Ugwumba Leadership Center’s Post

If you are involved in the agriculture industry or work in a field related to the industry, this program is for you! The Endeavor South Africa program was instrumental to Farmz2U's evolution to becoming a company with a clearer vision of building enterprise solutions optimizing Africa's agricultural supply chain. I worked very closely with Peter Kraus who was very helpful in identifying useful resources within the Endeavor network to support us. Its through this network I connected with - Antonia B. who helped structure our Seed Round investment flow - Andrew Connold who coached Oluwatimilehin Akogun and I in becoming better leaders - Nic Ray, an amazing founder, whose insights on his company's evolution informed Farmz2U's optimized brand positioning - Farouk Gumel, an Endeavor mentor, who shared localised insights of the sector and gave localised advice on navigating our operational challenges I am glad FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank is continuing this investment which is essential in increasing the pipeline of 'investable businesses' that can catalyse growth on the continent. With leaders like Robert Haynie the 'broken investable company pipeline' is being addressed. Another reason why I seek to advocate more with other leaders like Jason Spensley of the Global Environment Facility. Put in your application for the 2024 cohort here; https://lnkd.in/d-qiik7u. Do it quickly!

My partner, Sakib Hossain and I had a chance encounter with Aoyon, a cafe employee, at Dhaka Airport as we headed to Singapore for Orbit Startups Demo Day. Aoyon recognized us from our company T-shirts and asked if we were from Fashol In 2020, Aoyon ventured into the agriculture industry, where he witnessed the challenges farmers endure, constantly fighting for fair pricing. He eloquently stated, "Bangladeshi Farmers are price takers, manipulated by middlemen." Aoyon's words served as a powerful reminder of the journey we're on. We remain committed to increasing farmers' income by connecting them with buyers through our platform. Raising awareness is essential in addressing these issues, and courageous individuals like Aoyon play a pivotal role in effecting positive change! 🌱🤝 Sakib Hossain being the salesman he is asked him why the fruits in his cafe were not from Fashol. Aoyon then gave us the contact details of his company’s procurement. #FarmersRights #Fashol #OrbitStartups #Advocacy #Entrepreneurship

ThriveAgric : A Journey of Startup and Agricultural Impact in Africa. In the ever-evolving world of #startups, our experience with ThriveAgric serves as a testament to the importance of careful planning. Before taking the spotlight, we made sure to lay a solid foundation by planting, nurturing, and tending to every seed with utmost care. Our initial focus wasn't on rushing to market; instead, we dedicated our time to deeply understanding the intricacies of #agriculture, creating a robust business plan, and assembling a passionate team. Before the grand unveiling, we fortified our startup with a strong funding sources, and cutting-edge technology. Similar to a well-prepared field, every single element was meticulously put in place to create a thriving #ecosystem. Resilience became our guiding principle. Challenges were not obstacles but rather opportunities to refine our approach. Our journey mirrors the adaptability of a seasoned farmer who adjusts to the ever-changing seasons. As ThriveAgric began to flourish, it became evident that our patient approach had paid off. #Investors believed in our #vision, partnerships flourished, and the positive impact on small holder farmers was nothing short of transformational. ThriveAgric comes to stay. We stand for smallholder farmers. Our #mission is to fight hunger with every possible tool at our disposal - tools to empower, support, guide, and uplift smallholder farmers, helping Africa feed itself and the world. #ThriveAgric #AgricultureImpact #StartupJourney #AgricultureRevolution #FarmersEmpowerment #SustainableFarming #AgricultureInnovation #AfricaAgriculture #FoodSecurity #SmallholderFarmers

Final 24 Hours! ⏰ Time is running out to secure your spot in the Agroecology Venture Accelerator Program. Apply now and gain exclusive access to our collaborative and supportive network to help you scale! Apply at bit.ly/AVA_Application. This initiative is implemented by Innohub Foundation, with funding from The 11th Hour Project and The Schmidt Family Foundation (TSFF). #Agroecology #AVAAccelerator #SustainableFarming #Entrepreneurship #Ghana #FoodSystems

