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Devin: What is your superpower?
Emmanuel: My superpower is very, very simple. I said yes to that inner voice, to that inner calling, that I should go back and help my fellow friends.
You won’t believe this story. Keep reading anyway!
Emmanuel Trinity, founder and CEO of era92 Creative, was living on the streets of the slums of Kampala as a teenager when a caring Christian woman asked what she could give him to enable him to get off the streets. He asked for a computer. Remarkably, she gave him one.
He used it to teach himself to do graphic design and quickly became adept enough to get work. Six years later, he got a position with Coca-Cola in Kampala. Working for one of the world’s largest companies with an extraordinary commitment to protecting and enhancing its brand was an opportunity he didn’t want to leave.
After just six months, he quit the job to find a way to help others like him find a path out of poverty as he had.
He shares the story of launching the company with the first employee:
The first one that I worked with was Megan. The way I met Megan is a very, very interesting story. This is when I had quit my job at Coca-Cola after six months, and everyone called me crazy. I went back to the slums.
It was a Friday. There was a crusade at the church, and we had this overnight. This girl came to me. She was on the verge of selling her body. She had given up on life because her dad, who was taking care of six siblings, fell off a building and broke his spinal cord. Now, this girl was stuck with a bedridden, sick dad and also had to find food for the other five siblings.
What happened to her in the community where she grew up? You know, lots of poverty, no hope. Everyone told her the only quick way to get $1 or $2 a day was to sell her body to provide for her family. This girl came to me to ask for advice.
I told her, “You're in church. As Christians, we don't believe in that. I won't allow you to do that. But what we're going to do, please join me in this program I'm starting. I'm starting with three people. If you bring two other people, I'd love to work with you. I'd love to pay you for one or two months. If you get these things, I'll be able to get you a job.”
I was just guessing; this was a guesswork. I hadn't really figured out this model.
Megan accepted, and she brought two other friends. I brought one other friend of mine, and we started the class.
Surprisingly, after four months with my guidance, this girl was able to design a website on her own. She was able to design a website in Drupal and WordPress, and I was like, “This is it.” Megan became my first employee.
Today, era92 Creative employs 1,800 young people like Megan, plucked from poverty and given an opportunity to gain valuable skills and then put to work using them.
Era92 Creative works primarily with US companies, typically on $2,000 monthly contracts, effectively providing them with an outsourced graphic design team.
In this work, Emmanuel uses his superpower, an ability to say yes to his inner voice.
AI Episode Summary
Emmanuel Trinity is the founder of era92 Creative, a social enterprise providing affordable graphic design services.
The company employs young people from slums in Uganda, giving them training in design and web development.
Era92 Creative serves clients in the United States, particularly small and medium-sized businesses and non-profits.
The company offers a suite of web development and design services at a flat rate price.
Emmanuel's inspiration came from his personal experience of being rescued from the streets and a desire to address youth unemployment in his community.
Through era92 Creative, Emmanuel has created 1,800 skilled jobs for young people.
The work of era92 Creative has transformed the lives of many individuals, including Megan, who went from being on the verge of selling her body to leading a department of designers.
Emmanuel's superpower is his ability to say yes to opportunities and act on his inner voice.
He believes that everyone has the potential to make positive changes in their communities and should act upon their inner calling.
Anyone interested in working with era92 Creative can visit their website (era92creative.com) to learn more about services and engagement options.
How to Develop Acting on Your Inner Voice As a Superpower
Emmanuel explained his willingness and ability to say yes to his inner voice, driven by his Christian faith:
One of the things that hinders us is the failure to jump off the cliff. Many times, if you don't have the wings to fly, then what are you going to be depending on?
For me, in my case, I had God in my life, and I know that he's the one who rescued me from the streets. He's the one who rescued me from the danger that I've grown up with. Personally, I do not have anything that can back that up. I knew that all my story was covered by Jesus in my life.
When that happened, I tell you, he brought me from the slums–he's given me this inner voice. One of the verses I stick with in the Bible is 1 Peter 4:10, “That as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's very grace.”
So, I knew that I had already received a lot of gifts from God. For me to fly off the cliff with no wings, I knew that I had God in my life even if I lost this job that was paying me a lot of money.
Emmanuel offers advice to everyone:
Whoever is listening in and by any chance in their communities, in their families, in their workspace, they have felt that there is something that they are not comfortable with and they would wish to change it. That's their superpower; that's their calling.
The only thing they need to do is to act upon it and make it a reality. If you're watching this, I know there was a time in your life when you felt there was something that has to be changing in your community. You're the one to champion that change in that community.
Following Emmanuel’s example and advice can strengthen your ability to follow your inner voice that tells you to take action for good. With practice, you can make this a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.
Guest Profile
Emmanuel Trinity (he/him):
Chief Job Creator, era92 Creative
About era92 Creative: era92 Global is a social enterprise agency that trains and connects the Top 1% of African creative Talent to Global companies.
Biographical Information: Emmanuel Trinity is a serial social entrepreneur from Kampala, Uganda, with a passion for upskilling the next generation of digital talent in preparation for jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in Africa.
He’s the founder of era92 Creative- a Subscription Creative Services Social Enterprise powering the Next Generation of Digital Talent Across Africa.
Trinity is also the co-founder of era92 Group, a group of social enterprises on a mission to reverse engineer poverty and create prosperity for Africans through businesses & microfinance.
Trinity has created 1,500 jobs for youth from the slums of Uganda and is on a mission to create 10,000 jobs for young people across Africa.
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Rising From the Slums of Kampala, Uganda, This Young Social Entrepreneur Employs 1,800 People - s11 ep22
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Superpowers for Good: Empowering Changemakers for Social Impact via Regulated Investment Crowdfunding from the SuperCrowd.
We host changemakers who are using regulated investment crowdfunding for social impact--impact crowdfunding--as impact investors or social entrepreneurs, catalyzing change with leadership skills we call superpowers.
We host changemakers who are using regulated investment crowdfunding for social impact--impact crowdfunding--as impact investors or social entrepreneurs, catalyzing change with leadership skills we call superpowers.
Rising From the Slums of Kampala, Uganda, This Young Social Entrepreneur Employs 1,800 People - s11 ep22