The GBSN Africa Business Concept Challenge returned for its sophomore year with 293 students in 78 teams from 46 schools in 17 countries across Africa earlier this year in March. For 10 weeks, students have been incessantly innovating in the aim of identifying a locally-relevant community need or challenge and developing a solution, related to Agenda 2063, that would efficaciously impact their community while concurrently scoring high! It was through this perseverance and innovation from the student teams, coupled with the competition’s distinguished international panel of judges that the competition was able to crest the meriting concept proposals and elect the competition’s champion – Team Bio-Answer Initiative from Ashesi University in Ghana!
After advancing through 5 strenuous phases and a daunting attenuation that narrowed the competition from 6 Top Teams, to only 3, it is elating to recognize the participating scholars’ capacity to change our global community and prolifically presage the leaders of tomorrow. The mere identities of the Top 3 Teams alone, composed of 5 women and 5 men, self-sustaining reflect the voltage of the youth and, to be more magnifying, the essentiality of women in entrepreneurship. We spiritedly accede that the members of the Top 3 Teams – Team Bio-Answer Initiative from Ashesi University, Team Ray Cosmetics from Bahir Dar University, & Team Pomace from Addis Ababa Science and Technology University – embody this attribute of great potential as global change agents, without hesitation. Undeterred by the technology challenges they faced, both the second and third place teams deserve torrenting applause for their creativity, perseverance, and the overall realistic outlook of their products.
Please accompany us in congratulating the winners – Team Bio-Answer Initiative from Ashesi University, Ghana – and the Top 3 Teams of the 2022 GBSN Africa Business Concept Challenge!
1ST PLACE
$5,000 USD GRAND PRIZE
Team Members:
Leeroy Takudzwa Magora
Judercio Jose Nhauch
Faculty Mentor:
Mr. Nicholas Tali
2ND PLACE TEAM
Team Members:
Rewla Ephrem
Yared Assefa
Abrehame Dessie
3RD PLACE TEAM
Team Members:
Nardos Alemu
Mahlet Alemayehu
Semira Jemal
Lidiya Tadesse
Lamrot Damene
Prizes for Learning & Development
Coming in first place, Team Bio-Answer won the grand prize of $5,000 USD in scholarship money, sponsored by AACSB International. Additionally, all top six teams have been granted free access to the Thunderbird School of Global Management’s Global Entrepreneur and Innovation Bootcamp, valued at $1,000 USD with a guaranteed certificate.
Designed for professionals who want to launch or advance global enterprises, Thunderbird’s Global Entrepreneurship & Innovation Virtual Bootcamp equips you to realize your entrepreneurial dreams or elevate your career as an innovator within a global organization. With a unique focus on global dynamics in an era of disruption and rapid change, the curriculum features sixteen leading-edge themes key to global entrepreneurial success in the 4th Industrial Revolution. This 8-week online course provides 3-4 hours of content per week.
Topics covered in Bootcamp:
- Strategic Planning: Visioning, And Goal Setting
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Strategic Planning: Implementation
- Understanding Your Customer For Marketing And Sales
- Public And Private Partnerships For Business
- Accountability, Transparency, And Ethics In Business
- Funding And Access To Capital
- Using Social Media Effectively For Business
- Operations: Value Chains
- Organizational Readiness For Scaling And Growth
- Intellectual Property In Business
- Creating A Business Culture For Growth
- Effective Branding For Business Growth
- Financial Analysis And Management
- Recruiting Quality Talent For Business Growth
- Developing Staff For Business Growth
The Africa Business Concept Challenge
The Africa Business Concept Challenge intends to assist young people from the African continent who have an entrepreneurial orientation and a desire to serve their community. With a focus on promoting responsible capitalism, the competition will identify high potential young people for mentorship and investment. The competition challenges student teams to design a viable business concept that addresses a locally-relevant challenge or problem related to Agenda 2063, and inclusive and sustainable development.