SkilledUp Life started by trying to solve a fundamental problem – how do you build a successful tech startup, if you do not have the capital to pay for talent?

Of course, one answer is to raise capital, but not all businesses are investible. Debt finance is not the route for many tech startups in the early days, as it takes time to generate revenues to pay for loan repayments. The loan could run out simply by servicing it without being able to put it to good use.

But what if there was a way to attract unlimited free talent for a small monthly or annual subscription? SkilledUp Life was born on 1st Aug 2020 to solve this specific problem.

Free talent will ensure the survival of the tech startup. Once you know you can survive, then the opportunity will arise to focus on the initial growth. As companies start to grow, they will start creating jobs. Once jobs are created, it’s likely, they will remember those who helped them free and will invite some of them to become employees.

Until today, it was just a wishful thought process. But as we claimed to be our best customer, we put our wish into practice by not just hiring one, but two ex-volunteers as employees. Please welcome Godwin and Cecilia.

Godwin Mayaki is an exceptional individual. He joined us not to gain experience, but to help us to help his countrymen and women get the experience they need to improve their career aspirations. Godwin has been helping us for over a year now before we had the means to offer him employment. Godwin specialises in marketing and has been a key force behind our African success.

Cecilia Kimathi volunteered for us for over 100 days and it was her desire to continue to gain more and more HR experience through us. HR unlocks the power of 14,800+ free talent pool of SkilledUp Life. Cecilia shined through her hunger for gaining experience, always willing to help. Given her wish to continue to help us free, we decided to take her on as an employee as soon as we could afford her.

Godwin and Cecilia join Mithun, our first employee who joined me (Manoj) in November 2020. We will offer more jobs when we hit our next financial threshold.

I came on SkilledUp Life to explore an idea I had found fascinating at the time – the idea of a company that pairs volunteers to technology startups. This has over the months turned into an exceptionally talented community growing beyond boundaries. I sure have met great minds along the way. Gladly, I am now joining the community as Head of the Africa Team, saddled with the responsibility of in-roading SkilledUp Life across the African continent. It sure will be an experience worth the while.

Godwin Mayaki

When I signed up to be a volunteer at SkilledUp Life, Two things were in my mind:

1. Grow: Continually developed my skills by volunteering for tasks I didn’t know how to do yet.
2. Serve: Building my professional network by offering my services to the company without expecting anything in return.

Look at me now, being offered and accepting the HR Coordinator role means that my journey becomes more thrilling, and we achieve great things for the company. This acknowledgment inspires me to do more with passion and dedication.

Cecilia Kimathi

If we can achieve this level of early success, there is nothing to stop you from following us (and hopefully beating us to become our best customer). Want to schedule a demo? Just ask!