Standard Chartered Bank PLC has announced 20 successful businesses that will participate in Cohort 2 of the Women in Technology Incubator programme at an induction ceremony at the bank’s Head Office in Accra.
Speaking at the induction ceremony, Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC, congratulated and encouraged the entrepreneurs on their selection and shared some fundamental principles with the cohort to benefit their businesses.
“The first one will be to stay focused and stay true to your purpose. When the going gets tough, just remember why you set up in the first place. I will also encourage you to persevere because it is not going to be easy. Another key principle is to be disciplined; self-discipline is the difference between those who are successful and those who are not. You need the discipline to do ordinary things for an extraordinarily long period.”
Mansa Nettey
The CEO disclosed that the entrepreneurs will be taken through a nine-month-long incubation programme that comprises business advisory and financial interventions. This, she said, includes a highly acclaimed high-value Mini MBA program managed by Ashesi University’s Ghana Climate Innovation Centre. She noted that at the end of the programme, the entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch for and secure financial grants to scale up their business.
Outstanding Businesses to Receive $10,000
Asiedua Addae, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing at Standard Chartered Bank PLC, threw more light on the grant allocation component. “At the end of the incubation period, all the entrepreneurs will present their business pitches to a selection committee and five outstanding businesses will receive $10,000 (Cedi Equivalent) each to scale up.”
Meanwhile, the new Cohort has the privilege of hearing the experience of Audrey Darko and Tracy Oppong, founders of Sabon Sake and Simpliexpand respectively, who are also grant winners from Cohort 1 of the programme.
Asiedua Addae indicated that the Standard Chartered Women in Technology Programme is currently running in 8 markets including: Kenya, Nigeria, UAE, and Pakistan. The programme is run in partnership with the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre, an Institute of Ashesi University.
The Head of Corporate Affairs indicated that Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) is a pioneering business incubator with a unique focus on developing sustainable enterprises and climate-responsive SME ventures and entrepreneurs in Ghana.
“Our mission is to develop and support an exceptional set of transformational ventures and entrepreneurs who are pioneering innovation and adaptive or mitigating solutions for economic resilience and climate change issues in Ghana. We do this with a focus on key economic sectors, the provision of premium business advisory and business mentoring services, technical support in the development, prototyping and testing of their innovation, as well as financial grants to qualifying SMEs within our incubator.”
Asiedua Addae
Standard Chartered Bank to Drive Commerce
Asiedua Addae moreover, boasted that Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC is Ghana’s premier bank drawing its history from the Bank of British West Africa established in 1896.
“Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity. Our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good. We are committed to promoting economic and social development, doing so sustainably and equitably in line with our purpose. The Bank is made up of client segments supported by functions. Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC is listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange.”
Asiedua Addae
The programme is a business incubator specifically designed to provide business support for women-led or women-owned businesses that leverage technology as part of the bank’s commitment to creating opportunities for female entrepreneurs.
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