Q and A with Daaki Joshua-Exploring the founder and funder side of investment.

 

1. What is your name?

My name is Daaki Joshua. I am a Ugandan project manager, brand and communications specialist, and entrepreneur with more than 11 years of experience.

2. Where did you go to school? What did you study?

I studied at Busoga University in Uganda, where I completed a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. I also completed a Program Diploma in Innovation Management from the International Business Management Institute, which strengthened my understanding of innovation processes, business model development and how organizations can turn ideas into viable solutions.

Although I am widely known for design, communications and project management, my academic background is fundamentally in business. That has helped me approach design and marketing as commercial tools rather than purely creative activities.

3. What do you do?

My work cuts across project conceptualization and management, brand identity design, communication campaigns, web design, event production, marketing strategy, entrepreneurship support and business growth. I currently serve as Head of Brand and Communications at StartHub Africa, and I am also building Dorndadda, (https://dorndadda.com) a Kampala-based boutique gift shop and design technology business.

4. I understand that you are a graphic designer, web designer and project manager. What does that involve?

These roles are closely connected in my work. Graphic design involves helping organisations communicate ideas visually. This can include brand identities, logos, reports, company profiles, campaign materials, presentations, social media content, event branding and other marketing collateral.

Web design involves planning how information is structured online and creating websites that are visually clear, easy to navigate and aligned with the organisation’s objectives. My work includes WordPress website design, landing-page development, content organisation and user-interface design in Figma.

Project management involves taking an idea from concept to implementation. It includes defining objectives, designing programme structures, developing work plans, coordinating teams and partners, managing applications and selection processes, organising workshops and events, tracking deliverables and reporting to stakeholders.

At StartHub Africa, I have managed projects involving schools, universities, private-sector partners, development organisations and young entrepreneurs across East Africa. For example, I currently manage the Stanbic National Schools Championship, which recruits approximately 200 schools annually and includes application management, a residential boot camp and a final pitch event.

5. What tools do you use for your graphic design work and web design? Do you code?

For graphic design, I primarily use Adobe Suite, including: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

I also use Figma for user-interface and user-experience design, particularly when developing website layouts and digital-product concepts.

For web design, I mainly work with WordPress. I have approximately ten years of experience working with web-hosting platforms and tools such as WHM, WHMCS, cPanel and domain-management systems. I also work with email-marketing and customer-management platforms such as Mailchimp and HubSpot.

6. What effects, if any, has AI had on how you work, and what can those in your field do to stay ahead?

AI has significantly changed how I work. It has improved the speed at which I can research, develop concepts, write content, organize information, plan projects and explore creative directions.

AI can assist with early drafts, campaign ideas, content variations and research. It can also help to analyse feedback, develop work plans, support prototyping and the creation of early digital product.

7. What does StartHub Africa do and what is your role there?

StartHub Africa supports entrepreneurs, innovators, young people and organizations through entrepreneurship programmes, innovation management with development partners.

I have worked at StartHub Africa since 2021 and currently serve as Head of Brand and Communications. I am responsible for developing and unifying communication and brand-management structures across Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. I oversee brand development, social-media campaigns, websites, landing pages, reports, impact stories, marketing materials, events and media relationships.

Alongside my communications role, I have managed several major projects as senior and special projects manager. These include:

• The Stanbic National Schools Championship

• Innovate for Employment, implemented with the Embassy of France

• The UNICEF Pilot Internship Programme for Young People with Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

• The Open Innovation Programme Uganda

• dSkills@EA across seven East African Community partner states

• The Digital Human Rights Innovation Programme

8. You have founded companies before, including Hangout and The Growth Office. Tell us about this. What insights can you share about entrepreneurship generally and entrepreneurship in Uganda specifically?

When I founded the Hangout Foundation, I led programme design, partnership development, team and volunteer management, entrepreneurship-support workshops, fundraising, community photography, marketing, and of course.

