2022 – 7th Annual Sustainable Inclusive Conference – Circular Economy
Since the launch of sustainable inclusive business – the knowledge & network centre end of 2015 we have been hosting the annual sustainable inclusive circular conference.
From the start it has brought together on average 300 people from businesses, ngo’s, civil society, government and academia. the conferences have proven to be a fertile ground for businesses to exchange knowledge on sustainability and inclusiveness and to enhance their application abilities of sustainable inclusive business principles.

2022 – 7th Annual Sustainable Inclusive Conference – Circular Economy
On the 26th of October 2022, Sustainable Inclusive Business(SIB-K), the knowledge center under the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), partnered with TheRockGroup (TRG) and the European Union to co-host the 7th Annual Circular Economy Conference in Nairobi.
The conference, which took place ahead of COP27, brought together governments, private sector players, bilateral partners, civil societies, academia, and individuals from across Africa and internationally, to provide an understanding of key ingredients in a successful roadmap to a circular economy. It highlighted the challenges, trends, and opportunities in Southern and East Africa in creating a new circular system.With an audience of over 500 participants, the hybrid conference was financially supported by the European Union (EU) in Kenya and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) through its BIODEV2030 project.
Workshops: Opportunities for Circular Agriculture, Water is a Sensitive Topic, Access to Digital is Key for Africa’s Development, Sustainable and Ethical Textiles and Fashion, Plastic Packaging Needs to Get Unpacked, Renewable Energy and Alternative Service Models
With Visionaries: Ludovica D’Andria – (Head of Strategy at Artisan Fashion), Warembo Wasanii (a community-based organization of female artists founded by Joan Otieno empowring women and girls through Art with recycled materials), Talash Huijbers – (Founder and C.E.O of InsectiPro), Sonia Orwa (General Manager, Mr Green Africa), Maggie Hobbs – (Director, Tambuzi), Ms Katrin Hagemann (Deputy Ambassador European Union Delegation to Kenya)
Dr Ayub Macharia (Director of Environmental Education at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry),
Karin Boomsma (Director of Sustainable Inclusive Business Kenya),
Elfrieke van Galen (TheRockGroup Founder), Charles Karangwa (IUCN’s Regional Head, Land Systems and Country Representative, Kenya), Juliani (Hip-hop Artist and Sustainable Inclusive Business Kenya Ambassador), Akshay Shah (Group Executive Director, SilAfrica & Chair, Kenya Producer Responsibility Organization (KEPRO))
Mr. Olivier Vanden Eynde (Founder & CEO, Close The Gap) with a key message: “All kinds of start-ups in our ecosystem are working on solutions where technology and circular economy go hand in hand, and there’s enormous potential in the development of grassroots entrepreneurship. In Kenya for instance, we see opportunities in areas like smallholder farming where we provide Agri-tech solutions to make agriculture more circular and equitable in terms of enabling livelihoods. The circular economy is about co-creation at all levels, and we can use learnings from one another to create better investments and inspire other African communities to join the movement and create a bigger impact.”