Columbia Business School, in partnership with Columbia Global Centers in Nairobi and Tunis, launched the Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Africa Program (EC-Africa) in 2021, aiming to empower entrepreneurs from mid-sized African companies with the essential skills, resources, and networks needed to thrive in today's dynamic global landscape. Since its inception, the program has organized two cohorts, with the inaugural class of 2022 boasting participants hailing from 10 different countries, representing 20 company teams, and involving 58 senior executives.The participants in this round hailed from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia. Read the comprehensive report for a detailed overview of the 2022 program.
In its second iteration, the program welcomes 49 entrepreneurs, with women constituting 39% of the participants. The cohort comprises 15 companies spanning six countries: Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tunisia. These participants bring diverse expertise from various industries, including home furnishing, manufacturing, B2B e-commerce, fintech, cybersecurity, finance, construction, food processing, survey and research, energy, AI credit scoring, and recycling.
Read more about the participants and discover their company profiles by clicking this link.
The 2023 - 2024 eleven-month program features:
- Rigorous online classes with Columbia professors
- A self-selected company project guided by faculty and assisted by MBA student consultants
- A Columbia Certificate of Business Excellence
- One week at the Africa Business School campus in Rabat, Morocco
- A final week in New York at the Columbia campus with professors and advisors
- Enrollment in the Columbia Business School worldwide alumni network.
