Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) has announced the 20 successful businesses that will participate in cohort two of the Women in Technology Incubator Programme at an induction ceremony at the bank’s head office in Accra.
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.
Speaking at the induction, Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana PLC, congratulated the entrepreneurs on their selection and shared some fundamental principles with the cohort to enhance 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, “she encouraged the participants.
The entrepreneurs will be taken through a nine-month-long incubation programme that comprises business advisory and financial interventions, including a highly acclaimed high-value Mini MBA programme managed by Ashesi University’s Ghana Climate Innovation Centre.
At the end of the programme, the entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch for and secure financial grants to scale up their business.
Asiedua Addae, Head, Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing at Standard Chartered, their business pitches to a selection committee, and five outstanding businesses will receive $10,000 (Cedi Equivalent) each to scale up, “she explained.
The new cohort had the privilege of hearing the experiences of Audrey Darko and Tracy Oppong, founders of Sabon Sake and Simpliexpand, respectively, who won grants from Cohort 1 of the programme.
The Standard Chartered Women in Technology Programme is currently running in eight markets, including Kenya, Nigeria, the UAE, and Pakistan, and is run in partnership with the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre, an institute of Ashesi University.
The 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.