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Webinar
Live on zoom
  • StartupCulture
  • Thursday, 9th October 2025
  • 17:00 PM (CAT)
  • Live on zoom

What We Got Right (and Wrong): Building a Startup Culture That Works

Behind every startup success story is a culture that shaped it and many lessons that nearly broke it.In this exclusive Brastorne and Stanford Seed Network session, we go beyond the pitch deck and product launches to tell the truth about culture-building inside African startups. The wins. The mistakes. The pivots. The decisions were still refining.
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  • Botswana
  • DRC
  • Cameroon
  • Guinea

What We’ll Cover:

  • Day one culture vs now: what changed, what remained
  • What we got wrong (and what it cost)
  • The mindset, rituals, and frameworks that worked
  • How we handled pivots, pressure, burnout, and growth
  • Culture practices that don’t scale and what to do instead

Who Should Attend:

  • Startup founders and early-stage entrepreneurs
  • Stanford Seed network members
  • NGO & innovation leaders
  • Culture builders and startup dreamers
  • Anyone passionate about people, purpose, and building better companies

Expected Outcomes:

  • Raw, practical insights into real startup journeys
  • Actionable lessons on leadership, teamwork & culture
  • Connect with like-minded builders in the region
  • Strengthen relationships across the Stanford Seed and Brastorne ecosystems

About Brastorne

Brastorne is an innovative Botswana tech company on a mission to empower and connect underserved populations across Africa. Our core focus lies in leveraging innovative mobile solutions to bridge gaps in access to vital services, information, and economic opportunities with solutions such as SMS, USSD, and VOICE.

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Meet Our Speakers

Martin Stimela

CEO, Co-founder of Brastorne and President of the Southern Africa chapter of Stanford Seed

Speaker Bio

Martin Stimela, Co-founder and CEO of Brastorne, is dedicated to addressing the digital divide affecting 760 million underserved Africans. With over 15 years of experience in digital transformation, Martin has led major projects for banks (Lloyds Banking Group) and utility companies (EON, RWE) in Europe. He has also served as Executive Director of the Botswana Savings Bank and successfully managed US government cooperative agreements aimed at enhancing health systems as Informatics Director for the CDC and USAID.

Martin currently serves as President of the Southern Africa chapter of Stanford Seed, a partnership between Stanford University and De Beers focused on ending global poverty.

Arun P. Iyer

Co-Founder and CEO of Alpha Direct Insurtech

Speaker Bio

Arun P. Iyer is the Co-Founder and CEO of Alpha Direct Insurtech, a multi-award-winning company transforming insurance in Botswana and South Africa through innovative, tech-enabled solutions that expand access to underserved markets. Under his leadership, Alpha Direct has received top honors including the Grant Thornton Private Business Growth Award and the African Insurance Award for Innovation of the Year.
A recognized leader in financial inclusion and entrepreneurship, Arun serves on the Board of Flo-Tek Industries, is a Founding Member of the Angel Network Botswana, and was the Founding Treasurer of the Insurance Institute of Botswana. He is also a Foundry Fellow with MIT REAP and part of the Stanford Seed Transformation Network, contributing to innovation policy and SME development.
Driven by impact, inclusion, and integrity, Arun combines entrepreneurship, policy advocacy, and investment to advance Africa’s financial services and innovation landscape.

Join us for an impactful conversation about what startup culture really takes and what it often costs.

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