Author: Manoj Ranaweera

Manoj has been building tech startups and related ventures since 2004 (22 yrs). He founded SkilledUp Life to address his own problem and we continue to be the most demanding customer of our own product.

SkilledUp Life partners with Accelerate ME, University of Manchester’s Accelerator

I’m thrilled to announce our latest partnership, this time with a Manchester-based Accelerator, Accelerate ME. Before 2025, if my memory serves me right, I have spoken at two previous cohorts, once in Salford Quays Media City and the other time at Manchester Science Park. But these were well before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Volunteering at SkilledUp Life Helped Ye Wang Secure an Opportunity at Lenovo

Ye Wang, a talented UI/UX Designer, recently leveraged her volunteer experience at SkilledUp Life to land a job as a Web Designer at Lenovo in Beijing, China. Ye joined SkilledUp Life as a UI/UX Designer volunteer in August 2024. She did two volunteer terms with our product team, refining her skills and gaining real-world experience.

From Volunteer to Global SEO Expert: Emmanuel Akyeam’s Journey with SkilledUp Life

In today’s competitive digital world, breaking into remote work or even securing long-term employment without prior experience can seem like an uphill battle. After the pandemic, when businesses began to adopt the culture of working remotely, it gradually got saturated– I mean who wouldn’t want to work from the comfort of their homes? Emmanuel Akyeam’s journey reflects this evolution.

Recap: Build Your Tech Startups with 55,000 Skilled Volunteers (February 28, 2025)

The SkilledUp Life X Space event takes place every Friday at 12 PM GMT, providing a platform for tech founders to learn how to build and scale their startups with the help of SkilledUp Life’s volunteer network. This session focused on leveraging SkilledUp Life’s 55,000 skilled volunteers to support early-stage tech startups in creating scalable solutions.

How to Use SkilledUp Life Volunteering to Build Your Personal Brand

Everyone talks about how building a personal brand can help you to not just stand out alone, but also get jobs as a beginner, but they don’t really show us how. Even when they do, they try to sell us their courses in the process. I know how hard it is to build trust and credibility in this space.

How WasteDump is set to Achieve its Recycling Goals with SkilledUp Life’s Support

Running a Tech Startup is already hard enough; the least you can do is to find ways to reduce your company’s expenses and maximize the skilled support team you have. In a continent where waste disposition can be challenging for many, the CEO of WasteDump, Zakhele Shongwe, outlines his strategic approach.

How the CEO of LocaeRise Juggles Through Entrepreneurship with SkilledUp Life Volunteers

The life of a serial entrepreneur juggling several businesses can feel like juggling fireballs; it feels exciting yet risky. Yvonne Buluma-Samba, the founder and CEO of LocaeRise, faces unique challenges but has relied on SkilledUp Life volunteers to navigate her entrepreneurial journey.

SkilledUp Life and Eko Institute: A Partnership forged to empower Tech Talent and Startups

At SkilledUp Life, our mission is clear: to provide individuals with hands-on experience in the tech ecosystem while helping startups access talented individuals who can drive their visions forward. We’re thrilled to announce that Eko Institute has officially joined us as a partner by signing our non-commercial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Case Study: E-Spaces to LocaeRise by Yvonne Buluma-Samba

Yvonne Buluma-Samba, Tech Founder of E-Spaces Marketplace running LocaeRise and BuildLocalGrowGlobal, first engaged with SkilledUp Life in August 2022. Her engagement has been dynamic and adaptive, reflecting the ever-changing nature of her entrepreneurial journey.

Testimonial from Angie Huang from China

Hello everyone, my name is Angie. I am a student from China currently studying for a master’s degree at UCL in the UK. During my Volunteer Term at SkilledUp Life, I was responsible for running the official account of SkilledUp Life on Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform) to expand SkilledUp Life’s influence.