Twenty Teams, Sixteen Weeks: Center For Entrepreneurship Welcomes First Student Incubator Cohort

The Center for Entrepreneurship has launched the Ashesi Student Incubator, bringing together 20 student teams for a 16-week journey from project to a validated, early-stage operational venture. 

The program organized across two tracks — Open Innovation and Agribusiness — is designed to help students move promising projects toward more viable businesses through disciplined testing, structured coaching, and milestone-based venture development. Both tracks follow the same progression: Minimum Viable Product(MVP) development and early validation, pilot readiness, traction and unit economics, and scale readiness and founder operational capacity. 

The first cohort is supported by four venture coaches with direct operator experience:

  • Freda Obeng-Ampofo — Founder & CEO, KAEME
  • Clara Pinkrah-Sam — Founder & Creative Director, Clatural
  • Emmanuel Ampadu Jnr — Chief Operating Officer, Pure and Just Co. Ltd (Yvaya Farm)
  • Nana Opoku Agyeman-Prempeh — Co-Founder & CEO, GrowForMe 

“For Finora Cash, we’re at a critical stage between early validation and scale, and joining the incubator will provide the strategic support needed to refine our product, strengthen automation, and build strong foundations for growth,” shared Founder,Trueman Mabumbo ‘26. “Through access to partners, funders, and market-relevant advisors, we expect to accelerate our development and deliver a financial tool that truly fits how young people manage money.”

“Through this pilot of the Ashesi Student Incubator, we aim to support students in building ventures that are viable, grounded in ethical and sustainable practices, and focused on solving real-world problems with measurable impact,” said Jessica Boifio, Associate Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship.  

Remarks by General Henry Kwami Anyidoho (RTD) at Ashesi’s Rwanda Genocide Memorial Unveiling

The Hon Minister of Education of Rwanda,

The Chairman of the Ashesi University Council,

The Founder & President of the University,

Her Excellency, the High Commissioner of Rwanda to Ghana,

Respectable Traditional Leaders,

The Staff and Students of the University,

The Rwanda community in Ghana,

Serving Military Personnel,

Rwanda Veterans and their families,

Invited Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Let me first thank the President of the University for the invitation to this important ceremony. I do so on behalf of the Ghanaian contingent as part of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Rwanda in 1994 when the genocide took place.

On May 17, 2024, I participated in one of the events commemorating the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the TUTSI at this very University. In my brief remarks on that day, I stated that more than the role I played as a person and the Contingent commander, the Ghana contingent succeeded in doing what we did because of the exceptional roles each member of the contingent played. I stand by that same statement today.

On that occasion, the President, Dr. Patrick Awuah, in his remarks, informed the gathering that events in Rwanda during the genocide, touched his conscience so much that he took a decision to move from the United States of America, where he was gainfully employed, back to Africa to help in establishing an institution that could help Africans get out of the woods. Whilst back in Africa and busily building this very university, he visited Rwanda and received a briefing from authoritative sources as to the positive contributions of the Ghanaian Contingent during those horrifying days in Rwanda. He made up his mind that our contributions should not go unrecognized.

He followed up by appealing to the Governing Council of the University and subsequently received approval for the construction of a monument at the University in recognition of what the Ghanaian Contingent stood for and their sacrifices in the course of humanity in Rwanda. I was taken by total surprise! In a quiet reflection, I said to myself that after so many years, someone was coming up to do what should have been done long ago. At the end of the event, I approached Dr. Awuah, whom I was meeting for the first time, and thanked him for his positive ideas and actions to give us recognition. The practical demonstration of Dr. Patrick Awuah’s dreams is what we are witnessing today.

