Launched with a mission to give entrepreneurs world-class mentorship from over 50 mentors, capital, and forge networks, Unreasonable East Africa has launched its Unreasonable Marketplace , a crowdfunding platform through which the public can make donations to support ventures at the Institute.
The marketplace is expected to help lobby for public support to give the institute’s inaugural class of 14 fellows chance to afford mentors, meet impact funders, get 5 weeks of food and lodging, and build an ever-growing network of fellow Unreasonable entrepreneurs for the rest of their lives without having to pay a dime themselves.
“These entrepreneurs go to bed everyday thinking about how they could make the world a better place and are hungry to expand their current reach in East Africa,” said Joachim Ewechu, CEO and Co-Founder of Unreasonable East Africa. “We are honored and excited to work with these ventures over this year to grow their businesses ten times what they are now thereby creating jobs, improving access to basic services and thereby building the region’s economy.”
The fellows, chosen after a two months search from over 160 companies from the region had to present a financially self‐sustaining venture with a great understanding of their target market and the ability to scale to meet the needs of at least 1 million people. The selected 14 ventures, 8 from Uganda, 5 from Kenya and 1 from Tanzania will attend a 5 weeks boot camp will run from June 25, 2014 to July 31, 2014 in Kampala, Uganda.
The marketplace will help the 14 finalists include get all their basic needs minus having to pay for them. The finalists include;
- Rebecca and Eric Kaduru, KadAfrica
- Emmy Wasirwa and Bernard Mogaka Kinara, Wana Energy Solutions
- Vincent Kienzler And David Gerard, Green Bio Energy
- Abubaker Musuuza, Village energy limited
- Gideon Emorut And Lillian Emorut, Geel enterprises ltd
- Businge John and Robert Makune, Forever Sanitation Ltd
- Charles Nichols and SamirI brahim, SunCulture Kenya Limited
- Jack O’Regan and TyerGoodwin, SmartLife
- Carolyne Kimari, Grab A Book
- Galen Welsch and Alfred Edakasi, Jibu
- Chantal Heutink, I-Care
- Sachi DeCou And Olivia Nava, Juabar Design
- Myles Lutheran And Cosmas Ochieng, Eco Fuels
- Malik Fahd Kayondo and Irene Kayaga Ndagire, Telesat International Cottage Industrial Development Institute
