Stanford Seed Partners with Entrepreneurs in Africa and India to Catalyze Economic Growth
27 Mayo 2019 - 12:00AM
Business Wire
Frank Omondi is a wildlife biologist turned entrepreneur. His
desire to lead a business that makes a positive impact on the
community led him to become the managing director of Ten Senses
Africa, a fair trade cashew and macadamia nut processing company
based in Nairobi, Kenya.
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Frank Omondi, managing director of Ten
Senses Africa (Photo: Business Wire)
With a background in wildlife biology, Omondi realized he needed
further training to help him continue to drive the company forward.
That realization led him to join the Stanford Seed Transformation
Program in 2016.
Stanford Seed is a one-year certificate program delivered by
Stanford University through Stanford Graduate School of Business
(GSB) that operates in East Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa,
and India. The program, which is designed exclusively for busy
business owners and CEOs, provides management training, one-on-one
support, and networking opportunities to growth-minded business
leaders.
Following Omondi’s participation in the program, Ten Senses
Africa doubled its sales, now provides 1 million cashew seedlings
to support 30,000 local farmers, and employs 600 people, two-thirds
of whom are single mothers. The company was able to expand to
Tanzania with the support of the Seed Transformation Network, a
group composed of past participants in the program.
“The program created a lot of trust between the participants,”
said Omondi. “It is difficult to know anyone in Tanzania if you are
based in another African country. Through the program, we were able
to learn what other people were doing in those countries, which
enabled us to have entry.”
Surveys of past participants of the Seed Transformation Program
reveal the impact participants and their organizations have on
their communities. After completing the program, 89 percent of
participants grew their customers, 72 percent introduced a new
product or service, 64 percent increased their revenue, and 50
percent expanded into new geographies.
“I’m inspired by the change participants are effecting in their
communities,” said Darius Teter, executive director of Stanford
Seed. “One organization’s growth and success can have a significant
impact, and we’re thrilled to partner with promising entrepreneurs
as they take their businesses to the next level.”
Participants work with Stanford GSB faculty to gain the
essential business and leadership skills that will enable them to
grow their companies and, in turn, positively impact their
communities. Admitted participants:
- Create an action plan to grow and scale
their business;
- Get in-company support from trained
facilitators who help introduce what they’ve learned to their
management team and promote buy-in;
- Develop relationships with like-minded
leaders to share experiences and develop an ongoing peer-to-peer
support network;
- Receive pro-bono project-based
consulting services from senior executives.
The program is now accepting applications through June 15, learn
more and apply here. A free, online information session will be
held on Thursday, May 30. Register here for further details.
About Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) is developing the
next generation of principled global leaders. Since 1925 we’ve been
delivering rigorous and experiential management education combined
with personal development and leadership that has the power to
change both careers and lives. Our faculty are empowered to design
and discover original research that pushes the boundaries of
knowledge. Our diverse programs include: the 2-year MBA program;
1-year Master of Science program for experienced leaders (MSx); PhD
program; Executive Education; Stanford LEAD, an online certificate
program; and Stanford Seed, a Stanford GSB-led initiative that
partners with entrepreneurs in emerging markets to build thriving
enterprises that transform lives.
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Kristin Harlankharlan@stanford.edu