Robert Stephenson, the Irish entertainment entrepreneur who once helped U2 in their early days, is now using the power of events to train young entrepreneurs in Africa. What began in the music scene has grown into a mission to shape future leaders where it is needed most — inside schools.
In the early 2000s, he launched Blastbeat, an education programme that taught students how to run mini enterprises through music and events. The hands-on model built teamwork, marketing and leadership skills that traditional classrooms often miss. Two decades later, its impact is just as relevant.
That same approach is now being applied in Africa. By making schools the stage, young people learn to think and act like entrepreneurs early on, gaining tools to create real change in their communities. Stephenson sat down with Innovate Africa founder and Innovation City co-founder Kieno Kammies to unpack the story.
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