Some fun Facts about Erik
Hometown (US): Orlando, FL
Hometown (Int'l): Nairobi, Kenya
Favorite...
Book: Watership Down
Music: Jimmy Buffett
Movie: Serenity
Food: Ethiopian
Sports Team: Florida State 'Noles
Keywords
family, rugby, books, daughters, web stuff, NBA, africa, camping, nyama, soccer, games, new ideas, gadgets, laughter, chai, strategy
What is Zungu?
Zungu is the root word of mzungu
In Swahili Zungu means "one who wanders in circles." Mzungu, or wazungu, was also the word used for the first white people who came to East Africa and is still used today.
Who Runs This Place?
My name is Erik Hersman
I am an mzungu raised in East
Africa. I bring many years of internet experience as a web
marketer in a large corporation and as an interactive
marketing agency strategist. I am a passionate advocate of change, brought about through the use of technology.
I grew up as a missionary kid bouncing back and forth between Sudan and Kenya. My youth consisted of two sisters, great parents and a Yorkshire Terrier trekking from Juba to Nairobi to Khartoum. I was able to attend, and am a proud alumni, of one of East Africa's premier schools, Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya.
The constant bridging of worlds (African and American) started at such a young age that it has become embedded in my character. I find it easy to switch between cultures and enjoy friends and associates on either side of the ocean. Constant moving, meeting new people and the resulting life-long friendships have helped craft my character and personality. I thrive on change, risk and new ventures. Few areas, or ideas, are too far out there for me to think and act on.
I am happily married to my wonderful and ever-supporting wife Rinnie, along with 3 beautiful daughters ages 2, 4 and 6.
Current Projects
I'm currently working on a couple of different projects, including the following:
Ushahidi: Crowdsourcing Crisis Information - we're in the midst of creating a free and open source platform to help gather distributed data via Mobile phones, email and the web. I write on the Ushahidi Blog about how we're making it, and the people and decisions behind what we do.
AfriGadget:A team of individuals around the world submit stories and pictures of African's solving problems using their ingenuity. It's a remarkable site that really showcases the best that Africa has to offer.
eppraisal.com:A place where anyone in the US can find out the value of a property for free. I no longer work directly on this project.
Muti:Muti is a social bookmarking site inspired by reddit and Digg but dedicated to content of interest to Africans or those interested in Africa. I only work in an advisory role for Muti, having befriended its creator Neville Newey shortly after he started it.
Some previous clients:
Just to name a few
Profile Booklet
A quick glance at Zungu
