Renowned social entrepreneur, design technologist, and branding strategist Cynthia Helen visited the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) on Monday, August 18, 2025, in a visit facilitated by the U.S. Department of State through the United States Embassy in Zimbabwe.
The engagement aimed to foster entrepreneurship, industry-academia collaboration, and innovative funding approaches across Africa.
Cynthia Hellen first met with HIT’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Commercialisation, Professor Jephias Gwamuri, along with Engineer Lodrina Masiyazi, Director of the Technology Transfer, Licensing and Commercialisation Centre (TTLCC). The discussions laid the groundwork for future partnerships and collaborative ventures.
She also toured HIT’s Innovation Hub and later, Helen delivered an inspiring Public Lecture, emphasising the importance of university-industry links. She urged African universities to develop incubation programmes that transform students from learners into entrepreneurs. “Universities must come up with incubation programmes for their students so that they are not just learners. They must also establish industry partnerships and cooperation so that companies sponsor their research and development activities,” she emphasised.
Hellen also shared insights on Design Thinking and innovative funding models, highlighting the potential of crowdfunding. “There is a need for the right strategy and a good team or finding the right partner to work with,” she added, encouraging institutions and entrepreneurs to leverage collective efforts and modern funding strategies.
Her visit underscores a growing push for African universities to become hubs of innovation and entrepreneurship, harnessing local talent and global partnerships to drive sustainable development across the continent.
Cynthia Hellen is the Founder and CEO of SMPLCT Lab, an innovation laboratory creating sustainable solutions for people and planet.
Hellen regularly gives keynotes, hosts lectures, seminars and workshops at conferences, corporations, universities, nonprofits, and community groups on gender equality, social entrepreneurship and storytelling worldwide.
In 2013, she launched Socentech, an online community where she investigates social entrepreneurship and low-cost technology for poverty reduction. In 2012, she became the recipient of a Bloomberg Businessweek and Sandbox Network Fellowship for empowering women in a remarkable way. Her work has been profiled nationally and internationally.
She serves as Chapter Leader of New York Women Social Entrepreneurs (NYWSE), a nonprofit promoting young women social entrepreneurs. In 2018, she became a prestigious scholarship recipient of Reality Impact Fellowship, a Schusterman Initiative. In 2017, she was honoured with the “Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Civic Contribution” for her work in entrepreneurship and technology. In 2016, she was honoured with the “Phenomenal Women Award” by Baruch College. In 2015, she was awarded the Coaching Fellowship.
She is a mentor at Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton Universities. She is also an active volunteer at Project Sunshine, a nonprofit that creates fun activities for children living with medical challenges in hospitals.