Dr. Patrick Awuah, thank you so much for all your efforts, and we ask for God’s continuous guidance and protection for you. May Africa be blessed with citizens of your caliber. Through the grace of God, one of my grandsons is a student in this unique institution

As it would be recalled, at the peak of that horrifying event, the United Nations in New York was contemplating the decision to close its mission in Rwanda. I said to myself as an African General playing a leadership role on that mission, we could not turn our backs on Rwanda. To quote from my Book, Guns Over Kigali, I described the situation as “That was the period that the Rwandese needed us most. When darkness fell over Rwanda, pylons were shattered by mortar shells and power lines were cut, the people became numb from the shock of war; death no longer meant anything to them. The militia went on the rampage and massacred in the hundreds and killed in the thousands. Mutilated human bodies, charred remains of cows littered the streets as the ravenous dogs dragged dead bodies from one side of the road to the other until the flesh peeled from the bones. The sight of the carnage and the wanton destruction around us so dazed our senses.”

I therefore sought and obtained approval from the Government of Ghana to retain a residual Force in Rwanda to try and address the security situation as much as we could. With the help of God, we saved as many lives as possible and created humanitarian corridors. Some members of the Contingent paid the ultimate price during our operations in Rwanda. And as the years go by, some of our colleagues sadly have not lived long enough to see this day, but the honor is to their families.

Test, Then Build: Ashesi Launches the Idea Sandbox

Before students prototype, pitch, or invest heavily in building, the Ashesi Center for Entrepreneurship is asking them to do something more fundamental: test whether the idea is worth pursuing through the Idea Sandbox.
Facilitated by Center advisors and industry experts, the Idea Sandbox helps participants interrogate early assumptions, clarify what they are trying to solve, and identify the evidence they need before committing further time and resources to build. 

Each session moves through three stations: 

  • Problem Claim and Scope Discipline: participants define the problem they are solving, for whom, and why it matters, leaving with a problem statement that is specific and defensible
  • Critical Belief and Risk Exposure: teams identify the one assumption their idea depends on to succeed and determine what evidence would confirm or invalidate it 
  • Belief Testing and Evidence Design: participants design a simple, executable 7-day experiment focused entirely on learning, not building

Students whose ideas show early promise can access Demand Validation Grants of up to $500, giving them the resources to fund those experiments and gather stronger evidence before committing to execution. 

For Jesse Gyau Kusi M ’27, the most clarifying part was confronting the gap between a concept’s appeal and its actual purpose. “The session challenged me to dig deeper, ask the right questions, and really test the intent of my idea,” he said. “I now plan to interrogate my assumptions, gather solid data, and use it to refine my idea before taking it to the next level.”

Shadrack Atta Kesse M ’28, left the Ideas Sandbox with a clearer understanding that technical ingenuity alone is not enough. “The session helped me think about innovation not only as a technical solution but also as a business opportunity,” Kesse shared. “I now understand the importance of gathering tangible data to support my ideas, so that when they reach the market, people will buy into them.”

For Hubert Andoh Morrison M ’27, the session challenged his assumption that demand for his idea would come naturally and gave him the tools to test it. “It’s not just about creating a product that works,” Morrison said, “but about understanding how people experience it, what form they prefer, what challenges they might face, and how it fits into their daily lives.”

He is now planning customer interviews and surveys before making any further decisions about the concept’s direction. The Idea Sandbox runs twice a month as part of the Center’s idea-to-project support pipeline.  

Ashesi and LSE Generate Host Roundtable on Data-Driven Decision-Making in Entrepreneurship

Ashesi’s Center for Entrepreneurship co-hosted a Global Goals Roundtable with London School of Economics (LSE) Generate on how founders navigate growth, impact, and credibility when reliable information is limited. 

The session brought together LSE alumni in Ghana with Ashesi students, faculty, staff, and alumni for a focused exchange on what decision-making looks like in practice, particularly in markets where formal data systems are still developing and much of business activity remains difficult to track. 

Opening the discussion, Naa Akwetey, Chief Operating Officer of Ashesi University and an LSE alumna, argued for treating data as a strategic asset in venture building. “When it comes to entrepreneurship, we’re sleeping on the power of data,” she said, underscoring the need for stronger investment in data collection and interpretation as a basis for better business decisions. 

To ground the discussion in practice, a panel of entrepreneurs shared how they apply data in their work. Speakers included Nelson Amo, President of Innohub and an LSE alumnus; Nana Pokua Boateng, founder of Wholly Ever After and an Ashesi alumna; Emmanuel Asaam, founder of Gamma Energie and an Ashesi alumnus; and Dr. Disraeli Asante-Darko, Head of Department for Business Administration and Director of the Ashesi MBA. 

