Africa Business Club, a student club of Harvard Business School, is gearing to put the spotlight on inclusion and innovation at its 17th Annual Business Conference next February in Boston.
“While the story of Africa’s stellar growth has been amply celebrated in recent years, we believe opportunities to make it more inclusive and generate sustainable progress for all are the next chapter of Africa’s story,” conference co-chairs Leo Markel and Nneka Ezeigwe said in a joint statement. “We define inclusivity in terms of socioeconomic segments, industries, gender, and sectors. We think that growth that cuts across all of these will generate multiplier effects in the economy and will promote political stability.”
Headlined “A More Inclusive Africa: The Pursuit of Progress for All,” the conference will take place from February 27 to March 1 at the Harvard University campus. As in the past, it will offer thought-provoking speeches and panel discussions by a stellar lineup of professionals from academia, business, finance, government, and from multilateral institutions.
The lineup includes Jean Philippe Prosper, vice president and co-leader of the International Finance Corporation’s global investment operations and advisory services and former IFC director for Eastern and Southern Africa and co-director of the Africa department. It also includes Ndidi Nwuneli, founder of LEAP Africa, a leading nonprofit in Nigeria, and co-founder of AACE Food Processing & Distribution, an indigenous agroprocessing company, and a partner at Sahel Capital, an advisory and private equity firm focused on agribusiness in West Africa.
For the second consecutive year, the conference will feature a venture competition, where teams will compete for the best new entrepreneurial ventures. Conference organizers contend that entrepreneurship is the cornerstone of African growth and development and “novel ideas” from this sector will help the continent to rise to its potential.
Ten entries will be selected for presentation to a panel of judges. They will compete for a $10,000 Grand Prize, a $5,000 Viewer’s Choice prize, and the opportunity to participate in the conference’s inaugural Startup Showcase for early stage, Africa-focused for-profit or nonprofit ventures that help to solve Africa’s problems.
Wave Hospitality, a Nigeria-based firm that identifies, trains, and places talented disadvantaged youth in entry-level jobs in high-growth industries, such as retail and hospitality, won the 2014 Grand Prize. Save & Buy (Nigeria), a web and mobile platform that allows users to save money toward online purchases, won the Viewer’s Choice prize.
Last year, the conference ’s theme was “Africa Accelerates: Equipping A Vibrant African Economy.” This year, “we hope to celebrate Africa’s successes but also talk about the opportunities to conquer the challenges that exist,” Markel and Ezeigwe said in their statement.
