First Time at the Booth

I didn’t know how hard it would be to explain YeneHealth until I had to.

I was at ETEX 2025, Ethiopia’s tech expo showcasing AI, cybersecurity, smart cities, and all the buzzwords that usually sound like they belong to somewhere else. But this time, they didn’t. They belonged here. To us.

We had a sponsored booth — not our first time showing up at this scale. I had the chance to represent YeneHealth. My first thought? I hope they don’t ask too many questions. Because, truthfully, I only had the “About Us” version of YeneHealth in my head. And that version isn’t built for conversations.

It’s hard to explain YeneHealth because it’s not one thing. We work across so many edges of healthcare, data, community, and technology that trying to condense it into an elevator pitch feels like trying to summarize a whole family history in one sentence. At first, I stumbled. I said the same few phrases — something about “improving access to reproductive healthcare” and “data-driven community engagement” — but I could see people nodding politely, not curiously.

Then something shifted. I started telling stories.

Not pitch-perfect ones, just real ones. Like how we started by trying to solve a small pain point. Or how we learned from the communities we served. Or how our team wasn’t a bunch of detached techies but people with skin in the game — literally and metaphorically.

And people leaned in.

I didn’t have all the history. I still don’t. But the more I talked, the more I understood why we do what we do — and how much that matters.

What I Didn’t Expect to Learn

Events like ETEX aren’t just for showing off. They’re for sharpening your story.

When you stand behind the booth, you’re not pitching — you’re pressure-testing your message. Every confused face or curious question forces you to refine. Every person who gets it becomes a mirror that tells you, “Yes, that landed.”

It’s also a kind of low-key battlefield. The investors and potential partners? They don’t wear badges that say “VC.” They walk around in simple clothes, ask casual questions, and listen closely. And they love teams who can explain their product clearly, without the fluff. You’ll only catch them if you show up prepared and present.

For Any Startup Thinking of Skipping the Booth

Don’t.

Especially if you’re technical. Bring your engineers. Bring your designers. Let the people who build the product explain it. There’s a magic that happens when someone who’s knee-deep in code explains why they care about what they’re building. People listen differently.

It’s also one of the rare chances to collect live, honest, unfiltered feedback. Think of it as a mini focus group that actually volunteered to talk to you.

And for the team? Motivation skyrockets. There’s something energizing about seeing strangers get excited about what you’re building. It reminds you why the long hours and unresolved tickets matter.

Event Review

The venue — Addis International Convention Center — was massive. The kind of space that makes you think, “Wow, this country is dreaming big.” And it felt good to be part of that dream, even just for a day.

I walked in nervous and walked out grateful. I thought I was going there to explain what we do. But I ended up understanding it better myself.

If you ever get the chance to represent your team at an event like this — take it. You won’t just represent your product. You’ll rediscover it.