Across the conversation, one point became clear, that founders rarely operate with perfect information, but they are not operating without insight. Customer feedback, market observation, product testing, and lived experience often serve as critical forms of data, particularly when used with discipline.
Emmanuel Asaam reflected on the value of long-term experimentation, using his company’s charcoal product, Clean-Burn Briquettes, as an example. 

“After a client’s feedback exposed our products’ weaknesses against imported alternatives, we went into research for about four years,” Asaam shared. “Today, we’re top two in our category in major retailers in Ghana.” 

Dr. Asante-Darko drew out the institutional implication stating that over the next five years, the Ashesi Center for Entrepreneurship should build a more accessible body of research that entrepreneurs can use to make more informed decisions and pursue stronger breakthroughs. 

Breakout discussions extended these themes, focusing on how entrepreneurs can access, interpret, and act on data at different stages of growth. It emerged that the challenge is not whether entrepreneurs value data, but whether they can access evidence that is timely, useful, and strong enough to guide consequential decisions. 

This roundtable formed part of a broader LSE effort to deepen institutional exchange and strengthen the connection between research, entrepreneurship, and real-world application. It also created a platform to connect the Ashesi community with global networks and gain insights from founders, while contributing to a more evidence-based entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ghana.  

Cornell Students Visit Ashesi to Explore Venture Building in Emerging Markets

The Ashesi Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE) recently hosted thirty-three students and faculty from Cornell University for an exchange on how ventures are built, tested, and grown within emerging-market realities. 

The group, drawn from Cornell’s Residential and Executive MBA, Master of Science, and Applied Economics programs, included professionals from finance, consulting, media, and technology with strong interests in entrepreneurship and venture capital. 

During the visit, they engaged with founders from the Student Incubator and the Ashesi Venture Incubator (AVI), gaining direct insight into the practical constraints and strategic choices involved in building businesses in markets where infrastructure, access, and customer behavior can be difficult to predict. 

Jessica Boifio, Associate Director at ACE, introduced the Center’s approach to entrepreneurship development, explaining how Ashesi supports founders as they move from early ideas toward more viable ventures. She noted: “We want our builders to develop the discipline and resilience to keep working through uncertainty, adapt to real constraints, and keep building.” 

A recurring theme throughout the session was that strong ventures in African markets are not built through simple replication. They are built through deep contextual understanding, thoughtful adaptation, and a clear focus on solving real problems. 

Prof. Lourdes Casanova, Director of the Emerging Markets Institute at Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, led the delegation. Her work focuses on integrating global perspectives into MBA education and reshaping how Africa’s business landscape is understood. 

“I have heard so much about Ashesi as an academic institution training entrepreneurs for the continent and taking the business context to another level,” she said. 

Cornell participants engaged founders building across fintech, agriculture, health, wellness, fashion, and retail. These included Kowri, an Ashesi alumni venture enabling digital payments for more than 500,000 users and expanding into Côte d’Ivoire and francophone Africa; Farmitecture, which is growing urban agriculture through greenhouse and hydroponic systems; nBogne, which uses SMS- and USSD-based tools to collect and analyze health data in underserved Cameroonian communities and is preparing to expand into Ghana; Go Inside, a wellness venture expanding into corporate services; Wholly Kombucha, which is building a functional wellness brand around probiotic beverages and fermented products; and INRI, a handcrafted apparel venture in the Student Incubator. 

The team also visited Kodi Pet Shop and Salon in Dzorwulu, Accra, where founder Ruweida Salifu shared her experience building a niche venture in an underserved market. 

This visit opens pathways for continued collaboration between Ashesi’s venture ecosystem and global investors and operators engaging with African markets. 

Learning in the Field: Ashesi Students Visit Three African Ventures

On February 7, 2026, Ashesi students visited three ventures — 8th Urban Studios, APPSOL, and CIPA — through the Ashesi Center for Entrepreneurship Sector Deep Dive program. Designed to extend learning beyond the classroom, the Sector Deep Dive program gives students direct exposure to how ventures are built, run, and sustained in real market contexts. 

