Supporting Mission-Driven Entrepreneurs
Stories about Alumni and Partners that appeared in the Press
The grant-cum-partnership will allow Unilever trade carbon footprints from its operations by helping to prevent the emission of C02 caused by improper disposal of its post-consumer waste products.
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/unilever-gives-n18m-grant-for-waste-management.html
The platform connects people to local community solar projects, allowing residents and businesses to see up to a 10% savings on their utility bills with no upfront investment.
https://solarindustrymag.com/cleanchoice-launches-ma-community-solar-program/
Eugene Faison, CEO of DGridEnergy spent 4 days in Rwanda meeting with agricultural cooperatives, the Ministry of Agriculture of Rwanda, Solar Kiosk, and MTN mobile company in preparation for pilot with a large agriculture cooperative in Kayonza, Rwanda.
https://mentorcapitalnet.org/2018/12/09/dgridenergy-heads-to-east-africa-to-build-awareness-of-the-cold-chain-and-the-solar-cool-cube-solution/
CleanChoice Energy, a renewable energy company that provides wind and solar energy products to customers across the country, and New Columbia Solar, one of the District’s largest solar energy companies, have launched a partnership to bring community solar to residents of the District of Columbia.
https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2018/11/cleanchoice-energy-new-columbia-solar-community-solar-portfolio/
The ultra-modern plant, christened Sanivation Fecal Sludge Plant, was put up by Sanivation in collaboration with Naivasha Water, Sewerage and Sanitation Company (Naivawas).
Sanivation is a social enterprise organisation whose main preoccupation is to improve the overall dignity, health, and environment of urbanising communities in East Africa through delivering clean, safe and efficient sanitation services.
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001304411/new-fecal-treatment-plant-to-ease-sewer-crisis-in-naivasha
US business Watusee Foods, which makes products based on chick peas, has been acquired by local products and professional services company ArchPoint Group for an undisclosed sum.
https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/12939-archpoint-group-acquires-watusee-foods
“They literally were dancing with joy when we showed them what the LuminAID solar light was and how to use it. There is no power there, so these lights make a huge impact on a family allowing them to see,” recalls Geri Jeffrey, the Executive Director of The Bridge of Hope.
https://luminaid.com/blogs/news/this-little-light-of-mine
Impact investors and international development experts are keen to talk about approachable topics like solar energy and clean drinking water. But bring up the subject of safely processing and recycling human waste and people get uncomfortable. In this interview, we sat down with Andrew Foote and Emily Woods, co-founders of Sanivation, to understand how they’re overcoming this taboo. Sanivation is a social enterprise in Kenya that provides waste-to-energy sanitation services to local governments and refugee camps, turning fecal sludge into environmentally-friendly fuel alternatives to charcoal and firewood.
https://medium.com/finca-ventures/meet-the-entrepreneur-andrew-foote-and-emily-woods-sanivation-f9959d6d6022
Dr. Aparna Pandey, senior research and development associate, RUR Greenlife, a waste management service in Mumbai, said, “Majumder’s interest and effort in the project has been commendable in terms of scientific monitoring and sensitisation of residents and staff about waste management. She is a living example of an eco-conscious Mumbaiite.”
https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/south-mumbai-society-recycles-90-of-its-waste-thanks-to-this-teen-environment-crusader/story-yIVagbjIBK3o3eMjOwdMHJ.html
Sanergy sought to have a significant social impact by improving sanitation conditions by providing portable toilets that are pre-manufactured, shipped, and installed in residential communities and other venues on a cost-efficient basis. Sanergy’s Fresh Life Toilet (FLT) is made of high-quality materials and easy to keep clean and maintain. More than 1,000 FLTs have been sold.
https://www.franchising.com/articles/social_impact_investing_shows_up_in_international_social_franchise_programs.html
It’s literally buzzing here at our Fargreen farms! We’ve just included a bee component in our farm ecosystem. So now, besides our delicious mushrooms, natural veggies and local rice produced in our signature closed-loop model, we’re also serving natural honey and it fits in the loop, too.
http://www.far-green.com/en/blog-en/2018/4/15/buzzing-far-by-buzzing-green
Founded by Francie Wasser, the company is creating 100 percent cotton underwear for females that is actually stylish and cute. But the true innovation comes from the unique manufacturing style, called “crowd manufacturing,” that provides women with access to training and certification so they can make the products in their home for a livable wage.
https://technical.ly/baltimore/2018/11/21/with-a-pitch-for-crowd-manufacturing-franciepants-wins-open-works-enterprise-venture-competition/
Building off of their Shell New Energies division, Shell Energy has partnered with energy technology subscription company Sparkfund and smart buildings tech company Gridpoint to create a subscription bundle energy service for smart buildings.