REVITALIZING GHANA'S POULTRY INDUSTRY Did you know that Ghana was one of Africa’s main hubs for poultry farming? Today, the country imports most of its chicken needs. Orange Corners Ghana graduate Yaa Asare is on a mission to change that. Through her innovative chicken products, she aims to create a year-round market for poultry farmers. Meet Yaa Asare, CEO of Naya Success Axis Farms, as she shares her journey and vision for the future of Ghana's poultry industry. "Orange Corners gave us a mindset of catalytic growth. We’ve tripled production, increased our customer base, and developed new products. It's exactly what we needed to elevate our business." - Yaa Asare. Read more about Yaa's inspiring story and her impact on the local poultry industry: https://lnkd.in/dYEXxHup. #OrangeCornersGH #YouthEntrepreneurship #OrangeCorners #GrowthAfrica #WomenEntrepreneurship #GenderFocus #WomenEmpowerment #Acceleration #Entrepreneurship #BusinessAcceleration #Startups #Innovation #EntrepreneurialSupport #BusinessGrowth #Opportunity #Empowerment #LeadershipDevelopment #Networking #Mentorship #CapacityBuilding #EconomicDevelopment #SustainableGrowth #SDGs #Entrepreneurship #Youth #Startups Orange Corners Netherlands Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken Netherlands Enterprise Agency GrowthAfrica Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana

Have you applied yet? With just 4 more days to go, you don’t want to miss the chance to strengthen your operational capacity, receive funding support, and grow your impact on our 6-month Agroecology Venture Accelerator program. Together, let’s cultivate a greener tomorrow! Apply at bit.ly/AVA_Application before 2nd February, 2024. This initiative is implemented by Innohub Foundation, with funding from The 11th Hour Project and The Schmidt Family Foundation (TSFF). #Agroecology #AVAAccelerator #SustainableFarming #Entrepreneurship #Ghana #FoodSystems

Our New Ecosystem Map is Coming Soon! 🔜 🚜 Kök Projekt will publish the first-ever Serbia Agri-Food Ecosystem Map, next week. 🌱Our latest map will feature the startups, companies, incubators and accelerators, investors, and governmental organizations of Greece's Agri-Food Ecosystem. Here're some of the ecosystem players we've mapped out: 🇷🇸 Fond za inovacionu delatnost 💰South Central Ventures 🚜 Agremo 📈Agrines Let us know if there're players that we should definitely include! #serbia #agriculture #food #startup #ecosystem

Shamba Pride, an agtech startup based in Kenya, recently secured a $3.7 million debt-equity pre-series A funding round to enhance its last-mile #distribution for #farm inputs. The funding, #facilitated by EDFI AgriFI and Seedstars Africa Ventures (SAV), includes $1.7 million in equity. Shamba Pride, founded in 2016, operates a #network of 2,700 #merchants, or digishops, across 24 Kenyan #counties. The funds will be used to expand the #startup's presence in Kenya and extend its franchise #network, while also addressing #challenges in the #farm input supply chain. Shamba Pride's #digital tools empower agro-dealers, ensuring a consistent supply of #agricultural inputs to small-scale farmers. The #investors were attracted by the startup's impactful initiatives and potential to address critical challenges in the agricultural sector, aligning with their focus on startups enhancing basic needs and services. The scalable model of Shamba Pride aims to bring positive changes to the #agriculture value chain by addressing issues related to accessibility, quality, and financial services for #farmers. #agriculture #funding #hakunamatatamedia Story: https://zurl.co/2Q8g

Omorinsola Giwa is the Managing Director of Mamijo Farms, a fast-growing catfish farm in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial nerve center. She had her fair share of business failures before landing a goldmine in Aquaculture. She and her husband had shut down their previous business ventures out of frustration, and they pulled all their resources together to start a new business. "We found a ready-made market, and we wanted to go all in," She recalls. The duo had done their market research and gained insight that suggested they would hit it big in this new venture, so they were pumped to hit the ground running. But one not-so-good morning, they got to their farm and found all the fish on the floor, dead! Millions of naira flushed down the drain overnight—all their life savings. Watch the full interview on YouTube to learn how she turned her misfortune around. She gives insights on how to start a catfish farm and thrive... Click the link in the bio to watch the full video>> . . . . . . . . . . #India#Innovation#Management#HumanResources#DigitalMarketing #Technology#Creativity#Future#Futurism#Entrepreneurship #Careers#Markets#Startups#Marketing#SocialMedia #VentureCapital#SocialNetworking#LeanStartups #Economy#Economics

🌱NL AgriTech Summit Istanbul took place on December 7th, in Assembly Ferko in cooperation with the Kingdom of Netherlands. 🎙️We had terrific speakers from Türkiye and the Netherlands. The points the speakers shared were genuinely inspiring for ecosystem actors. 🚀Here are some of the inspiring quotes from the event from: - Evren Albaş, CEO at Tat Gıda - Nevzat Ali Çavuşoğlu, Intrapreneurship & Entrepreneurship Manager at TürkTraktör - Ahmet Elgin, CIO at Anadolu Etap - Albena Todorova, Venture Partner at Rabo Food & Agri Innovation Fund - Loet Rummenie, Program Director at StartLife Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ankara and Consulate General in Istanbul I Kök Projekt #summit #ecosystem #quotes