The visit to 8th Urban Studios, a real estate development firm working in sustainable urban design and project financing, where students learned how long-term planning, financing models, and design choices influence the built environment. 

For Judith Appiah ’26, a Business Administration major, the visit prompted a rethink of her affordable rental housing project for young professionals. Conversations around supply chains, cost structures, and real estate feasibility pushed her to reassess her sourcing strategy, her approach to investors, and the technical expertise she would need going forward. 

Conversations at CIPA, a renewable energy venture, reshaped how Obadiah Safi ’26, an Electrical and Electronic Engineering major, approaches constraints in the development of his solar geyser project. 

“I used to think constraints meant something wasn’t working well,” Safi said. “Now I see them as indicators of where I need to think deeper, work harder, and design better.” 

He left the session determined to treat the limitations in his project as design inputs and to centre user needs more intentionally in every technical decision going forward. 

APPSOL gave students a deep dive into the world of digital payments and software solutions, where they examined how secure, scalable platforms are developed to support seamless financial transactions. 

The Sector Deep Dive runs throughout the academic year, connecting Ashesi students with operating ventures across industries and helping them build the market literacy and judgment that venture-building in African markets demands. 

Partner with Ashesi to host students for an industry visit. Contact the Ashesi Center for Entrepreneurship at ace@ashesi.edu.gh 

McNulty STEM Scholars Program Advances Women’s Research Leadership at Ashesi 

In the past two decades, the McNulty Family and Foundation have supported Ashesi’s growth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Their early philanthropic gift towards Ashesi’s Biotechnology laboratory infrastructure has given students the tools and space they need to do meaningful research, helping to drive innovation. Over the years, the lab has helped student teams advance their research and gain global recognition. Most recently, Ashesi students earned a silver medal and four nominations at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition in Paris.  

In 2025, the McNulty Foundation launched the McNulty STEM Scholars Program — a two-year fellowship advancing women’s leadership in STEM through research, mentorship, and leadership development. Being the Foundation’s first university partnership in Africa, the program supports Ashesi’s vision to become an R2 research university and expand research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.  

The inaugural cohort includes ten students working on challenges in artificial intelligence and ethics, hardware systems, human-computer interaction, and sustainable technologies across Africa. 

“They are all incredibly bright and doing really interesting research, and they themselves are the leads on that research” Johnny McNulty, Director of the McNulty Foundation shared. “I think that’s really unique, and it could be an important model for how students get into research-based careers.” 

For the ten student researchers, this is an opportunity to explore a range of research interests while gaining hands-on experience in the process.  

“I’m excited to be getting the opportunity to explore a project I deeply care about,” said Tanatswa Mhiribidi ’27. “As a young woman in STEM, researching trust and security in the African e-commerce industry is a step toward building homegrown solutions to our unique challenges.” 

As the program evolves, Ashesi and the McNulty Foundation will continue to co-design its direction, preparing scholars to contribute to leading research and innovation across the continent and beyond.  

“People who are going to be leading the next generation of businesses to come out of Ghana and the world are being steeped in Ashesi’s ethical tradition,” McNulty shared. “If the inaugural cohort is any indication, that future is already taking root.” 

Susan Sasu ’11: What Happens When Success Isn’t Just About You?

For Susan Sasu ’11, leadership means creating impact beyond oneself. Every achievement is measured by the difference she makes in the lives of others.

“My mom always taught me that life isn’t just about me,” she says. “When I think about pivotal moments in my life, I don’t just think about my own journey. I think about the ecosystem around me, because we all have a responsibility to make sure it works.”

This international Women’s Day, with the theme “Give to Gain,” Sasu’s story reminds us that leadership is most powerful when it lifts others. By giving her time, expertise, and resources, she has not only built her own career but has created opportunities for others to grow.

From the early days of her career at Unilever Ghana to her current role as Senior Communications and Marketing Manager at Amazon, she has consistently prioritised work that makes a difference.

