In Conversation with Joan Mazimhaka

“The more you read, watch and listen to things, the more your ideas keep flowing… I keep myself educated and learn something new every day.”

As part of our Insta Live series, we were delighted to interview Joan Mazimhaka, CEO and Co-Founder of Illume Creative Studio and member of our Rwanda Advisory Council. Joan offered pearls of wisdom about innovation, entrepreneurship and empowerment. Watch the full interview with Akilah alum Allen Ingabire here, or read highlights from their conversation below!

Joan: Our biggest goal when founding Illume Creative was to change what you see when you Google Rwanda and Africa. Awhile back the only thing you could see when you Googled Rwanda were the gorillas and the genocide. We wanted to show the creative sector in Rwanda, the entrepreneurial sector, and how the country was developing and growing.

I really think that it is time for us as Africans to tell our own stories and we can do it in many different and creative ways — whether it is photography, performing arts or writing. That’s our driving force.

Allen: What you do is terrific! I always remember how my first gig was with Illume Creative. When I was still a student, I heard that you were recruiting for people to help with the Diner En Blanc Kigali and that you specifically wanted Akilah students.

Joan: I remember that! I had gone to the Akilah campus and I was amazed by how everyone was eloquent, could speak their minds, and very confident. For Diner En Blanc, we needed people who were confident, who could lead a large group of people, and people that were natural and fun to be around. I remember we provided training in how to deal with customers and all Akilah students were just natural at it.

Allen: Starting is not always easy and the path to success is not always smooth. Could you please share your entrepreneurial journey and how you’ve gotten to where you are today?

Joan: Right now we are in a culture that’s showing us the middle or end of people’s stories. We see what people have already accomplished and don’t get to see the work from the beginning that got them to where they are now. But, even those people that you think have accomplished so many things, there might be certain goals that they still feel like they haven’t achieved yet. You really can’t compare your own story to somebody’s. You can look to others for inspiration, you can say “this is what I want to go or where I want to end up,” but if you don’t keep your eyes on your own prize and focus on your own path it will be impossible to achieve what you want to do because you are constantly looking elsewhere.

It’s not impossible to achieve what you want, but sometimes you set a big goal and you don’t get there, so you have to stop and reassess where else can you go? The most important goal is to focus on why you want to do something and how you want to get it done. There is an expression that says “Where your focus goes, your energy flows.” If you constantly look at other people or somebody else’s work that’s where all your energy goes, but when you look at what you are trying to accomplish then your energy will come towards your project, towards your goal and your dreams.

Allen: Where do you find inspiration in your work, and how do you constantly generate creative and innovative ideas?

Joan: It is very challenging! I think if you ask anybody in the creative industry, there are times when you just have nothing to give. The good thing is that we work together as a team and are able to share ideas with each other. Also, I think that the more you read, watch and listen to things, the more your ideas keep flowing. So, I found that whenever I am stuck I look towards what other people do even if it’s a big idea that’s not going to work here, you filter it into something creative for this environment. I just keep myself educated and learn a little bit of something new every day.

Allen: What are your key lessons learned in the process of building a start-up?

Joan: I think a lot of things happen in different orders and in different phases in the process of building a start-up. When you’re starting out you have to truly know what you want to do, how it will close the gap in the market, and how you will turn your idea into an actual business. Your idea has to fill a gap and has to serve people in a way that nothing else has served them before. When it’s something that is already out there, it has to be unique in a way. What’s your unique selling proposition? What makes you different from others? What makes people want to buy your products or services? The other thing that you need to know at the very beginning is essentially how do you want to work, where do you want to go, and what are your goals.

There are a lot of things that you are going to learn along the way and that you will want to ask for some advice about from people who you think are good at doing business. Try to connect with them, talk to them, and have them guide you. There is always something that someone else has been through and and that they can help you out with.

Allen: What role do you think higher education plays in equipping entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to succeed in business today?

Joan: The things that I got from higher education was a sense of discipline and responsibility for myself and for my decisions; you get to a certain level in your life or career when you realize that you are grown and you’re responsible for yourself, your successes, as well as your failures. Also, the great network of people you meet in your adult life and in your career is important. More and more, I see higher education institutions that are teaching people about entrepreneurship, business and real life scenarios, rather than just theory. I know that I gained so much from a higher education institution because it was a path for me to be where I am today.

Allen: This was amazing, Joan. You share so much wisdom and I am sure that whoever joined us today learned so much from you. Thank you so much for your time.

Joan: Thank you for having me. I have been a big fan of Akilah since day one. We are also very proud to be part of the ecosystem here that is helping young women grow. At Illume, 70% are women and we are being creative with how we can encourage more — like our ‘Women in Photography’ programs — because we believe that more women can be part of this industry as well.

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