Thread: I met #CalebMeakins early last year. We were both speaking at #VivaTech in Paris on Africa’s tech ecosystem. Caleb has founded a few organizations including a coffee shop, a media company and @Mella_Ethio. When we met up, we both found that we had a few things in common.. 
Our faith, how we both didn’t look like we were from the countries we are from (he’s Ethiopian and I’m Tanzanian), our love for creating content (look him up on YouTube -over ~ 10 million cumulative views), and our love to go back home to our countries to build something.
I didn’t know Caleb that well, but a few minutes after meeting him. We saw Usain Bolt walk by. I ran up to @usainbolt to get a selfie with him (he clearly wasn’t interested lol)
Shortly after, that evening. Caleb has an idea about how we could all get into VIP.
Shortly after, that evening. Caleb has an idea about how we could all get into VIP.
After a few tries, he got me and the 3 other people he met that same day into VIP at VivaTech. I was like, jeez this guy is next level. And here I thought I was bold. Caleb was fearless, he didn’t care about getting rejected. He cared about making his best effort.
That evening, I asked him to go out to dinner and I learned about his whole YouTube career and his My40Days program where he took on challenges like - walking into @KingsCollegeLon to give a lecture, and he did. Watch this video from 6 years ago:
Caleb was fearless. He also loved #Ethiopia. When you met him, he would tell you about Ethiopia and where he would like to see the country going. He was driven to make a difference in his community.
We ended up spending more time with other African founders in Paris. Including @csekwalor from @Movemeback and @StoneAtwine from @eversendapp. Caleb has a love for people that was special. We all became friends and a group chat on WhatsApp formed where we all stayed in touch.
Caleb kept talking about @Mella_Ethio in Addis and how he wanted us all to come and visit and give a talk there. I remember when he hosted @jack from @Twitter / @Square. He was so excited that it was there where Jack announced he would move to Africa for a few months.
We would jump on calls every couple of weeks to catch up to share challenges we were facing. Caleb’s father had passed away from a plane crash when he was 8. At a young age, he has to be the fatherly figure in the home.
If you knew him well, you would know, he loved his family. Here is a video of him suprising his Mum for her birthday. I never met his sisters but he talked about his love for them when around me so I felt like I knew them.
I saw Caleb again in Dec 2019 in London. On this day, we sat down and he shared his dreams of building the Starbucks for Africa. “People need to know Ethiopia has the best coffee in the world.”
We made a plan to get him introduced to Howard Schultz from @Starbucks this year.
We made a plan to get him introduced to Howard Schultz from @Starbucks this year.
A few days later, he asked me to film a video with him in Canarby Street. (We both love making content). We spent 5 hours making funny videos in London. This is when I truly admired Caleb’s ability to be bold when walking up to random people with full confidence.
Caleb has all of the footage and I hope we can get it produced. It would mean the world to me.
That evening we went out for dinner and he talked about his plans, wanting to start a family and what they could look like.
That evening we went out for dinner and he talked about his plans, wanting to start a family and what they could look like.
My last night in London, @csekwalor, @CalebMeakins and I met up and this was the last photo we took together. Caleb posted it on his Instagram page that evening. This was the last time I saw Caleb.
In our group chat, we were all supposed to meet up this summer in Addis or Zanzibar. It was Caleb’s birthday on Feb 9th. 10 days before his car accident.
I remember where I was when I got a WhatsApp text saying Caleb was in a horrible car accident. It was like time froze. We were chatting on Instagram a few days before that. I couldn’t believe it. I made a couple calls and learned the crash was very bad. He was now in ICU.
On Friday evening, I got the message I was dreading I would never see. Caleb had passed away. I went online and found this video of him talking about grieving and having faith from a sermon he gave in 2019. This video gave my heart some peace.
I have been torn the last few days. Caleb is no longer with us. I have so many questions left unanswered and while I don’t understand, I know that God is faithful through this all.
I find peace that we can celebrate Caleb’s life here on earth until we meet again in heaven.
I find peace that we can celebrate Caleb’s life here on earth until we meet again in heaven.
We celebrate you. Rest in Glory. 🙏🏽💪🏾