At Unilever Ghana, Sasu launched a side project called Asentenpa in a town near Aburi in the Eastern Region to help about 15 women gain practical business skills, from bookkeeping to store management. With Unilever’s support these women were able to start their own shops creating tangible improvements in their families’ livelihoods.

“By helping them start working, their families’ livelihoods improved. Investing in women strengthens entire communities,” she says.

Her commitment to mentorship continued during her Master’s in Business Administration at Duke University where she served on the board of the Fuqua Women in Business Association and worked as an Admissions Ambassador.  In this role, she interviewed prospective students and gained insights into what admissions teams look for when recruiting students and now uses that experience to coach young professionals seeking to build meaningful careers.

Sasu is also the co-founder of Gärden, a wellness brand that produces herbal teas and caffeine-free coffee alternatives. The company has supported the nonprofit Susan G. Komen through annual product donations toward breast cancer awareness and support.

Through these experiences, Sasu offers advice for young women starting their careers. She encourages them to work hard in their careers, being intentional about giving back, while cultivating meaningful relationships.

“You won’t just be handed opportunities,” she says. “You have to be deliberate about putting in the work, but at the same time, find ways to help others along the way. When you help other people grow, the entire ecosystem benefits.”

Ashesi Venture Incubator Fellows and Ashesi MBA Students Embark on an Immersion Visit to a Mechanized Poultry Farm

The Ashesi Venture Incubator (AVI) Cohort 7 Fellows and the Ashesi MBA Class of 2027 recently undertook an immersion visit to Wireko Asubonteng Farms Limited (WAF Ltd.), a 55-acre mechanized poultry farm in Bekwai, in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.

For the MBA students, the visit served as a live case study for their Process Innovation and Technology module, demonstrating how systems thinking, process design, and technology integration drive measurable outcomes in real-world operations. For AVI founders in the agribusiness track, it offered firsthand insight into what it takes to build and sustain a venture at scale.

“I saw that building a farm and any venture, for that matter, at scale requires more than just passion,” shared Yaw Koranteng Boafo, M’27. “It requires systems, discipline, and a long-term vision.” The experience reshaped participants’ perspectives on operational excellence and strategic growth.

“I am now more attentive to how systems are designed behind the scenes and how technology can be leveraged to solve operational challenges,” said Carol Adjoba Maclean, M’27 and AVI Cohort 7 Fellow. “It has broadened my thinking around opportunities within the agriculture value chain and other operationally intensive industries.”

Building a Career One Frame at a Time

Long before arriving on campus, many experience Ashesi University through the images and videos that showcase its learning and impact. Behind many of these moments is Cyril Kuornoo ’21, usually behind the lens, quietly documenting our stories and rarely in the spotlight himself.

During his freshman year at Ashesi, Kuornoo and his team worked on a project for the Foundations of Design and Entrepreneurship (FDE) course — a class that challenges students to address real-world problems using design thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurial approaches. When his team prepared their first presentation, they chose to present their ideas through video rather than traditional slides.

What began as a basic phone recording sparked Kuornoo’s interest in visual storytelling. Subsequently, he began incorporating photographs and videos into his academic work whenever possible.

Recognizing the importance of community growth, he joined the Photography & Film Club, where he found peers who shared his creative curiosity. The club gave him deeper exposure to the field, including an opportunity to job-shadow a professional photographer who visited Ashesi to engage with students.

During his time with the Photography & Film Club, Kuornoo regularly volunteered to capture campus events through photography and video. This helped him build a good portfolio, leading to an internship with the University’s External Relations Office, now University Communications. There, he supported multimedia projects that told the community’s stories.

AJC Ruling on Unauthorized Use of AI in Leadership II Course

On Thursday, January 29th 2026, the Ashesi Judicial Committee (AJC) adjudicated a case of unauthorized use of AI involving a student in the class of 2028.

Background

During the 2025/26 Fall semester, students enrolled in the Leadership II course were cautioned against unauthorized use of AI tools. Despite this, several assignments were flagged for AI use, and failing grades were issued accordingly. One student disputed the allegation, leading to a formal review by the AJC.

