Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies has held a two day training workshop for social entrepreneurs under the ‘Making More Health’ (MMH) Accelerator programme.
The accelerator programme was launched last year and brings together African social entrepreneurs, Ashoka, an innovators platform and Boehringer Ingelheims’ leaders from around the globe to brainstorm on ways to enhance the start-ups business models and identify opportunities for strategic collaboration to improve human and animal health. The programme also aims to review and improve social entrepreneurs’ business models as well as identifying opportunities for partnerships.
The programme has pooled innovators from Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria who are working on animal and human health programmes in rural areas in their respective countries. The social ventures will proceed to a pilot phase over the next six months where they will develop a minimum viable product specific to their market needs. It will then culminate in the social entrepreneurs pitching at Boehringer Ingelheim’s headquarters for scale up funding.
Through the Accelerator program, Boehringer Ingelheim seeks to build a network of financially sustainable social enterprises in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana so as to expand their outreach in remote areas. The program also aims to bring innovative and passionate entrepreneurs together with the brightest corporate minds from Boehringer Ingelheim with the aim of delivering meaningful sustainable social impact and improve access to healthcare for low-income populations.
Sara Jefferson, Senior Change maker Manager, Making More Health, Ashoka, had this to say, “Further to core business and leadership skills that these workshops provide within the accelerator, we are working across multiple disciplines to ensure that the dreams of these entrepreneurs are materialized, they attract the right investment and have the opportunity and tools to scale up. Working with Boehringer Ingelheim, we are keen to ensure that we are supporting these start-ups in strengthening their value propositions and become successful and sustainable businesses.”