Babson Holds “Arise Africa 2010” Entrepreneurship Conference April 16

Monday April 12, 2010 , 3 min Read

African Business Case Competition

“Arise Africa 2010,” Babson’s first Africa Entrepreneurship Conference and Business Case Competition will be held April 16, 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. in Olin Auditorium, Olin Hall.Keynote speaker is Rwandan entrepreneur Eugene Nyagahene, founder and CEO of TELE10 Group, a company that provides digital TV services and internet via satellite.

The forum, hosted by the Babson Africa Business Forum (BABF), an organization founded in 2009 by graduate students to showcase opportunities that Africa has to offer entrepreneurs, will:

* Offer a platform for sharing knowledge between professionals experienced with African businesses, and MBA students.

* Give Babson students, alumni and others in the Babson community an opportunity to network with similar organizations, as well as business, social and political leaders from Africa or who are doing business there.

* Create awareness in the Babson community about African culture.

* Support admissions in positioning Babson as an exciting place for an entrepreneurial MBA education that is relevant to Africa.

Schedule

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.: Registration & Breakfast, (where is this held?) Olin Cafe (Pandini)

9:00 – 10:00: Keynote speaker, Eugene Nyagahene, Olin Auditorium

10:00 – 11:00: Panel Session 1: Social Entrepreneurship in Africa: Measuring the impact and effectiveness of social enterprises in Africa

The Social Entrepreneurship Panel will feature distinguished panelists offering a diverse set of experiences within the field: from creating and managing socially oriented enterprises to analyzing and investing in the projects of social entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the panel will focus on themes such as sustainability and profit potential for social entrepreneurs in Africa, social results achieved using the for-profit model on the continent, and sources and methods of investment.

+ Amma Sefa-Dedeh, Executive Director and Co-Founder, One Hen

+ Ssinyu Nutt-Birigwa, Co-Founder, Peace & Happiness Group

+ Maggi Alexander, Executive, ImagineAfrica Alliance

+ Michael Strong, Chief Visionary Officer & Author , Conscious Capitalism

+ Moderator: Ms. Cheryl Kiser, Managing Director, Lewis Initiative

+ Panel Coordinators: Prakash Kayode Bhatia, Georges Ngongang

11:30-12:30pm Panel Session 2 (Olin 120): Identifying and Financing Opportunities in Africa

This panel will discuss current trends, opportunities and challenges in funding growth in Africa. Be it for entrepreneurs or funds alike, finding the adequate financing (local vs. international, onshore vs. offshore, debt vs. equity markets) for projects or transactions will be investigated by the panelists.

+ Nii Simmonds, Co-Director Wall Street Without Walls, Co-Founder Afrobotics

+ Adekunle Okunoye, Professor, Xavier College

+ Magatte Wade, Co-Founder, Adina World Beverages & The Tiossano Tribe

+ Kemal Okudo, Executive Vice-President, Paladin7 LLC

+ Judith Aidoo, CEO, Caswell Capital Partners

+ Moderator: Babson Marketing Professor Vincent Onyemah

+ Panel Coordinators: Eugene Krofah, Soji Martins

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch in Olin Cafe Lobby of Olin 120

2:00 – 5:00: Business Case Competition Presentations, Olin 120

5:00 – 7:00: Competition Award, Networking Cocktails, Closing (Needham-Wellesley Rooms, Olin Hall)

Please visit the conference website: http://babsonafrica.com/conf.html

For further information, please contact: Prakash Bhatia, [email protected], or George Ngongang, [email protected].