https://michiganpeninsulanews.com/news/8793-shell-partners-with-sparkfund-gridpoint-to-create-subscription-based-energy-bundling-service/
“We launched Kopo Kopo which became the industry’s first merchant aggregator where we would go and acquire merchants directly and then bring thousands of merchants to the operator and then maintain that relationship,” Mr Lyon says.
https://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Prosper/What-open-mobile-money-platform-means-innovation/688616-4858912-9ugwhf/index.html
Michael is the son of two doctors who moved to the United States from Myanmar in the 1970s. When U.S. sanctions for Myanmar were suspended in 2012, he came to Myanmar to form Koe Koe Tech with his cousin, Dr. Yar Zar Minn Htoo, a Myanmar citizen, doctor, and software developer. Today Koe Koe Tech has 80 employees, 77 of whom are Myanmar nationals, about two-thirds of whom are women, and nearly 40 software developers, all of them Myanmar nationals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl4BcB6Ul4o&app=desktop
New York-based financial technology (Fintech) company – First Access, is partnering its Nigerian counterpart, ChamsAccess Limited, to deliver digitised and automated credit solutions to micro lenders.
https://guardian.ng/business-services/first-access-chams-partner-on-cheap-digital-credit/
As the chief operating officer for Accion Venture Lab portfolio company, Kopo Kopo, Peace Osangir has tackled these opportunities and challenges firsthand.
https://www.accion.org/insights-from-a-kenyan-fintech-leader
Originally set up to improve diagnosis and prescribing for pharmacies in Kisumu, Kenya, Maisha Meds faced a growing demand for pharmacy management, stock keeping, and supply chain tools. Two years on, Maisha Meds offers pharmacy owners a cloud-based android app which is a point of sale (POS) system that collects procurement and patient data; it also negotiates prices with manufacturers and coordinates deliveries with distributors.
https://www.cgdev.org/blog/entrepreneurship-rise-medical-supply-chain-africa-tale-four-pharmacy-disruptors
We have come far from where we started as a small solar enterprise in 2009. Over the years, we have helped thousands of households, hundreds of small – large enterprises access reliable, affordable and clean electricity through solar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ5oD314kvU
Ignitia’s mission is to provide accurate weather forecasts that help farmers make better-informed decisions to improve their farming practices, thus increasing their yields and maximizing their profits to play a key part in stabilizing the value chain as a whole.
https://tech.africa/ignitia-weather-forecasting-service/
The service is a product of award-winning weather forecasting company, Ignitia, who uses a proprietary forecasting model to predict tropical weather patterns down to a 3 square km range.
https://tech.africa/iska-launches-nigeria-9mobile/
Born out of a thesis project by three graduates of Massachusetts Institute of Technology –MIT (US-based private research university ranked among world’s top universities), who have been in the country implementing it since 2010, Fresh Life toilet, has seen many slum dwellers enjoy what most would take for granted: a toilet.
https://mobile.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/better-way-to-dispose-waste-for-urban-slums/1950774-4830638-nbq4a3z/index.html
A technology integration firm, Ingressive, has trained investors and techpreneurs during the Tech Meets Entertainment Summit 2018 to deepen innovation in entertainment, monetise fan bases, and collaboratively discover new solutions for the industry.
https://guardian.ng/technology/ingressive-trains-techpreneurs-entertainers-to-boost-innovation/
For Tonlé apparel-brand owner Rachel Faller, entering into fashion wasn’t part of her career plan when she studied textile design at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she focused on fine art and sculpture.
https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2018/oct/25/using-reclaimed-fabric-promote-sustainable-manufac/
She said PayPal’s investment will help Tala bring visibility and access to underserved populations in emerging markets across the globe.
https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2018/10/tala-secures-investment-from-paypal/
“I have my own criteria for what I will invest in and what I won’t invest in, but just because something is not personally investable to me does not mean it’s also not a tremendous product that has phenomenal potential,” Higgins told me in an interview Monday. “They moved me in their pitch. They’re wonderful, they’re passionate, they’ve been at it for a long time, and I felt like with a little bit of mentorship to set them in the right direction, they could really be even more successful than they’ve already been.”
https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2018/10/22/d-c-s-soupergirl-didn-t-get-a-shark-tank-deal-then.html
“Our food system is broken. We’re trying to fix it. Soupergirl believes in real, responsible food. We support our local farming community. We compost. We use wind energy. We treat our staff respectfully and ask the same of our vendors. We cook healthfully and our soups are plant-based,” the vision on their website reads.