Hearing

At the hearing, the student submitted a screenshot of an AI chatbot interaction to support the claim that their AI use complied with Ashesi policy. The screenshot showed the student requesting “ideas,” which the student argued did not constitute unauthorized use. The committee found this interpretation to be incorrect, as seeking ideas from an AI tool still constituted AI assistance.

Upon further request, the committee reviewed the actual chat history and discovered that the student had edited their prompts two months after the initial interaction. This review revealed an attempt to conceal an earlier prompt that explicitly asked the chatbot to generate a full 1,500-word essay. The essay produced by the chatbot closely matched the submitted assignment, indicating deliberate misrepresentation.

Verdict & Recommendation(s)

After deliberating, the AJC concluded that the student was found guilty of unauthorized use of AI and lying to university officials. The student would receive a failing grade for the class, and suspension for two (2) semesters.

As stated in Ashesi’s Student Handbook and AI Use Policy:

  • “Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, unauthorized exchange of information or use of material during an examination, unauthorized transfer of information or completed work among students, use of the same paper in more than one course, unauthorized collaboration on assignments, and other unethical behaviour. Disciplinary action will be taken against academic dishonesty” (Section 7.4)
  • “Unless explicitly allowed by a faculty member for a given course or assignment, the use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Quillbot, Google Bard and others) for academic work by students is prohibited.”
  • A student should not knowingly provide false information or make misrepresentations to any University office. (Section 9.2).
  • Ashesi University, its students, and its professional associations will not in any way condone cheating, lying, or any other misrepresentations. Moreover, anyone who willingly conceals these activities will be considered accomplices and equally culpable. (Section 7.5)

Advice to the Ashesi Community:

The AJC would like to remind students that the use of AI and a lack of academic integrity will have serious repercussions. In addition to this, the Ashesi community should remember the following:

  • AI use is not limited to only copying generated content. When students share assignments with AI chat bots for guidance, they must understand that this is using AI.
  • When students repeatedly commit infractions in class, this must be recognized as multiple violations of Ashesi’s Code of Conduct. Repeated infractions should be escalated to the Dean of Student & Community Affairs for guidance on sanctions.
  • Lying and misleading university officials are serious violations of Ashesi’s Code of Conduct.
  • It is essential to learn from previous academic integrity violations to understand the seriousness with which such cases are treated.

We trust that this case will serve as a learning experience for our community. Academic honesty is very important at Ashesi and is central to our mission: To train a new generation of ethical and entrepreneurial leaders in Africa; to cultivate within our students the critical thinking skills, concern for others, and the courage it will take to transform a continent. This applies to all no matter the circumstance.

Does Harmattan Dust affect Solar Energy Generation in West Africa?   

In West Africa, dust buildup during the Harmattan season can significantly reduce the amount of electricity solar panels produce. Dry winds from the Sahara carry fine dust across the region, which settles on exposed surfaces, including solar panels. In some locations, this buildup can reduce electricity generation by more than half. Although solar energy is used to improve access to electricity in West Africa, very little data has been collected directly at installed solar sites to assess how dust affects performance. Many global studies rely on only a few monitoring sites in the region, making it difficult to fully understand the scale and nature of the problem under local conditions.

Addressing the Data Gap: ASMONET  

This lack of on-site information led researchers Heather R. Beem, Antwi Afari Acheampong, Augustine Ofosu-Appiah’24,Francis Aweenagua’21, and Jeremiah Takyi ’20 from Ashesi University, together with Stewart Isaacs from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to develop the Ashesi Solar Monitoring Network (ASMONET). It is an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled monitoring network installed directly at solar sites. It uses internet-connected sensors to collect real-time and historical data on how dust, weather, and air quality affect the amount of electricity produced by solar panels.

The ASMONET system combines equipment that measures local weather and environmental conditions, a setup that tracks the effect of dust accumulation on solar panels, and a cloud-based application that stores, visualizes, and allows download of collected data, enabling researchers to monitor environmental conditions and system performance on the ground in real time.