WIPO Academy Alumni Spotlight: David Jeng
June 20, 2024
David Jeng is a WIPO Academy alumnus and a Gambian entrepreneur, who is the youngest person to ever serve on the board of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was always passionate about entrepreneurship, but after learning about the catalytic potential of intellectual property (IP) in enabling business success, economic growth and job creation, he became an IP evangelist, particularly among the youth in his community.
I want young people to have the IP knowledge and skills they need to participate in decision-making in Africa, and to shape their own future.
David Jeng, Entrepreneur and WIPO Academy Alumnus
The IP epiphany
David first learned about IP at a conference jointly organized by WIPO and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) he attended in 2018 as a representative of the Next Einstein Forum. The conference opened his eyes to IP’s strategic role in the innovation ecosystem and pushed him to apply for a graduate degree in IP despite not having a legal background.
He was accepted with a full-scholarship through the Government of Japan to the Master’s Degree Program in IP (MIP) jointly offered by the WIPO Academy, ARIPO, and Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe and graduated as part of the class of 2022. David’s time on the program coincided with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, so he attended the program remotely due to the sanitary limitations of the time.
I joined the MIP program due to my hunger for economic development in Africa using innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly after realizing that IP is the foundation of every innovation I knew of. The MIP program was able to equip me with the knowledge and skills I needed to be a catalyst for progress. The MIP has been a life-changing journey filled with persistent impact and uncommon knowledge thanks to world-class lecturers.
David Jeng, Entrepreneur and WIPO Academy Alumnus
Inspired by the important role of IP, and fueled with the motivation to use his newly gained knowledge and skills to give back to his community, David decided to pursue a career as an entrepreneur before joining his country’s Chamber of Commerce.
As a young person, I have an opportunity to support the African continent and give back by creating impact and jobs, ultimately to enable economic opportunities that can transform the lives of others.
David Jeng, Entrepreneur and WIPO Academy Alumnus
Leading the next IP-conscious generation in Africa
After graduating, David set up two businesses in 2023 with 80+ employees reporting to him, the first being Chapman Xpress Financial Services, a fintech company, and the second is an IP management consulting firm for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups called Bliss Executives.
Through Bliss Executives, he has helped entrepreneurs register more than 50 trademarks and one utility model, enabling companies to leverage their IP assets for economic gains. Leading by example, David has also trademarked the brands of his two companies.
SMEs face challenges because IP costs money to protect but we do business cases to show them how IP is an investment and not a cost, so they can reap the return on their IP investments in the future. In short, IP keeps your business safe.
David Jeng, Entrepreneur and WIPO Academy Alumnus
To maximize his reach and impact, David reached out to other MIP alumni to collaborate on efforts aimed at SMEs and startups. He started working with fellow graduate Lilian Nantume (class of 2014), who is a Ugandan businesswoman behind the grassroots non-governmental organization, Grooming a Successful Woman with Intellectual Mind (GSWIM), to implement the WIPO Division for Africa IP+ Accelerator Program. The program provided coaching, training and mentoring to 50 SMEs across industries, which were mainly founded and managed by women (95%), and resulted in SMEs registering 49 trademark applications in addition to the first utility model in renewable energy by a female inventor in the Gambia.
David also was involved in the WIPO Division for Africa’s IP Agribusiness Program for Women Entrepreneurs in Africa which supported over 100 women across sub-Saharan Africa to scale their business within the agricultural value chain across Africa using their IP.
David is always learning about IP and looking for new courses to take, having recently completed the WIPO-Harvard Law School PatentX course. He hopes to further shape up the IP world as a policymaker and entrepreneur enabling other small business owners across Africa. In his role as a board member of the Gambian Chamber of Commerce, he has helped his country to:
- establish a new act on copyright and industrial property,
- accede to ARIPO’s Banjul Protocol,
- organize national trade fairs for World IP Day, and
- establish a Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC).
Interested in building your IP knowledge and skills?
The WIPO Academy offers year-long opportunities for those wishing to develop their IP knowledge and skills through its Executive Training Program, Distance Learning courses, IP Training Institutions, Joint Master’s Programs and WIPO Summer Schools.
To learn from our alumni and their experiences, please connect to our growing alumni community on LinkedIn by joining the WIPO Academy’s official “Academy Community”.