country for over ten years as an international swimmer.
And was given the biggest honor of my life when I was chosen to carry the Kenyan
flag into the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
My swimming career took me all over the world and
within that, many parts of Africa.
I visited cities from Cape Town to Casablanca, from Dakar to Dar es Salaam.
And I always felt incredibly at home in all of these cities.
As I was travelling around Africa and competing, I was fiercely competitive.
And I wanted to do everything I could to get my hand on the wall first and
bring a medal back home to Kenya.
But at the same time, I formed deep
friendships with many of the swimmers I was up against from just about every one
of the 55 nations recognized by the African union.
And I'm sure the implications of these experiences were seeded back then and
begun to germinate.
But it's only over the last year that I've begun to understand their deeper meaning.
I now believe that it will be better for Kenya, Africa, and
the world if Africa were to become more united.
The more united Africa will mean a more prosperous Africa.
And we'll finally complete the Africa rising narrative that is being told
the world over.
And in these times of rising nationalism and
isolationism in different pockets of the world, a more united Africa
could just be the inspiration the world needs for greater global unity.
When I arrived at Stanford in 2016, one of the first things I did was interview for
position on the leadership team for
the 10th annual African Business Conference held here on campus.
I was part of the group of students from all over Africa, not only that,
all over the world.
And we worked hard to try to put on the most
successful African Business Conference we'd ever had here in GSB.
Pulled a lot of all nighters and we ended up putting on one of the most well
attended student organized conferences in the history of the GSB.
I was very proud.
We were all very proud about what we had achieved.
And as I thought about it, again the implications, they didn't really hit me.
I'm at Stanford, of course I'm going to be in part of a high performing team, right?
>> [LAUGH]
>> So conference experience done,
went back to work.
Out of that experience at the conference though, I started an interview channel.
And sat down with some of my classmates, run some interviews.
And many of them are actually in the audience today.
And out of that experience I got invited to go and cover
the silicon valley African film festival that is held every year here in San Jose.
At the festival, I was part of a group of people, again from all over Africa,
from all over the world in fact united in celebrating
the unique cultures of different countries of the continent.
But it really felt that we're all coming together with one voice in celebration.
And as I was running around the conference trying to source interviews for
the red carpet, I bumped into this one man called Ayouba Karamoko.
As I started questioning him, I started to learn a little bit about him and
that he's a musician, martial artist, teacher, and
I'm asking where he's from and he says, I'm from Africa.
I said, yeah, most people here are, can you be a little more specific?
>> [LAUGH]
>> So he grudgingly tells me he's from
the Ivory Coast.
And we continue interview and I'm thinking, okay,
I'm not sure why he's being so grudging about this.
And I asked him what brings him to the film festival?
And he talks about coming to support the African filmmakers that were there, but
also that he's releasing a new album.
The name of the album, The United States of Africa,
Act 1, the awakening.
And looking back that spoke to me a lot of what was going on for
me, but I was still resistant, I was like big idea, yes.
But realistic, not so sure.
Came back to Standford got back to work.
And then I heard that one of my heroes was coming to Silicon Valley.
And not just to Silicon Valley, he'd be coming right here to the GSB to
speak on the very stage I'm standing on right now.
His name is Strive Masiyiwa.
For those who don't know, he's one of Africa's great businessmen.
He's built a telecom business that spans the whole continent connecting people,
and he started it with just $500.
He was persecuted under Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe, and
against all odds, has built something quite incredible.
And I was part of 20 students that were actually invited to come and
have lunch with him after he spoke.
And so we all assembled in Sewell Boardroom in Bass Library to wait for
him to enter the room.
And as we're lining up, he enters the room and I put out my
hand to greet him as one always does.
And I instinctively say, sir, it's great to meet you.
My name is Jason, I'm from Kenya.
And he doesn't say anything.
So we're there, holding hands, I'm clasping his.
And he turns to the rest of the students assembled.
And he says, I want you to introduce yourself, but
I want you to say you're from Africa.
And then tell me your town or city of origin.
So, I try again.
My name is Jason.
I'm from Africa, in the city of Nairobi.
And now the synopsis in my head were firing out of control,
because I do has been a little of, I'd say offended,
when people abroad would refer to Africa as if it were one country.
And he was Strive Masiyiwa, one of my heroesm telling me not to
vilify that kind of thinking, but to in fact encourage it.
And the challenge he laid out to us as future business
leaders in Africa was clear.
In order to drive a more progressive development agenda,
we have to become more united.
As a complete market, Africa is 1.2 billion people,
$4.4 trillion combined economy,
youngest population in the world that is expected to double by 2050.
He said this population growth could be a blessing or a curse and
it's incumbent on us to make sure it's a blessing.
To do that we need to become more united.
Some more goods are used internally.
Increased trade between the thriving cities that I've been so
lucky to visit and we have to form teams, like I was a part of at the business
conference to lead organizations that can provide the jobs that we'll be needing.
And not to say there's not going to be a lot of challenges along the way.
This is a difficult proposition.
But it doesn't mean it's not something we should strive for.
I mean,
it's oftentimes that the things most worth doing in life are the most difficult.
Since I last gave this talk, six weeks ago, there have been
some developments and 44 African nations have now signed out
an agreement to create the African Continental Free Trade Area.
It's a first step and the momentum is there,
but we must continue to accelerate it to get to a United States of Africa.
[FOREIGN] It is easier to cross the ocean,
if we're all swimming together.
Thank you. >> [APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC]