Roy Blackson Mvula
Bachelor of Business Information and Technology
University of Lusaka
Hackaton Companies:
B360 education partnerships
Fundraiso
Roche Global Citizenship (RGC)
Trainings – what I have learned
The Career Starter Week (CSW), the ICT Training and the Preparation Week gave me a practical bridge between university and the workplace. The CSW strengthened my storytelling, personal branding and understanding of what employers expect. The ICT Training taught me how to use Excel, which I found especially interesting and useful for organizing and analysing information. The Preparation Week introduced a structured, canvas-based method, from problem framing and ideation through to validation and presentation, which we applied directly in the Hackathons.
Teamwork experience with Career Bridge colleagues
I learned how to work with people from different professional backgrounds and how to communicate effectively with them. Our team worked well because my teammates were willing to learn what happens in the IT world, while I learned how they approach problems from an economics perspective. This exchange of knowledge helped us divide responsibilities according to strengths and give and receive feedback constructively.
Highlights and challenges during the Hackathons
In the first Hackathon, for B360 education partnerships, we evaluated application-processing tools analysed them and made a recommendation. For Fundraiso, we built a grant matching system, and for Roche Global Citizenship, a philanthropic partnership pipeline.
My personal highlight is when my team was able to deliver a good PowerPoint presentation as well as a working software solution in a descent amount of time which received positive feedback. The biggest challenge was encountering many different tools and deciding which was best suited to each task. The short timeframe of every Hackathon also taught me to work effectively under pressure and to make good decisions in very little time.
My future plans
I want to build a career in data analysis as well as software development. The Career Bridge has strengthened my ability to connect technical solutions to real business needs, and I look forward to applying that in both fields.
Personal Message
I sincerely thank the B360 team, our experts and mentors, the Hackathon companies and my fellow participants for an experience that built both my skills and my confidence. To future participants: be curious, ask questions early, and learn from teammates whose backgrounds differ from yours. Do not be afraid of unfamiliar tools or tight deadlines, because that is where the most growth happens.