First Entrepreneurship Bootcamp ends with pitches to Ford executives

From 20 to 29 September 2023, more than 80 participants took part in our first Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, an online programme sponsored by Ford Credit Europe. Participants developed business ideas that respond to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Prowibo educators led the workshops: Financial Planning with Axel Scholz, Design Thinking with Dr Bob Eckhart and Ena Vukovic, Leadership with Dr Carola Hieker, Communications with Caz Meech and Futures Thinking with Dr Lucía Morales. Academic experts and industry practitioners coached participants as they shaped their proposals.

Pitching to the Dragons

The bootcamp ended with a Dragons’ Den pitch competition. Participants presented their proposals to a panel of senior Ford executives: Carlos Treadway (CEO), Francesco Gaspari (Managing Director), Paul Kiernan (CFO), Suzanne Lewsley (Managing Director), Will Davies (CDO) and Howard Cohen (Legal Director).

Among the winners were Geremy Sandy and Levi Hamilton. Their proposal is a biochar product made from agricultural waste, as a cleaner-burning replacement for charcoal made from trees, sourced in partnership with coconut and palm farmers. Geremy, a recent graduate of the African Leadership University, grew up in Guinea and showed the judges what smoke from cooking fuel does to people’s health.

People are cutting trees to make charcoal because they don’t have access to electricity or modern cooking equipment.

Geremy Sandy, Bootcamp participant

In feedback after the bootcamp, 97% of respondents were satisfied with the quality of the programme, 95% found the material engaging and motivating and 98% planned to use what they had learnt.

We thank Ford Credit Europe for sponsoring the bootcamp and the judges for their time.