African Impact Challenge

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Pillar: Health Entrepreneurship

Program Status: Active

Countries:

Flag of Canada Canada Flag of Ethiopia Ethiopia Flag of Ghana Ghana Flag of Kenya Kenya Flag of Mauritius Mauritius Flag of Rwanda Rwanda Flag of South Africa South Africa

The Health Entrepreneurship (HENT) African Impact Challenge is an entrepreneurial training program focused on developing social impact ventures in Africa, with a particular focus on health innovations. The program is designed to support young people with brilliant ideas that can make positive changes in their communities and the African economy as a whole. This program is designed to support African entrepreneurs that are at various stages of development, from the ideation stage to growth stage and generating revenue.

The goal of the Challenge is to enable sustainable development in the health sector by investing in African entrepreneurs and empowering them to solve identified problems through impact entrepreneurship with an aim to address the following:

  • Youth unemployment on the African continent
  • Creation of sustainable health-centered, technology-enabled solutions to Africa’s biggest challenges, that target non-consumption populations by increasing affordability, access, and adoption through market-creating innovations
  • Provision of additional resources and support to African startups to bring their ideas to life and to succeed in the African market.

Partners Involved

This program is run by the African Impact Initiative, in partnership with The Bridge, an accelerator at the Department of Management, University of Toronto Scarborough. It is open to all students and alumni of the Africa Health Collaborative Institutions and their affiliated partners.

Get in contact

Photo of Anuli Ndubuisi

Regional Lead (Health Entrepreneurship), International Research Officer

anuli.ndubuisi@mail.utoronto.ca

Photo of Celestine Nema

Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurship & Work Integrated Learning – Management Department; Projects Lead – African Impact Initiative

celestine.nema@utoronto.ca

Photo of Jamila Parker-Ismail

Program Coordinator, African Impact Initiative

jamila@africanimpactinitiative.com

john@africanimpactiniative.com

Photo of Sharon Ngugi

Marketing Manager, African Impact Initiative

sharon@africanimpactinitiative.com

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Centre for Reimagined Africa (CRA)

University of Toronto

Flag of Mauritius Mauritius Flag of Rwanda Rwanda Flag of Canada Canada

Profile

Anuli Ndubuisi, MBA, PhD Candidate

Regional Lead (Health Entrepreneurship), International Research Officer

University of Toronto

Anuli Ndubuisi is the Regional Lead, International Research Officer (Africa) at the Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto. She supports partnership engagement and research collaboration for the Health Entrepreneurship (HENT) Pillar of the Africa Health Collaborative. 

Anuli’s career has spanned research, program and project management, business analysis, business process improvements and leadership roles within African, Canadian, and US institutions across industry and academic departments. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, Anuli worked with Shell Global in Nigeria and the USA, where she garnered global perspectives working on global multidisciplinary projects.

Anuli holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, U.K. She is completing a PhD in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), with a collaborative specialization in Engineering Education at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto.

Profile

Celestine Nema

Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurship & Work Integrated Learning - Management Department; Projects Lead - African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Celestine Nema is a Program Coordinator for Entrepreneurship and Work-Integrated Learning at The BRIDGE, an entrepreneurship accelerator in the Management Department at the University of Toronto, Scarborough.

She also acts as the Projects Lead for the African Impact Initiative, a University of Toronto partner that runs the African Impact Challenge, a startup incubator program that  supports young African entrepreneurs to create viable solutions for the most pressing challenges within their communities. Celestine’s career spanned public service for almost a decade before pivoting her career to focus on her passion for entrepreneurship, youth education, and youth development.

Profile

Jamila Parker-Ismail

Program Coordinator, African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

In her role as Program Coordinator, Jamila assumes a pivotal role, diligently overseeing, co-managing, and orchestrating the implementation of business development initiatives at The African Impact Initiative.

She brings years of experience to the realm of Program Incubation, where her primary focus lies in nurturing Entrepreneurial Development. Jamila’s profession is underscored by her exceptional organizational acumen, a knack for fostering team synergy and networks. Her portfolio extends across multiple African countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Lesotho, Kenya, and Nigeria.

Profile

Sharon Ngugi

Marketing Manager, African Impact Initiative

African Impact Challenge

Sharon Ngugi, a distinguished Pan African Change Leader and Marketing Guru, is committed to driving positive change across Africa through the art of storytelling. As the Marketing Manager for the African Impact Initiative, she harnesses her multifaceted skills to inspire transformation.

A “Brand Whisperer” and “Favorite Storyteller,” Sharon recognizes that stories possess the extraordinary power to ignite social change. She masterfully employs storytelling to amplify the impact of the African Impact Initiative’s projects. Sharon’s narratives not only raise awareness but also forge genuine connections with audiences, motivating them to become catalysts for change.

Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice & Influencer, Sharon utilizes her influential platform to share compelling stories of resilience, progress, and hope from Africa. Her dedication to illuminating these narratives has not only expanded the Initiative’s outreach but has also ignited thought-provoking dialogues about the continent’s potential.

Sharon’s innovative marketing strategies, coupled with her passion for storytelling, position her as a driving force behind the organization’s growth and success. Her ability to seamlessly blend storytelling with impactful marketing has not only made her an industry influencer but has also led to tangible change within African communities.

Through her visionary leadership and distinctive approach, Sharon inspires others to join the African Impact Initiative’s journey toward a brighter, more prosperous future for Africa.