There are reportedly 582 million entrepreneurs in the world today. And with that many people leading their own businesses, one can safely assume they didn’t rise to success by luck.
In fact, there are a few staple principles every entrepreneur should know and recall regardless of their industry or trade. And if you have a budding passion to start your own business as some of these business tycoons did, this might just be your entrepreneurial fate calling . . .
Rising Herts: Fostering A New Generation of Egyptian Entrepreneurs
In a joint effort to equip rising entrepreneurs with a fool-proof skillset, The University of Hertfordshire & Gemini Africa have launched their student entrepreneurship program, Rising Herts, with the aim of pumping new blood into Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The program is Egypt’s first entrepreneurial program tailored to such young ages, given the important role youth plays when creatively sparking change in society, let alone business. And that’s why both partners have decided to groom Egypt’s upcoming generation of entrepreneurs to face the fast-changing and dynamic business world.
Originally based in the UK, The University of Hertfordshire launched the first branch campus of a UK university in Egypt with its globally accredited degrees. And the campus is locally hosted by the Global Academic Foundation (GAF); a leading academic institution under Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education. The university offers 6 academic fields of study: business, mass communication, creative arts, medicine, engineering & computer science, and physiotherapy.
As for Gemini Africa, the company is best known as a one-stop entrepreneurial hub and investment company that offers entrepreneurs 3 indispensable success factors: capital, knowledge, and social impact. Gemini Africa was founded in 2018 and since then, it has achieved substantial success with several Egyptian and MENA startups.
“Our partnership with the University of Hertfordshire to launch ‘Rising Herts’ is something we, at Gemini Africa, are truly hopeful about as it signals the commencement of a new era where we work together on preparing inspiring youth to become future entrepreneurs who are ready to hit the ground running; disrupting the entrepreneurial ecosystem with their creativity and innovation. ”
– Adly Thoma, Chairman of Gemini Africa.
The Breakdown of the Program: 3 Stages & A Lifetime of Success
The Rising Herts program is divided into the following 3 stages:
Stage 1: Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
Over the course of 3 highly interactive and knowledge-packed days, Hertfordshire students will be educated, inspired, and entertained in the formats of lectures as well as engaging discussions tackling: entrepreneurship, social & cultural impact, business modeling, design thinking, legitimatizing businesses, and building success stories.
Stage 2: Business Pitch Competition
After those invaluable 3 days, students will transition to a more hands-on approach with their mentors. 30-40 top-achieving students will be divided into 2 groups of 5-20. Each group will attend a workshop covering details of the competition, mentorship schedule, assigned mentors, as well as business plan writing, financing options, and value propositions.
Following that, the students will then be divided into 10 groups of 3-4 members. Each group will attend a 60-minute one-on-one session with their mentor, where they present a new or existing business idea and formulate it into a proper business plan while receiving constructive feedback, guidance, and overall evaluation on the initial pitch.
As for the third and final session, each group will present their idea one last time to their assigned mentor. This session will allow each group to ask any further questions and execute final changes to their business model in preparation for the final stage.
Stage 3: Demo Day
In their final stage of the program, the 10 individual groups will each have 10 minutes to pitch their start-up idea and business plans to a panel of 4 judges: Gemini Africa’s CEO, 2 successful entrepreneurs, and 2 university professors; who will evaluate and assess the business pitches while offering constructive feedback.
How Will The Program Reward Entrepreneurial Creativity?
The Rising Herts program will offer the following rewards to its participating students:
1. 1st Place: The group securing 1st place will receive an EGP 15,000 financial reward as a contribution to their incubation to help them realize their startup idea, as well as an honorable mention in Gemini Africa’s quarterly business newsletter for their innovative ideas
2. 2nd Place: The group coming in second will receive a financial reward of EGP10,000, as well as the newsletter mention.
3. 3rd Place: The group coming in third place will receive a financial reward of EGP5,000, as well as the newsletter mention.
4. Graduation Certificates: All 10 groups will receive a signed graduation certificate acknowledging their participation and acquired skills.
5. Summer & part-time Internships: There will be 2 top-achieving individuals who will be granted summer or part-time internships at Gemini Africa.
So, Who Exactly Can Enroll in Rising Herts?
There are only two prerequisites to enrolling yourself in the Rising Herts program: be an undergraduate Hertfordshire student, and have an entrepreneurial flair.
So whether you’re an art student, a marketing major, or even studying to be a civil engineer, the program is open to all students across all majors.
The 3-Factor Force Behind The “Rising Herts Program”
Designed to satisfy the most inherent needs of entrepreneurs; the Rising Herts program follows Gemini Africa’s 3-M equation: Mentorship, Matchmaking & Money. This 3-factor formula is set to achieve the following:
- Educate students and equip them with the entrepreneurial mindset and attitude needed to thrive as business owners. This will be done through theoretical and hands-on workshops and training programs.
- Provide students with the correct approaches and tactics when it comes to partnerships and joining forces with similar entities.
- Demonstrate to students how to actively transform an idea into a profitable business product or service.
“We are very delighted to have such collaboration between our university and one of the leading entrepreneurial hubs in the region. I am sure by the end of the program; our students will be able to positively impact their society by their developed business solutions “
-Vincent Emery, President of the University of Hertfordshire.
A Win-Win for Entrepreneurship & The Environment
Aside from empowering young Egyptian talents, the Rising Herts program is achieving a social impact of another kind; and that is sustainability.
Among the many business endeavors the program tackles, sustainable businesses fall on that list too. Luckily, it’s an endeavor Gemini Africa is vigorously passionate about and very keen on raising awareness around. The company has not only impacted several startups in multiple industries but also created sustainable opportunities for these entities too.
Have Everything You Need to Know? Now, Become A Rising Hert
If you’ve made it this far in the article, there’s only one thing left for you to do: apply and become a Rising Hert yourself.
