As part of sailing on the ship bound to achieve the main targets of the Global Goals, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the National Youth Authority (NYA), and in association with the YouthConnekt Ghana platform, organized an incubation programme dubbed, “Youth In Sustainable Development (YISD) Incubation Programme.”
The YISD Incubation programme, facilitated by the Ashesi Design Lab presented the opportunity for young entrepreneurs, between the ages of 15 years and 35 years to display their innovative solutions that will aid curb the gaps defined by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The two-day event occurred in two sessions: the first session took place on the 24th and 25th of January, 2020, while the second session took place on the 13th and 14th of March, 2020. Eugene Eluerkeh, Dr. Gordon Adomdza, Michael Atta-Mensah, and Abena Engmann were the lead mentors of the event.
The first day of the training session took place at The Workshed, Spintex Road, where the 16 winners of the YISD challenge went through intense mentoring. Mr. Eugene Eluerkeh first took the participants through the importance and purpose of Value Fulfilment Blueprint (VFB) and the need for them to inculcate it into their innovations. On the second day, the innovators were trained on the use of Business Model Canvas (BMC) in an interactive session.
During the lull after the first session, innovators were assigned trainers who engaged them virtually until the second session of the incubation programme which also took place at the same venue. This part of the programme allowed the young entrepreneurs to be trained on the importance of Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in a business start-up.
“Minimum Viable Product, MVP, is the most basic version of a product with enough features to attract early-adopter customers and validate a product idea early in the product development cycle. MVPs help innovators get feedback and improve upon their product or solution concepts,” Mr. Eluerkeh who was their trainer for the day said.
Dr. Gordon Adomdza took over from Mr. Eluerkeh on the second day, to train the innovators on scaling and pitching in business. He guided the innovators through the concepts of pitching, focusing on the key figures investors look out for.
The session ended successfully with mentors and facilitators giving short speeches to encourage and gird up the young awardees.
The 16 young entrepreneurs who participated in the incubation challenge were:
Keitu Enoch - Kenoch Herbal Services
Dr. Michael Adusei-Nsowah - Primary Health Vision Care - Ghana/ Africa
Daniel Amedza-Philips - Preptime Quizzes
Prince Oppong - Tiger House Ltd
Samuel Prince Junior Bako - Northern Innovation Lab
Mabel Suglo - Dignified Wear
Lauretta Kuadey - Real8 Company Limited
Mashud Mohammed - KasiFarms-Aquaponics
Paulina Mwindor - PlastCycle Ghana
Adjoa Boatemaa Bonsu - Coats and Scrubs
Felix Appiah Nyarko - Trisolace Company Ltd
Iddrisu Alhassan Kobga - Hassan soochi upcycling incubators
Abudu Bayorwor – ureport
Darko Isaac Agyei Mensah – Deafcantalk
Jonathan Kojo - Jowato.com
Dr. Elvis Forson - Financial Literacy in Pregnancy (FLiP) Project
Background
YISD Challenge
UNDP and NYA launched the YISD challenge in December 2019. There were over 300 submissions from young entrepreneurs, but after a competitive selection, 16 young innovators were awarded a total amount of 80, 000 USD (5, 000 USD each).
The Ashesi Design Lab
The Ashesi Design Lab was contracted by local partners as the service provider to support the delivery of the Youth Innovation for Sustainable Development (YISD) Challenge 2019/2020 Incubation Program in Ghana. Thus, the Design Lab provided tailored intensive 9-weeks incubation, mentorship, and business development support to the selected winners of the challenge to lead them into the implementation of their product or service.
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