Africa love.
Let’s say you’re in Uganda, and you’re looking to get a foot in the door with blockchain technology or launching a startup.
You might seek out Women in Tech Uganda, which is working for a tech world with zero gender gap. You might go to one of Uganda’s 14 active tech hubs, for instance hivecolab, and set up a workspace. Or you might pay a visit to the capital city Kampala and hear the words of one of America’s biggest millionaire crypto influencers in person.
That’s Ian Balina, by the way. And while he’s visiting Kampala from the States, he’s a native Ugandan himself. And he’s dedicated his career to helping others with a penchant for tech and entrepreneurship to follow in his footsteps to success.
The Boy Who Would Be Crypto King
Balina came to America with his family as an eight year old boy. His grandparents grew up under British colonialism, and had a western education. “In turn,” says Balina, “my grandparents educated fellow villagers, passing on what they learned. Education you could say is in my blood.”
His mother, a professor who he describes as “strict” but also loving, insisted he would grow up to get his PhD. Balina had other ideas, though, and was drawn to tech from an early age. He earned a merit scholarship, noting that his friends in Africa “were not as fortunate,” so he “couldn’t afford to squander this opportunity.”
Balina pushed hard through school and ended up with a graduate degree in computer engineering. Working a day job at IBM, he found a knack for entrepreneurship and put together some side businesses of his own. When the streams of income from his side gigs were big enough, he quit his job and has since gone full tilt with his side endeavors. They include founding 100x Advisors, publishing a guide to freelancing, freelance consulting through his profile on earn.com, and investing in cryptocurrencies.
And they’ve made him millions. But for Balina, who calls himself a “made man,” that’s not the end of the road. His goal is to empower others to succeed like him, and even to exceed his success.
Showing Others the Road He Took to Wealth
Balina’s Crypto World Tour takes him around the globe for speaking engagements with this goal in mind. He shows audiences the ins and outs of crypto, outlines the paths he’s taken that have worked, and encourages people that it’s not that hard to succeed as long as you get informed and apply yourself.
In addition to his Kampala engagement on November 29th, he’ll be making stops in Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and Nigera, after a few stops in the Middle East. Those who can’t make it to his speaking events still have a line into his insights, through his regularly updated YouTube channel.
Sharing it With The World, For Free
Informing and encouraging others, though, isn’t the end of the road either. Balina likes to put his (lots and lots of) money where his mouth is. For every consulting fee he gets through earn.com, for example, he donates a portion to the nonprofit Black Girls Code. Through these donations, he’s helping girls and women of color gain better representation in the tech world. The point, for Balina, is to help people from marginalized groups get a seat at the table too.
“This is real. This is tangible. This is not some dream,” Balina says, particularly referencing the wealth-making power of crypto. “People are making millions out here. This is the fastest way I’ve discovered of making lots of life-changing money,” he says. “To a point where you can buy your mom and dad a brand new house. You can pay off your college loans, you can invest in your future, not have to work again, pursue your dreams and passion.” Balina’s family values and support of others shows through in his passionate talks.
“I’m trying to share this with the world for free,” he adds. “I’m here to share everything with you.”
