Our journeys with Geoffrey Mosoti Nyakiongora started with our first ever study trip. Here our founder shared his decade long exploration journey with Geoffrey.
We first crossed paths a decade ago during our inaugural discovery trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, an experience carefully curated to reward our growing curiosity about how the Arab world was racing toward a design future. Among the eager students was Geoffrey, then studying architecture at the University of Nairobi. When we stepped into the offices of global design firms like Gensler in Abu Dhabi and NORR DESIGN INC Dubai, Geoffrey quietly said, “A seed for international adventure in the world of design has just been planted.”
Meeting lead architects, flipping through their portfolios, and receiving books that still sit on his shelf today, these moments lit a fire. And two years later, that fire led him to join our European exploration trip. From the Renaissance echoes of Florence and Milan to the modern marvels of Paris and Monaco, Geoffrey absorbed it all with quiet intensity. He wasn’t just a traveler; he was a student of design, chasing the soul of the architecture he had studied in classrooms. I remember him pulling me aside in Nice and asking, “How can I get an internship abroad?” He wasn’t just dreaming,he was preparing.
Not long after, he was off to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, pursuing his master’s in architectural design. That moment gave me hope. Proof that intentional exploration, when matched with ambition and humility, can open incredible doors.
When he visited our ReadTrips office earlier this year during his winter break, he was deep into research on healthcare and AI. I asked him where all this was going. Without hesitation, he said, “I want to transform healthcare delivery in Kenya.” His words were calm but resolute. I knew something powerful was on the horizon.
And now, his debut at the Fondazione La Biennale di Venezia, a platform that for over 100 years had never featured an East African architect feels like a full-circle moment. By joining the ranks of Kabage Karanja (riba) and Stella Mutegi, directors of Cave_bureau as the first Kenyan architects to showcase at the Venice Biennale, Geoffrey steps into a legacy that is just beginning. It’s not a finish line, but a powerful launchpad for new ideas, bold expression, and the transformation of spaces that matter most.
It’s not just about recognition; it’s about responsibility. It’s about showing what’s possible when curiosity meets courage.
And to anyone wondering where your dreams might take you, Geoffrey Mosoti Nyakiongora, AIA story is a reminder: your journey doesn’t begin when you arrive, it begins the moment you say “yes” to discovery.
Not only discovery about your world, but also about yourself.
Wishing you all the best Geoffrey
Humphrey Mumita – Founder, ReadTrips
