Christopher Ategeka
Christopher Ategeka (born July 10 1984) is founder and CEO of Rides for Lives (formerly CA Bikes) And Co-founder of Privail.
Career
A native of Fort Portal Uganda, Chris graduated from Kitante Hill School in Kampala Uganda. Motivated by his experiences growing up in northwestern Uganda, Ategeka started CA Bikes to build adaptive, cost efficient vehicles designed to meet the transportation demands of the regions in which they operate. Rides for Lives vehicles empower people to access health services and economic opportunities in developing Countries. He has been profiled in the San Francisco Chronicle, Fast Company, TED, NPR, Forbes, BBC, and the United Nations. In addition, Ategeka was named 2014 Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneurs who are changing the world. He is an ACTIVE proponent for STEM education, Entrepreneurship and innovation.
Personal life
Ategeka, the eldest of five siblings, was orphaned after losing both parents to HIV/AIDS. He became the head of the household and caretaker to his brothers and sisters at an early age. In order to feed his family, Ategeka started his first business by collecting garbage in exchange for food.
His siblings were eventually disbursed to live with different relatives; Chris with his uncle, where he became a human scarecrow to chase monkeys away from the crops.
At age 10, Ategeka escaped to a nonprofit orphanage, YES Uganda and was able to go to grade school. While he was there, Chris was sponsored by an American family who were able to get him into a private school in Fort Portal, Uganda. Upon graduation, Chris moved to the United States to live with them and attend community college before receiving a scholarship to University of California, Berkeley where he received his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering.
Ategeka currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.
Awards/Recognitions
Year |
Award |
|---|---|
2014 |
Forbes 30 under 30 |
2014 |
SET Africa Award (Social Entrepreneurs transforming Africa; USAID, MasterCard Foundation) |
2014 |
United Nations Global Accelerator |
2014 |
Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance fellow |
2013 |
Echoing Green Fellow |
Speaking Engagements
Year |
TALK |
|---|---|
2014 |
TiECon, Santa Clara Conventional Center |
2014 |
United Nations Global Accelerator |
2014 |
TEDx Sacramento |
201_ |
Rotary Club (Pacifica, Petaluma, Sebastopol, Millbrae '13 '14, San Bruno) |
2013 |
Boys and Girls Club (East Palo Alto) |
2011 |
Commencement speaker at UC Berkeley |
Links
- http://www.forbes.com/pictures/emeg45hfhj/christopher-ategeka-29/
- http://tiecon.org/speaker/christopher-ategeka
- http://www.setafrica.org/sites/default/files/styles/local_logo_thumb/public/local%20partner/SET%20Africa%20-%20Annoucememet%20of%20finalists.pdf
- http://research.berkeley.edu/stronach/winners.php?page=Christopher_Ategeka&group=2011&cid=f1
- http://photos.state.gov/libraries/amgov/30145/publications-english/1408_EJ_Strategic_Moves_Using_Smart_Sanctions_in_the_21st_Century_English_Lo_Res.pdf
- http://www.inspiredinsider.com/christopher-ategeka-cabikes-interview/