I did a little bit of everything at least. This experience taught me how to mobilize people around an idea, work with limited resources and build valuable partnerships. Many people that I met through Hangout Foundation have helped me a lot along my entrepreneurship journey.

In 2017, I founded The Growth Office, a digital marketing and business-support company with a mission to help one million people grow their businesses through brand design, business design and innovation. I support more than 100 businesses annually with services and advice in brand development, websites, digital marketing, advertising, customer relationship management, email marketing, printing, communication campaigns and business growth. These services are heavily needed by small businesses, and there is a lot of business opportunity.

My current venture is Dorndadda, a gift shop and gifting technology business based in Kampala. Dorndadda operates a physical gift shop at The Cube in Kisementi. We offer personalised gifts, gift hampers, branded products and items sourced or developed in collaboration with local artisans.

The idea emerged from a clear customer problem. Finding a thoughtful gift in Kampala can require visiting several different businesses. A customer may buy an item from one place, obtain a gift box somewhere else and then search for another provider to personalize or package it.

Some online gift businesses also operate without physical locations, which can create uncertainty around quality, payment, reliability and whether an important order will be delivered as promised.

Dorndadda is bringing product selection, customisation, curation, packaging and a trusted physical location into one experience. Customers can choose a gift box, select the items they want according to their occasion and budget, and have the final hamper professionally packaged.

We also collaborate with local artisans. Uganda has many talented makers producing distinctive products, but some struggle with access to physical retail space, marketing and consistent distribution. Dorndadda gives customers access to locally created products while creating another route to market for artisans.

We are also building a gifting platform where individuals can save important dates for their loved ones and companies can manage occasions involving employees, clients or partners. Dorndadda would then help source, prepare and deliver the appropriate gifts on time.

One of my main lessons from my overall experience is: Entrepreneurship in Uganda requires exceptional resourcefulness. Founders operate in an environment where financing can be expensive, purchasing power is sometimes unpredictable, systems may be informal and operating costs can rise unexpectedly.

Relationships are important in Uganda, but relationships alone are not enough. Businesses also need documentation, financial controls, clear responsibilities and reliable execution, and informed decision making.

At the same time, Uganda has substantial opportunity. We have a young population, increasing digital adoption, strong creative talent and many needs that existing businesses have not adequately addressed. Entrepreneurs who combine local understanding with disciplined execution can build important companies.

9. Balloon Ventures? What was that about? What did post-investment advice and guidance involve?

My relationship with Balloon Ventures began through the International Citizen Service programme, where I served as a volunteer and design-thinking coach.

I delivered entrepreneurship and design-thinking training to microbusiness owners. I also provided daily coaching to help entrepreneurs develop, test and improve their ideas, create business plans and prepare for pitch events. I later worked with Balloon Ventures until 2020 as a Project Manager in Investment and Business Growth, under Balloon Capital and the Citi Volunteer Africa Programme.

The role involved supporting industry research, due diligence and the assessment of entrepreneurs for potential investment.

After investment, I provided weekly coaching and practical business support to entrepreneurs. This included identifying growth opportunities, improving and testing products, developing marketing campaigns, increasing sales and helping businesses establish new partnerships.

10. In light of your work as a founder and your experience in the investment space, where do you think Uganda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem currently stands?

Uganda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has made meaningful progress.

There are now more innovation hubs, accelerators, entrepreneurship programmes, investors, development organizations and corporate initiatives supporting founders than there were several years ago.

One challenge is that much of the support is concentrated at the early idea and training stage. Entrepreneurs may attend several programmes, develop pitch decks and receive certificates but still struggle to access customers, patient capital, technical expertise and sustained operational support.

The ecosystem should measure success not only by how many entrepreneurs have been trained, but also by how many businesses become profitable, create sustainable employment, enter new markets and remain operational over time.

Another challenge is the mismatch between available capital and the needs of local businesses. Not every business is suitable for venture capital. Many Ugandan enterprises need working capital, equipment financing, affordable debt, purchase-order financing or patient growth capital rather than equity financing that expects extremely rapid expansion.