StartUp Cup Unveils International Experts for Maiden Africa Summit in Ghana
Back in July 2015, during the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, United States President, Mr. Barrack Obama promised the establishment of entrepreneurial centres to empower women in the society. This was a topic that he was really keen on during the summit and is quoted saying:
“Women are powerhouse entrepreneurs. The research shows that when women entrepreneurs succeed, they drive economic growth and invest more back into their families and communities”
His message was an announcement of the new WECREATE Centres (Women Entrepreneurial Center of Resources, Education, Access, and Training for Economic Empowerment), a physical entrepreneurial community center that can be replicated in any community. This project, the first of StartUp Cup’s major endeavours on the African continent, is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs (EB) and StartUp Cup. Kenya is the second one to be opened in Africa. The other centre is at Zambia and another to be opened in Mali in the next coming months. A couple of others have been set up in Pakistan and Cambodia. Over the course of time, more centres will be opened up throughout the African continent.
In due regards to the need to promote entrepreneurship and businesses in order to create a sustained continent, many organisations are making commendable efforts, but StartUp Cup hopes to achieve even more to ensure that each individual is empowered to create jobs and provide sustained living through the Africa StartUp Cup, commented Sean Griffin, CEO Founder of StartUp Cup. StartUp Cup’s Africa regional presence is poised to ensure this, as well as create an open environment for entrepreneurs to not only strive within the continent but to also have a great impact on the lives of others.
The Africa StartUp Cup is another great effort by StartUp Cup and the U.S. Department of State to bridge this gap of educating and providing important tools to entrepreneurs in Africa and the world at large. “In the wake of the rising inflation, high costs of doing business, shortage of funding opportunities, among other challenges that entrepreneurs face in modern times, it is only right that we lead entrepreneurs to overcome such challenges” said Emmanuel Nyame, President & Regional Director for Africa StartUp Cup.
The Africa StartUp Cup summit is an extraordinary event designed to showcase and celebrate entrepreneurs and is expected to host over five hundred (500) delegates from every conceivable industry, and in the process shine a global light on the power of Africa’s entrepreneurs and startups to improve lives. The event, which takes place on April 29, includes a line-up of key experts with the know-how of entrepreneurship development in Africa. In addition to the summit on Africa’s progress in business, there would also be pitches from selected winners from across Africa, as well as a great deal of networking with investors, business leaders, governments, and the elite in Africa’s growth agenda.
Some of the confirmed speakers for the summit include Sean Griffin, CEO & Founder of StartUp Cup World (Washington DC) , Diana Ofwona, West & Central Africa Regional Director of UN Women, Neal Hansch, Managing Director of MEST (Ghana) , Albert Biga, CEO of Zooba Shop (Ghana) , Neeraj Gala, Product & Innovations Director of Bharti Airtel Africa (Kenya Head Quarters) , Ethel Cofie, Founder & CEO of Women in Tech Africa (Ghana) , Eric Kinoti, CEO of Shade Systems EA (Kenya and Eastern Africa), Lukonga Lindunda, CEO of BongoHive (Zambia), Vuyisa Qabaka, CEO of Entrepreneur Traction (South Africa), Zineb Rharrasse, Founder of StartUp Maroc (Morocco), Ahmed Maawy, Founder of Swahilibox (Kenya).
The summit is open to the public - To acquire your pass for this summit, either to participate or exhibit your products to a wider audience kindly visit the Africa StartUp Cup Page. The program also includes a VIP Cocktail withinvestors, governments, and selected dignitaries, to help boost networking and promote more conversations about Africa’s next level in entrepreneurship.
For more information, email africa@startupcup.com.
