Second group of African entrepreneurs in training at OSU

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

A second group of African entrepreneurs from Kenya, South Africa and Uganda are participating in a fellows program of entrepreneurial training at Oklahoma State University that is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

“We are looking forward to the same kind of learning and cultural experiences that our first group of fellows experienced,” said Craig Edwards, agricultural education professor and co-director of the grant project. “Our end goal is for the two groups to connect with one another to create business opportunities.” 

The Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership has paired with the Department of Agricultural Economics and the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship to conduct the two-way educational exchange program to create professional relationships and learning experiences for the selected 11 African entrepreneurs. The first round of 12 aspiring African entrepreneurs completed their training in Oklahoma in May. 

The agenda for the new group includes an orientation to learn about U.S. history and culture, technology and social media, business development, and customer service. At the beginning of their second week, each fellow will be paired for a three-week internship with businesses, organizations, not-for-profits, government agencies and educational centers around Oklahoma.

Some of the local organizations hosting the participants include the OSU Dairy, P&K Equipment in Stillwater, the OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Logan County Cooperative Extension Service, Meridian Technology, Perkins-Tryon FFA, The Noble Foundation, Farm Credit of Eastern Oklahoma, Ranch Drive Farmers Co-op in Tonkawa, The Maisha International Project in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Payne County Cooperative Extension Service, Martha Valley Farms and the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship.

At the conclusion of their fellowships, all participants will travel to Washington, D.C., to take part in the Professional Fellows Congress, November 4-6, 2014.  The congress marks the culmination of the exchange experience in the United States, providing a forum for participants to discuss best practices and meet other young leaders within their profession as well as to develop projects they will implement upon their return home. 

Entrepreneurial Fellows at OSU include:

Kenya: Mathai Ndungu, Raymond Ngeno and Frank Ojwang

South Africa: Petso Mokhatla, Abraham Oliver, Dimakatso Sekhoto and Pertunia Thulo

Uganda: Kizza Aliddeki, Beatrice Alyanata, Moses Kisembo and Caroline Nabukonde

For more information about the project, send a message to Brentney Maroney, project graduate assistant, at brentney.maroney@okstate.edu.

Story by Brentney Maroney