https://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/soupergirl-on-shark-tank-mother-and-daughter-team-want-to-fix-the-food-system/
The 7th edition of Demo Africa concludes in Casablanca, Morocco, and HawKar will be heading to Silicon Valley next year
http://hawkar.tn/index.php/2018/10/20/demo-africa-2018-winner/
Now Nature’s Path, the largest organic cereal company in the U.S., runs the ingredient sourcing, distribution, manufacturing and supply chain aspects of Back to the Roots cereal. Items such as Back to the Roots Biodynamic Cinnamon Flakes still belong to Back to the Roots. Recipes and packages won’t be changed without Back to the Roots approval. But, Arora said, those products now will benefit from the category expertise of a longtime leader.
https://www.fooddive.com/news/better-together-why-some-food-companies-enter-into-partnerships/539411/
Since 2009, the Oaxaca-based organization Innovando la Tradición has been invested in rethinking the imperatives of clay-based crafts, while promoting sustainable practices. Besides running educational activities across potters’ communities in the region, the group’s commercial branch, Colectivo 1050°, identifies opportunities for the distribution of handmade objects to contemporary and high-end markets. AN Interior contributor Benoît Loiseau speaks with cofounder Diego Mier y Terán about the organization’s challenges and hopes.
https://archpaper.com/2018/10/an-interior-interviews-mexican-pottery-colectivo-1050/
FREDERICK, Md. — Early-stage technology company GOEFER teamed up with ROOT’s five partner organizations to conduct a pilot program of the company’s proprietary energy technology, which analyzes energy usage and gives users greater control.
https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/business/goefer-launches-energy-saving-technology-pilot-program/article_051b797d-a707-54e1-b1ab-1a5ec1c0e954.html
Four years later, things have changed a bit: Berman, the 33-year-old founder and CEO of Milkcrate, LLC, said her start-up has “evolved” to a new, broader focus. Now she’s using her app’s platform as a customizable blank canvas for organizations looking to reach their audience through their very own smartphone app.
https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/philadelphia/milkcrate-app-platform-philly
Polon, a former stand-up comedian, has grown the business to 35 employees and two retail locations in D.C., a home soup-delivery service and an expanding retail network including local farmers’ markets, more than 50 Whole Foods and other natural-goods stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic and 20 Costco stores from Massachusetts to D.C.
https://wtop.com/tv/2018/10/dcs-soupergirl-gets-a-shot-at-shark-tank/
Lindsey Tropf faced a doozy. A judge questioned why someone from Gainesville, Fla., would choose move her company, Immersed Games, to Buffalo.
“I won’t have to lose two weeks of development every year fleeing the state from a hurricane,” Tropf said. The Shea’s crowd approved, with laughter and applause.
https://buffalonews.com/2018/10/05/company-chooses-buffalo-over-florida-for-our-weather/
Esoko, a pioneering firm in the tech for agric space has been adjudged winners of the maiden Mobex Innovation Africa (MIA) Award for Governance and Social Good, under the Agriculture category in Accra.
https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/2018/october-5th/esoko-wins-best-technology-in-agric-award-at-mobex-innovation-africa.php
When companies want to conduct water chemistry analysis for regulatory compliance, treatment, or other purposes, they are used to the age-old laboratory analysis which can take days; delaying decision-making on-site
https://www.judeephson.com/blog/canada-s-fredsense-has-made-water-quality-analysis-easier
The backpack provides all four elements of municipal water supply: collection, treatment, transport, and protected storage, which empowers people worldwide to easily and quickly purify contaminated waters. In addition to being durable and robust, the DayOne Waterbag also provides a 95% delivery costs savings compared to bottled water.
https://www.nxt-chptr.com/tricia-compas-markman/
Asha Curran, Chief Innovation Officer and Director at the 92nd St Y, and Zubaida Bai, Founder and CEO of ayzh Inc., talk about making health care accessible for girls and women living in poverty across the world.
https://mashable.com/video/asha-curran-zubaida-bai-sgs-2018/#g37ABjLzpiqI
The textile and clothing industries continue to be the backbone of Cambodia’s export-driven economy, employing 800,000 people around the country, which is 86 percent of all its factory workers, and contributing 40 percent to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). The country is also home to Sustainability Champion, Tonlé, one of the frontrunners in processing pre-consumer waste.
https://theaseanpost.com/article/refashioning-fashion-industry
As winner of the pitch contest that concluded the Black Founders Exchange Program at American Underground on Friday, Parker was awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to meet potential investors, as well as an offer to join venture capital firm Backstage Capital’s three-month incubator program.
https://grepbeat.com/2018/10/01/durham-based-optimal-solar-takes-top-prize-at-black-founders-exchange/