Eric Nitschke

Eric Nitschke is the founder and CEO of Wakoma Incorporated, a social enterprise building open hardware, firmware, software, and educational resources needed to build a more resilient and inclusive internet. Nitschke and his team won the top prize in the inaugural 2021 IEEE CTU Challenge for their work on the Nimble, an open-source DIY rapidly deployable mesh network that operates without access to the internet.

In 2018, Nitschke co-founded what has become the largest community network in South Africa, operating across and from within townships and informal settlements in the Western Cape. Nitschke is now working to jumpstart and scale locally-focused telecommunication operators around the world to provide internet and offline services where traditional approaches have fallen short.

Previously, Nitschke helped design and implement mobile, web, geospatial, and IoT tools and training within the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector, primarily in Southeast Africa and Latin America.

Currently based near Prague, Czech Republic, Nitschke is a member of the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) network, a contributor to the APC National School of Community Networks and Local Networks (LocNet) initiatives, member of the 2023 IEEE CTU Selection Committee, and technical advisor to several startups and NGOs.