Alix Grubel's Biography, Age, Spouse, Tribe, Real Name, Networth and Lifestyle Wikidata | Claim this profile

Alix Grubel's Biography in Summary

Alix Grubel is the founder of KenyaBuzz. She did it in 2007 from a humble beginnings.

KenyaBuzz is a top source of event and lifestyle information in Kenya. It has a website, a magazine, and e-newsletters and offers the most comprehensive coverage of what's going on in sports, nightlife, music, theatre, movies, the arts, children's events, and other areas across the country. It also offers business listings, movie reviews and updates, buy and sell information, and a variety of lifestyle resources.

Alix Grubel is the founder of Kenyabuzz. Ms Grubel had been in Nairobi for ten years by that point in 2007 and was sick of reading about all the exciting events that had occurred the previous weekend in the Monday newspaper.
 

So she decided to create a website that would compile all of that information, allowing people to learn about events before they occurred. Marta Gloserova later joined her as a partner, but has since returned to Europe.

Ms Grubel, a former public health specialist at USAID, stated in an interview with Techmoran in 2013 that the beginning was humble, but the future is bright. How a prediction came true with the acquisition of KenyaBuzz by Nation Media Group, Kenya's leading media company.


When and where was KenyaBuzz launched?


In 2007, on my dining room table in Nairobi (yes, we struggled for a few years before fiber optic cables).


What is the problem you solve?


Knowing what events are taking place, what movies are playing, which restaurants to visit, and much more.


Why events? There are health and education issues.

This was a personal decision based on the frustration I mentioned above. But I also wanted to promote the arts in Kenya. So I made listing events free so that every artist, photographer, musician, or anyone else, big or small, could afford to promote their events to a large audience, and I believe KenyaBuzz has contributed to the development of a vibrant arts scene in Kenya. Also, in early 2012, we launched a movie newsletter, and it's incredible to see the movie industry grow and attract interest, which we are very proud to support.
 

How many users are there so far?

The website receives 63,000 visits per month and is now the 14th largest Kenyan website (Alexa.com ranks it 635 in Kenya).

What's your business model?

All listings are free. Paid advertisement.

Is there any competition in Kenya?

Yes, but there is an adequate audience for everyone, and no two people are exactly alike.

Is there any funding yet?

We received a Tandaa grant from the ICT board to develop our app (in 2010).

Challenges?

So many! There's never enough money. Never had any marketing budget. All of the issues associated with running a website prior to the availability of fiber optic cables and the high cost of telecom. Using Joomla and being hacked. Being on the wrong servers, which are slow, expensive, have poor security, and provide poor service.
 

Difficulty finding good developers. Then get good work from them on time.

I could literally talk your ear off here. We've had every issue you can think of!!!

Are there any upcoming developments this month, next month, or in a few months?

Yes, we have an app out, and more exciting versions will be available by September 2013.

We currently have a website, two e-newsletters (events and movies), a monthly newspaper, and an app.