Jay Shapiro has a 25-year track record as a marketing strategist and successful tech entrepreneur. He is currently leading the #GamingForGood movement across Africa. He has led the design and strategy on games dealing with sexual & reproductive health, women’s empowerment, children’s education, reforestation, and climate change. His next step is exploring how blockchain gaming can be used as a tool for increasing the financial resilience amongst Africa’s youth.
Jay is currently a client of our IBN Immigration Solutions Kenya branch, and we asked him questions on how he has found IBN Immigration Solutions as a service provider, what we have been able to assist him with, and why choosing a service provider offers you peace of mind.
Introduce the industry you work in
I run Usiku Games, a social impact game development company. We make games that help to make the world a better place, through education and behavioural change. Our games have focused on big social challenges such as: climate change, women’s empowerment, reproductive health, financial literacy, etc. Gaming is an interesting intersection of technology and creative sectors. In Kenya, there’s a third vector: NGO’s/Social Impact.
What brought you to Kenya?
We were living in New York City in 2016 and were ready to leave America. Both my wife and I had global roles at the time and could have lived almost anywhere. We spend 1.5 years traveling around the world, trying to decide where we should base ourselves for the next 10yrs. Honestly, we fell in love with Nairobi and chose to come here. To me, Nairobi today is like Singapore when I moved there in the mid-90’s. There is an incredible entrepreneur energy here and you can tell that it is going through a massive transformation. I believe this city will not be recognizable in 10 years.
What is the gaming scene like in Africa, and Kenya specifically?
Gaming is currently a small sector, especially in Kenya, but it is going through a major inflection point. Africa is on track to become one of the top 3 markets globally for gaming, with many thousands of new jobs being created in this region over the next decade. This will include a lot of foreign talent, including project managers, creatives, etc.
Why did you turn to a service provider and not just immigrate yourself?
1) To avoid mistakes of not gather missing required documents.
2) Convenience, not having to go to Nyayo House and queue up, even 80% of the time, is still a huge benefit.
3) Relationships. Sylvia is known at immigration and helps get things done more efficiently.
How did IBN assist you in your immigration needs?
IBN helped me get my initial investor pass for Kenya, you’ve done my kids student passes, my staff’s work visas, renewals, etc.
What has your experience been with IBN?
In general, I’ve had a pretty great experience. Sylvia is amazing, she’s incredibly diligent and dedicated.
However, I think that you could substantially improve your use of technology. Even as simple as sending out Google Calendar appointments as reminders to contact IBN in 22 months to start the preparation of a visa renewal, etc. We’ve been caught out a couple of times when something has expired with nobody noticing. It’s just simple business development for you. If I know that my visa is going to expire, then I will hire you to do the reminder. But if you don’t remember that it’s expiring, and I don’t bother to check, then an emergency happens and now my trust in IBN is diminished.
Similarly, all your document gathering is currently done by LONG email chains. You should really use a shared document repository like Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. You can pre-format the folders, and add interactive checklists, so there’s much less going back and forth. This will save your staff time, so that you can be more efficient as a company and creates a much better experience for your customers.
IBN Immigration Solutions would like to note that it is in the process of migrating to a new Case Management system for the benefit of their clients. This new system should be fully operational by February 2023. This new software will allow will automate document expiry notifications, store files for archiving, access, and updating, and allow IBN to keep the client more informed and involved in their immigration journey.
Would you continue to use IBN/recommend our services?
Absolutely, I’ve already recommended IBN to several friends / colleagues moving to Kenya, and I’m sure there will be more in the future.
Let IBN Immigration Solutions Help You
IBN Immigration Solutions has a dedicated office and team of Immigration Consultants in Kenya, ready to assist you with any needs or queries you may have. They are familiar with all the requirements for applications, possible red-flags, and hold-ups with the government’s immigration department, meaning that you’ll be in safe hands.
Make your immigration journey an easy one; reach out to us today!
Interview conducted by Sandra Estermann
Edited by Simon Carletti
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