The E4Impact Foundation was launched in Milan, Italy this month with the aim of supporting impact entrepreneurship in Africa through a leading Pan-African university alliance for the training and coaching of a new generation of impact entrepreneurs, with a focus on woman entrepreneurs.
LoA spoke to the inspirational thoughtleaders behind this groundbreaking new foundation to find out more.
On 16 September, the new E4Impact Foundation was officially launched to the world by the leaders of the founding bodies in Milan: Letizia Moratti (Securfin), Giorgio Squinzi (Mapei), Pietro Salini (Salini-Impregilo), Franco Anelli (Università Cattolica), Dean of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Mario Molteni (Association Always Africa), Full Professor of Business Administration at Università Cattolica. The aim of the E4impact Foundation is to support high impact entrepreneurship in Africa by offering a Global MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship, offered in partnership with local universities and delivered by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan.
"The E4Impact Foundation is willing to offer the MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship in at least 16 African countries by 2020."
Currently the MBA is already running in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone with 130 entrepreneurs trained to date and 190 currently undergoing training; and the Foundation is willing to offer the MBA in at least 16 African countries by 2020. The expected results by 2022 are significant and would have a great impact: over 3000 entrepreneurs trained, 500 new enterprises formed, and thousands of new jobs created.
"The expected results by 2022 are significant and would have a great impact: over 3000 entrepreneurs trained, 500 new enterprises formed, and thousands of new jobs created."
E4Impact Foundation was officially launched to the world by the leaders of the founding bodies in Milan: Letizia Moratti (Securfin), Giorgio Squinzi (Mapei), Pietro Salini (Salini-Impregilo), Franco Anelli (Università Cattolica), Dean of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Mario Molteni (Association Always Africa), Full Professor of Business Administration at Università Cattolica.
There are three main activities being undertaken by the Foundation: training and coaching new African impact entrepreneurs through executive programmes; improving the capacities of local universities’ professors and staff; and creating a bridge for Italian companies willing to operate in African markets.
In the current social and political context, E4impact can also provide a practical answer to the problem of immigration from the African continent, since it promotes a local entrepreneurship able to generate wealth and job opportunities.
The Foundation was born from the E4impact project (Entrepreneurship for impact) started in 2010 in the African continent by ALTIS, Graduate School Business and Society of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The E4impact Foundation will be presented internationally at the United Nation General Assembly on the 24th of September 2015 as an inheritance of EXPO 2015 to the city of Milan.
"E4Impact is launching its new Business Idea Competitions in Uganda on 16 October and Ivory Coast on 26 September. So, if you are a woman entrepreneur with a new business idea and you are looking to get it noticed and supported, get your competition entry in now. Check out the E4Impact website for details and contact information."
Recruitment is currently open for entrepreneurs interested in applying for the following MBA programmes in Uganda, Ivory Coast and Ghana:
Uganda - MBA programme to commence on 7 November
Ivory Coast - MBA programme to commence on 12 October
Ghana - MBA programme to commence on 24 November
In addition, new Business Idea Competitions are being launched in Uganda on 16 October and Ivory Coast on 26 September. So, if you are a woman entrepreneur with a new business idea and you are looking to get it noticed and supported, get your competition entry in now. Check out the E4Impact website for details and contact information.
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Why LoA loves it….
All the latest research points to the fact that high impact gazelle entrepreneurs have the potential to be real gamechangers for the African economy going forward. Therefore, the launch of the E4Impact Foundation is great news for the African continent - it provides a powerful and effective mechanism for the training and coaching of a new generation of impact entrepreneurs, with a focus on woman entrepreneurs. This is not only forward thinking on the part of the founders of this innovative and timeous new MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship here in Africa, but it is also a real gamechanger in the lives of the continent’s future women entrepreneurs. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and editor-in-chief of Lionesses of Africa