Fund Overview:
In line with Ashesi’s mission of educating a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders in Africa, the Ashesi Business Administration Department launched the Ashesi Enterprise Fund (AEF) in 2015, to support student business ventures aimed at solving Africa’s most pressing challenges. While some of these ventures will not proceed beyond graduation, all students will learn essential skills for starting and growing a business, or working within a business, which are applicable for life after graduation. this thus helps to make entrepreneurs, social change agents or intrapreneurs of students.
The AEF is an educational resource fund purposed to support the University’s growing entrepreneurship ecosystem. Its objective is to provide student startups with proof-of-concept grants and soft loans, to help them validate their business models, products and services. Some AEF beneficiaries include but are not limited to: students in the Entrepreneurship capstone session, those in the Foundations of Design & Entrepreneurship class (i.e. all freshmen every year), the Ashesi Venture Accelerator, the Ashesi Business Club, among others.
AEF Management Structure
The AEF has a 3-tier governance level to ensure that it can achieve its objectives in a transparent and timely manner.
At the helm of the affairs of the fund, is a local Governing Council (GovCo) made up of entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Their main responsibility is to support the building of the fund annually. It is comprised of: Mr. Patrick Akorli – Managing Director, GOIL; Mr. John Colin Villars – Chief Executive Officer, Camelot Securities; and Ms. Mona Boyd – Chief Executive Officer, Landtours. The GovCo meets twice in the year, with one of these meetings being a fundraising event.
At the second tier is an Investment Committee (IC) who provide executive support to formulate strategy and drive the affairs of the fund. The members of the IC are: Mr. Patrick Quantson ‘05, the Chairperson and Ashesi alumni representative; Dr. Sena Agbodjah Agyepong, the BA Department Representative; Mr. David Kadeh, Ashesi’s Finance Director; and Mr. Ebenezer Gwumah Buckman ‘11, Ashesi’s Director of External Relations. The IC is supported by Dr. Gordon Adomdza, the Faculty Advisor for the Ashesi Venture Accelerator (AVA and the Faculty Lead for the FDE); Mr. William Annoh, the Program Coordinator for the BA Department, to provide the needed insights and information to help it in decision making, and supported by Ms. Jennifer Saarkwah, the AEF Assistant.
At the operational level of the AEF is the Management Committee (ManCo), which is a 3-member committee responsible for the day-to-day administration of the fund. It is comprised of the Chair of the IC: Mr. Patrick Quantson; the BA Department representative and the coordinator: Dr. Sena Agbodjah Agyepong and Mr. William Annoh, respectively. It is supported by a National Service personnel who works in the office of the BA Department, in the person of Ms. Jennifer Saarkwah.
Donor List for 2018
Various amounts were received from the under listed individuals and institutions to support our 2018 budget.
The AEF is continuously raising funds to support its annual budget of about USD30,000.00 and is working on building an endowment as its sustainability plan. For more information about the Fund, how it operates and raises funds, and on how to collaborate with the fund, please reach out through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
We are always on the lookout for individuals and institutions who can partner with us on specific events or efforts to continue developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem here, at Ashesi.