# Samuel Ogera

> Samuel Ogera (also Samuel Ogera Hillary, "samogera") is a Nairobi-based founder and software engineer. He is Founder & CEO of MatXchange, Co-Founder & CEO of Dhow Partners, and was Co-Founder & CTO of GridFlow Solar. He is building the operating system for Africa's circular economy.

He works where business strategy and engineering have to fit together, and writes the code for his own products. He trained as a software engineer at Moringa School and is studying Entrepreneurial Leadership at African Leadership University (2024 – 2028).

## Site

- [Home](https://ogera.is-a.dev/): Introduction and summary
- [Work](https://ogera.is-a.dev/work): Ventures and builds
- [About](https://ogera.is-a.dev/about): Experience and education
- [Contact](https://ogera.is-a.dev/contact): Email and social profiles
- [CV (PDF)](https://ogera.is-a.dev/assets/Samuel_Ogera_CV.pdf): Full curriculum vitae

## Ventures

- [MatXchange](https://matxchange.co.ke): Founder & CEO, Nov 2024 – present. The digital backbone for Africa's waste supply chain. Every kilogram is weighed on IoT scales, recorded on the Stellar blockchain and paid to the collector instantly through M-Pesa. Seed funded by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (2025), incubated by Bridge for Billions, live pilot with a licensed scrap-metal yard in Ongata Rongai, represented at KIICO 2026. Built on Frappe/ERPNext, Python, Stellar, M-Pesa API and IoT.
- [Dhow Partners](https://dhowpartners.com): Co-Founder & CEO, 2026 – present. An advisory and execution firm in Nairobi that takes companies and investors from decision to result in Kenya and East Africa, through one point of contact and a network of vetted specialist firms. Tagline: Your way in.
- [GridFlow Solar](https://gridflowsolar.com): Co-Founder & CTO, Mar 2025 – Jun 2026 (exited). Pay-as-you-go solar for off-grid schools and communities; Samuel built the full-stack PAYG wallet (TypeScript, Firebase, Tailwind). Selected for the Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers Fellowship and Bridge for Billions.

## Other builds

- [Credora](https://credora-nine.vercel.app/): Decentralized, AI-powered credit scoring on Stellar and Soroban smart contracts, using on-chain identity and alternative data. Source: https://github.com/samogera/Credora
- [Gallant Group website](https://gallant-group.com/): Built while Software Engineer at Gallant Branding International (Apr – Aug 2026), where he also developed the ThreadTrace waste traceability platform.

## Experience

- Founder & CEO, MatXchange (Nov 2024 – present)
- Co-Founder & CEO, Dhow Partners (2026 – present)
- Software Engineer, Gallant Branding International (Apr – Aug 2026)
- Co-Founder & CTO, GridFlow Solar (Mar 2025 – Jun 2026, exited)
- Community Manager & Ambassador, Stellar East Africa (May 2025 – May 2026)
- Growth Intern, Zindua School (May – Jul 2025)
- Consumer Insights Extern, Beats by Dre (Sep – Oct 2024)

## Education

- African Leadership University: BA Entrepreneurial Leadership (2024 – 2028)
- Moringa School: Software Engineering (2024)

## Programmes and recognition

- Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme 2025 (seed funded)
- Bridge for Billions
- Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers Fellowship
- McKinsey.org Forward
- Frappeverse Africa 2026
- KIICO 2026

## Skills

- Engineering: Python, Django, Frappe/ERPNext, React, TypeScript, Stellar, Soroban, M-Pesa API, IoT
- Business: Company formation, go-to-market, financial modelling, market research
- Leadership: Leading teams, stakeholder engagement, community building, public speaking

## Contact

- Email: samuelohillary@gmail.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelogera/
- GitHub: https://github.com/samogera
- X: https://x.com/Samuelohillary
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samuel.ogera/