Arsen Tomsky, founder of one of the world's largest taxi services InDrive, which is one of the top 5 global taxi companies in Servisk, visited the Aqtobe Hub and held a Q&A session with residents and guests of the space. The event gathered more than 100 people, among whom there were many entrepreneurs who had previously heard about the hub, but decided to come to this particular meeting to hear advice from their successful colleague.

For two hours, participants actively asked questions about business, motivation and leadership. Tomsky willingly shared his experience, despite the fact that he is a billionaire, emphasizing that he leads a minimalistic lifestyle. According to him, the most expensive thing for him is his laptop, which he carries with him everywhere. He also noted that he has neither apartments nor cars, and he likes this lifestyle.

Answering questions about motivation, Tomsky gave valuable advice: it is important to "see the shades" and work with people who are also able to see them. He also stressed that in order to form a successful team, it is important to recruit people motivated by tasks, not money, since it is such employees who are able to achieve more.

In addition, Arsen Tomsky briefly shared the history of the creation of InDrive and talked about his social initiatives, which are described in detail in his book. Some participants of the meeting brought their copies and signed them at Tomsky's. Many also took pictures with him, and it was clear that they did not want to let go of their inspiring colleague.

This meeting was a unique opportunity for all participants to receive not only valuable business advice, but also inspiration from a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist who continues to change the world and influence people around.

On September 28 and 29, 2024, a two-day IT forum was held at the Aqtobe Hub, which gathered 150 participants. Topics such as game development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and startups were discussed during the forum.

The first day was entirely devoted to video game development. Speakers Serik Sundetov, Almaz Eleuov and Arsen Bakytzhanuly shared their knowledge and experience. Serik Sundetov presented an overview of the video game creation market in the world and Kazakhstan, Almaz Eleuov spoke about the creation of the game world, focusing on the role of 3D modeling and game design, and Arsen Bakytzhanuly shared his experience working on indie games. The end of the day was a game rendezvous quiz, where participants competed for prizes, demonstrating their knowledge.

The second day covered a wide range of topics. Serik Sundetov also spoke about the IT business ecosystem in Astana Hub and the opportunities it opens up. Magzhan Zhumayev discussed the use of artificial intelligence in IT business and its future development. Zhanar Taskalieva made a presentation on cybersecurity and key challenges in this area.

The forum culminated in the Pizza Pitch segment, where 13 startups presented their projects and received advice from experts. This event provided an opportunity for young entrepreneurs not only to present their ideas, but also to receive valuable recommendations for their further development. Experts noted the uniqueness and boldness of the solutions presented, as well as the high degree of readiness of startups to enter the market. Pizza Pitch demonstrated the high level of development of the startup ecosystem in the region, confirming the interest in innovations and new technologies in Aktobe.

The forum confirmed the high interest in IT and innovation in the region, demonstrating the active development of the technology community and opening up new opportunities for participants.

Results of the NASA Space Apps Challenge in Aktobe: innovations, experience and recognition of winners On October 5 and 6, 2024, in American Corner Aktobe, in partnership with aqtobe hub, the international hackathon NASA Space Apps Challenge was held, which brought together 79 participants who formed 19 teams. This global event provides technology enthusiasts with the opportunity to solve real scientific problems, and in Aktobe it has become a platform for the implementation of bold ideas aimed at solving urgent problems. During the hackathon, participants worked on a variety of projects, and the jury selected three teams whose ideas turned out to be the most innovative and promising:

Location: RABIS The team presented an exciting game with the laws of gravity in space, where players can experiment with gravity. This project not only entertains, but also teaches the basics of physics, making complex concepts accessible and understandable.

Location: Deplonia Deplonia has developed a GIS platform for farmers that helps manage agricultural land using geospatial data. This platform gives farmers access to information about soil, weather conditions and other important data, which helps to improve agricultural efficiency.

Location: Techblossom The Techblossom team's project is a game to improve the psychological state of astronauts. In the context of long-term missions in space, maintaining emotional balance is extremely important, and this game aims to reduce stress and maintain the good mood of the crews. In addition to the winners, other teams were also noted, which offered equally interesting solutions: Sunspot The Sunspot project has developed the concept of a satellite to detect and warn about solar flares, which can be an important contribution to protecting infrastructure on Earth from the effects of solar activity. Legend The Legend team has created a board game for teaching climatology. The game makes learning about climate change and its consequences interesting and interactive, drawing attention to important environmental issues. Westside Westside has developed an artificial intelligence website to monitor air cleanliness in Kazakhstan. This project helps to monitor air quality and provides up-to-date information to protect the health of citizens. All 19 teams, regardless of the results, have gained extensive experience working on innovative projects, immersing themselves in solving real problems and communicating with professionals. The participants noted that the hackathon was a great opportunity for them to improve their skills, work in a team and gain useful knowledge that will be useful in the future.