Connecting Mobile Money to the World to Create Universal Wealth

By PYMNTS | March 8, 2011

Name: Dylan Higgins

Title: Co-Founder, CEO at Kopo Kopo

What I’m working on now… Building a software-as-a-service platform enabling SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa to integrate their back-office with mobile money systems

Crowning Achievement… Successfully launching our pilot service in Sierra Leone. In less than six months, we went from a proof of concept built in a basement in Seattle, USA to a live system in Sierra Leone.

Industry Association Awards…Kopo Kopo is an Echoing Green Semi-Finalist and was awarded funding as part of the 2010 Unreasonable Institute. Kopo Kopo was also awarded first prize at the 2010 Nokia Open Innovation Summit in Kenya

When I’m not working I like to…find a large body of water and a sailboat

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My favorite payment factor is…using an M-Pesa account to pay for a taxi, a coffee, and a water bill

The next big thing in payments is… the unbanked using mobile money as a viable cash alternative throughout sub-Saharan Africa

Education…BA International Studies and Economics, JD, University of Washington

Cash is… still king in Africa but mobile money is a serious threat to the crown

Check are… nowhere to be seen here in Africa

NFC is…unlikely to be widely adopted in Africa

EMV is…unlikely to be widely adopted in Africa where credit card penetration is very low

P2P is…the main driver of mobile money in Kenya. In 2010, 20% of Kenya’s GDP was moved through mobile money transfers – the majority was P2P.

My mentor is…fortunate along my professional journey to be mentored by colleagues, partners, and advisors who have offered fresh perspectives on doing business and balancing work and life.

Bio: Dylan Higgins, CEO

Dylan has over 10 years experience in technology management. In his seven years at Accenture, he worked for high-tech clients including Microsoft, AT&T, and Qpass. Dylan is the former CEO and co-founder of SaveTogether (now operated by CFED), which has been featured in the Washington Post, Slate, and the Seattle Times. He is a recipient of the Seattle University Red-Winged Leadership Award, an Echoing Green Semi-Finalist, and was a recognized innovator at the innovation@CFED summit. He received his J.D. and B.A. with Honors in International Studies and Economics at the University of Washington.