On Sunday, October 16th, following a closely contested virtual pitching session, two young entrepreneurs were selected as the winners of the Global Leadership Coalition’s first annual Ghana Entrepreneurship Challenge. David Abaane Adombila took first place, and Judith Attamah placed second as the runner-up. They emerged from a field of 15 who started the internship and vied for the top 2 winning positions.
The Ghana Entrepreneurship Challenge is an initiative of the Global Leadership Coalition (GLC) in collaboration with Terry Mante Exchange and Orios Group, and in technical partnership with 1M1B Foundation. The challenge was open to young people from across Ghana.
Business proposals were sought in the areas of agriculture, sustainable energy, climate change, education, health, and cultural industries. Some 25 budding entrepreneurs were invited to attend a four-day Leadership and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp held in Accra, Ghana in June 2016, at the end of which 15 entrepreneurs were selected to participate in a four-month virtual internship run by the Global Leadership Coalition.
Over the course of the internship, the entrepreneurs were monitored by volunteer mentors, who held them to account for and helped develop their leadership and entrepreneurship skills. Mentors included the following: Maajoa Asabea Yeboah, Michael Kampem, Richmond Asamadu, Terry Mante, and Vera Aduamani. On Saturday, October 15th, they presented the results of their projects to judges at the premises of Orios Group. Judges included the following: Aaron Grossman (USA), Andree Bober (USA), Heather Lord (USA), Kathy Oneill (USA), Roger Kumah (Ghana); Selorm Betepe (Ghana).
First place holder, David Abaane Adombila is the founder of David Farms, which aims to transform the cattle industry in Ghana by supplying live cattle fattened with agro by-products and raised under zero grazing conditions, so as to increase the supply of good quality meat on the local market.
Judith Attamah is the runner-up. Her enterprise, entitled JA24FOODS is both a social and business enterprise. She is helping cocoa farmers to increase pollination by incorporating bee keeping into their production, thereby increasing their yields and diversifying their income sources. On the business side she will be packaging pure organic honey to supply to urban areas.
The other semi finalists who remained through to the end of the challenge were: Caroline Pomeyie, Christola Acheompong, Evelyn Klutse, Perpetual Sfarijlani, and Rejoice Etorfoli.
Mary Symmonds, Co-Founder of the Global Leadership Coalition acknowledged all the participants on behalf of her partners, Terry Mante Exchange and Orios Group and technical partner, 1M1B Foundation, without which the Challenge would not have succeeded. She congratulated the entrepreneurs for their tireless work throughout the four-month internship and recognized the leadership and entrepreneurial skills they developed including being:
Unstoppable and Innovative – overcoming challenges and following through with their projects
Results Oriented – focusing on achieving their 4 month goals while laying the groundwork for the sustainability of their enterprises
Adaptable – making necessary course adjustments and using the tools acquired during the training
Coachable – responding to the coaching and mentoring they received
Accountable, Reliable, and Disciplined – participating in the training sessions and completing the online training course, using the knowledge they gained to enhance the feasibility and sustainability of their enterprises
The Global Leadership Coalition aims to develop a new type of leader that is ethical, socially conscious, and entrepreneurial while making a difference in their communities, countries, and throughout the world. Through its partnership with Terry Mante Exchange and Orios Group, it aims to reach young people throughout Ghana. It also aims to impact the Ghana’s job creation goals.
Matthew Callahan is a freelance Social Media manager, web designer, and writer. A Breaking Bad addict and irritatingly critical thinker, he lives in New York City with his wife and their two wonderful MacBooks.
Kudos to our two entrepreneurs David my mentor and Judith I wish them well. They’ve really made us proud.