Ashesi senior and study-abroad student at UC Berkeley Innocent Chikwanda ’25 was named the first-prize and People’s Choice Award winner at Berkeley’s Collider Cup XV. The Collider Cup, Berkeley’s premier student startup pitch competition hosted by the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, is a biannual showcase that highlights novel solutions to pressing global challenges—from disaster relief to sustainability. It brings together industry professionals, faculty, students, staff, and members of the broader community.
Chikwanda’s venture, 1village, is designed to connect college students and young professionals in Africa within a community marketplace that allows them to share items they may need only temporarily—such as dorm-room accessories, learning tools, or special-occasion attire—instead of buying them outright. The goal is to make these resources more affordable and reduce excessive production that often leads to waste. 1village builds on the concept of Chariot, a non-profit venture Chikwanda started in his sophomore year at Ashesi, which focused on enabling technology access in rural parts of Africa.
A Trust-Based Marketplace
“Someone close by has something you need, and a lot of the time it’s just sitting around,” explains Chikwanda. “For example, I may have an event next month and want a suit just for that occasion. Instead of buying a suit that I may not wear again for many months, I could rent one from a classmate and return it.”
Central to 1village is the trust-based ecosystem it creates. Users join specific “villages,” such as a university community, and are verified by official email addresses. Additional financial safeguards—such as security deposits or microinsurance—help ensure accountability. By the time Chikwanda took the stage at Collider Cup, 1village had already drawn more than 100 users through a three-week pilot launched on WhatsApp at UC Berkeley’s International House.
