The Global Entrepreneurship Network announced today that it is now accepting applications for the Women’s Venture Xchange Africa initiative (Xchange). Launched this summer at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, the Xchange is a mentorship and exchange program for high-potential African women entrepreneurs.
“There is great untapped entrepreneurial potential throughout Africa, especially among female founders who lack access to the same resources their male counterparts enjoy,” said Jonathan Ortmans, president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network. “This program will help unleash that potential by providing female founders with knowledge and networks within one of Africa’s flourishing startup communities.”
The initial East Africa pilot program gives four entrepreneurs the opportunity to spend between two and four weeks in Nairobi, Kenya. Starting during Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov. 16-22), the Xchange is designed to help women-owned businesses develop a support system that will give them local knowledge and connections that will greatly increase their chances of developing new business partnerships. If successful, the East African pilot initiative will scale across the continent.
The program is being run by the Global Entrepreneurship Network in partnership with the Case Foundation, the Mara Foundation and the U.S. Department of State.
The four selected East Africa-based entrepreneurs will be matched with mentors active in their industry in Nairobi through the Mara Foundation’s Mara Mentors program.
The Xchange is geared towards entrepreneurs with established businesses ready for cross-border expansion in East Africa. Applications will be judged based on the company’s likelihood of successful regional expansion, the stage of growth of the entrepreneur’s company, the uniqueness of their concept and their ambitions for their time in Nairobi.
To apply, go to gew.co/wvxa. Applications will be accepted until Friday, October 23. Selected participants will be notified by October 30.
About the Case Foundation
Established by digital pioneers Jean and Steve Case, the Case Foundation invests in people and ideas that can change the world. For nearly two decades, we have focused on creating programs and investing in people and organizations that harness the best impulses of entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and collaboration to address urgent social challenges. Our work is focused on three key pillars: revolutionizing the philanthropic sector, unleashing the power of entrepreneurship to create social change and igniting civic engagement through citizen-driven solutions. For more information, visit www.casefoundation.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About Mara Foundation
Mara Foundation is part of Mara Group, a pan-African multi-sector business with extensive operating experience in both African and international markets. Established in 2009, Mara Foundation focuses on fostering entrepreneurialism in Africa through a myriad of programmes designed to address the complete life-cycle of an entrepreneur’s business idea. The Foundation works to create sustainable economic and business development opportunities for young entrepreneurs via Mara Mentor, Mara Launchpad and the Mara Ad-Venture Capital Fund. The Foundation is active in a number of countries including Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria. For more information, visit www.mara-foundation.org.
About Global Entrepreneurship Network
Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) is a year-round platform of programs and initiatives created by the communities that celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week each November. Aimed at creating one global entrepreneurial ecosystem, GEN helps people in 150 countries unleash their ideas and turn them into promising new ventures—creating jobs, unearthing innovations for society and strengthening economic stability around the world. For details on the programs and initiatives that make up GEN, visit weareGEN.co and follow @unleashingideas on Twitter.
Read full release at PRUnderground.com: GEN Now Accepting Applications for Women’s Venture Xchange-Africa.
Source: PRUnderground