The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | More than 30 founders and business leaders from diverse sectors recently convened in Kampala for the Inaugural Founders Nexus, a first-of-its-kind retreat designed to create a space for reflection, learning, collaboration, and collective problem-solving among founders.
The Founders Nexus is a summit of social entrepreneurs and business leaders organised by Founders Pack to share experiences, strengthen leadership, and build meaningful partnerships for sustainability in the changing business environment. The nexus took place last month at Nagalaale Country House.
Organised by a consortium of social entrepreneur organisations including Reach A Hand Africa, Afya Na Haki and Sauti Plus Media House, the three-day retreat challenged participants to rethink and reinvent sustainability plans with limited donor support.
Held under the theme “Provocation. Affirmation. Inspiration.“, the retreat comprised philanthropic organisations in media, technology, and development partners as well as the private sector.
Participants included Arshad Bholim of Crowe Uganda, Donovan Chamberlin of Assisted Interventions, Monica Kyamazima of Willow International (now Everfree), Aisha Ali of I Profile Foundation, Susan Tusabe of Art Of A Child, Joseph Ddiba of Banga Afayo Initiative, Maurice Hasa of Kaleke Kasome Foundation, Fatia Kiyange of Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), Juliana Nantaba, of Afya Na Haki, Erik Jager of Nofam, Charles Owekmeno of ERA Research and Consults International Ltd Peace, Monica Primer of Nile Girls Forum, Alex Bwogi of AlphaX, Keith Namukangula of Gazaland UOX; Solome Nakaweesi Kimbugwe of International Development Consultant, Josephine Lavoy, of Third Sector Builders, Haril Kazindra of Musana foundation, Phionah Boonabaana of Igniteable Foundation, Owembabazi Doreen of Skyward Realty Limited, Pamela Nyakairu Ruharo of ESAMI, Sylver Kyagulanyi of Sikia Advocates, Lincoln Bainomugisha of Divine Resort and Spa, and Don Patrick Bugingo of Aloesha Beauty Products and Don Swift Company.
At the retreat’s opening, participants explored the evolving challenges of leadership and entrepreneurship, with discussions focusing on the growing need for founders to move beyond the traditional “solo founder” model and embrace peer support, accountability, and collaboration.
Throughout the retreat, founders engaged in practical sessions on building long-term partnerships, strengthening personal brands, embedding impact into business models, leveraging systems and automation for growth, and designing sustainable organisations capable of thriving in an increasingly competitive environment.
A notable feature of the retreat was the emphasis on founder well-being. Through fireside conversations, peer-support walks, wellness activities, and candid reflections, participants explored the hidden costs of leadership, including burnout, decision fatigue, and the emotional burden often associated with building and sustaining organisations.
The retreat also created space for founders to exchange lessons from their entrepreneurial journeys, discuss common challenges, and identify opportunities for collaboration beyond their respective sectors.
For many participants, Founders Nexus was more than a retreat; it was a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and reimagine the future of their organisations alongside fellow builders navigating similar challenges.
Fatia Kiyange, Executive Director of the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), described the conversations on sustainability as both timely and necessary.
“For too long, many of our organisations have survived on borrowed certainty. If we are to build institutions that outlive funding cycles, we must begin to think like founders, investors, and builders of legacy. Sustainability can no longer be a conversation for tomorrow,” she noted.
The retreat concluded with founders making personal and institutional commitments, identifying accountability partners from within the network, and leaving with practical actions to implement within their organisations.
As part of the journey to the next edition, Founders Pack announced quarterly engagements through masterclasses on governance, fundraising, leadership, and other founder priorities, ensuring that the conversations sparked at Nexus continue long after the retreat ends.
In an increasingly uncertain funding and business environment, the organisers believe founders need more than networks; they need communities that challenge, support, and grow with them.
