theZVG

?? As we wrap up 2024, the entire team at The ZVG wants to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who's been part our work this year. What a year it's been! Between juggling time zones, chasing stories, and trying to make sense of this AI revolution we're all living through, 2024 has been quite the ride. To our incredible partners, friends, as well as all the journalists, innovators, dreamers, and doers we've crossed paths with this year – thank you for being part of this journey. You've shared your stories, challenged our thinking, and reminded us why we fell in love with storytelling in the first place. A special shoutout to every person who's taken time to grab coffee, jump on a call, or share insights – those conversations have been pure gold. And to the African tech community – you continue to prove that innovation knows no boundaries. We've put together a little video reel from all the things we've been up to this year - from the 37th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, to another General Assembly week in New York, it has truly been an incredible year! Here's to more stories, more learning, and more adventures in 2025!

Our 5 tips for managing a great PR strategy: - Planning is everything - Story matters most, look for the connection - Clear messages - Develop a rollout plan linked to topics of the day, where possible - Press releases are fine, but your relationships with journos is key #PR #media

theZVG client Aisha Bowe is making history today. She will be flying to space as part of Blue Origin’s first all-female crew. She is breaking boundaries, showing generations of aspiring female space astronauts what’s possible. Aisha is a rocket scientist, entrepreneur, and global STEM trailblazer. Her journey, from a community college student to NASA rocket scientist, entrepreneur, and now citizen astronaut, is a testament to the power of perseverance and purpose. As the founder and CEO of STEMBoard, an Inc. 5000-recognized engineering firm, and creator of LINGO, a hands-on coding kit startup on a mission to equip one million students with STEM skills, she has dedicated her career to expanding access to education and opportunity. Her story is a global inspiration, reaching thousands through her work as a U.S. State Department speaker, and earning her recognition in documentaries, global campaigns, and major media outlets. This has been a personal dream for Aisha, that’s taken grit, commitment and self-belief to get to this moment. Congrats to her and the rest of the crew !? https://lnkd.in/gkKmc37J

Why Most AI Solutions Fail in Africa 'If you don't have the data, there's nothing you're going to get at the end of the day.' Clinton Oduor reveals: - The hidden bias in imported AI solutions - Why context matters more than code - How Amini is building African-first AI - That African data needs African protection - Why small, focused models might be better Listen now at therundown.studio/embedded. Or directly on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dRRu5iK9

Creating podcasts (and broadcasting on YouTube) is a solid communications strategy for your company to think about pursuing in 2025. Here is one that I am hosting The Rundown. #ai #comms #PR

AI is a double-edged sword. It can be a powerful tool that makes our jobs easier but it can also spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and erode trust in journalism. "Former CNN?anchor?Zain Verjee?and intelligence expert?Candyce Kelshall,?have shared a blueprint to help global newsrooms fight misinformation. This handbook—Election Interference and Information Integrity: A Newsroom Blueprint—provides media professionals with practical guidelines and AI-driven tools to strengthen the integrity of their reporting, particularly covering elections." TechCabal spoke to our Co-Founder, Zain Verjee, about the motivation behind the handbook, the threat of misinformation and disinformation exacerbated by AI, and the ethical considerations for?AI use?in African newsrooms. Check out the interview here: https://lnkd.in/dZnSXZh3

If you’re covering or watching the news, remember communications is about being responsible with the content you receive. Here’s a quick reference for any critical thinker. #elections #fakes #ai https://lnkd.in/g_2KGVPP

Battle #fakes. A blueprint for journalists covering elections. https://lnkd.in/gUNB6N_6

Covering and communicating elections. A worthwhile #election handbook for all journalists and critical thinkers. #fakes #ai @elections https://lnkd.in/g8gHKNUM

How are you using Gen AI products in your workflows as comms teams. We would be very interested to know. What problems are you trying to solve. We are working on solving the endless time consuming stress of the press release. You know what we are talking about... See here for more: https://lnkd.in/gSCEuB2u