IGNITING DREAMS GOLD WINNER, 2021

Kipo Olivia

Growing up in Baleofiile, a rural community in Ghana’s poorest district, Kipo Olivia observed that access to healthy organic vegetables, a major challenge in her community, often resulted in high rates of malnutrition particularly among pregnant women and children in her community.

Inspired to address this challenge, Kipo established Kobaa O.K, a rural farming business that provides her community with healthy organic vegetables all year round.

In 2021, we supported Kipo Olivia with business development training and GHS 5,000 to fence her farm and purchase an irrigation machine. Following our support, Olivia has gone on to raise an additional $20,000 and created 33 job opportunities for her community members. During our recent usual check-in with her, we were super impressed to learn that she supported 50 basic school children in her community with stationery and other learning materials to help them stay in school. Truly inspiring!

Reflecting on the impact of Igniting Dreams in her entrepreneurial journey, Kipo affirmed, “the knowledge and training gained from the igniting dreams program has enabled my team and I to create a viable business model which has helped us in successfully growing our business.”

IGNITING DREAMS SILVER WINNER, 2021

Elizabeth Yamuha, EverFresh Limited   

“The Igniting Dreams program has had a significant impact on both my personal and business life. Through the program, I gained valuable skills such as writing effective business proposals, which helped me attract investors and customers for my ideas. I also had the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs, which broadened my knowledge of entrepreneurship and helped me improve my product's production and packaging.

Thanks to the seed funding I received from the program, I was able to establish a container shop at Wa Sombo, opposite the Homeland Clinic on the Sombo to Dorimon road. Furthermore, I was able to register my business with both the Registrar General's Department and the Food and Drugs Authority, which has opened up more opportunities for growth and development.

Looking ahead, I'm excited to import more raw materials for the production of liquid detergents and cosmetics, which are currently scarce in my locality. This will not only expand my business, but also benefit local producers by providing them with easy access to raw materials for production. Overall, I'm incredibly grateful for the impact the Igniting Dreams program has had on my life and my business.”

IGNITING DREAMS GOLD PRIZE WINNER, 2020 

Ismail Ayuss 

Ayuss's journey from humble beginnings to leading a fast-growing branding and marketing agency in Northern Ghana is truly remarkable. Starting by borrowing laptops to learn Photoshop, Ayuss's determination and passion helped him overcome setbacks, culminating in winning the Igniting Dreams Gold Prize in 2020. With this prize, Ayuss purchased a laptop and incorporated his business, Dlight Space, with the Registrar General's Department. He has since gone on to work with over 150 local and international brands, creating dynamic branding and marketing stories with unique tools and design solutions. 

However, Ayuss's impact goes beyond his personal success. He believes in the power of passing on knowledge and experiences to expand creative landscapes and networks across Northern Ghana. As a result, he organized a digital skills training for young people in the Upper West region, empowering over 70 young people to start their own digital marketing careers. 

Ayuss aspires to develop Dlight Space into a world-class branding and marketing agency that creates compelling business stories for SMEs in Northern Ghana and beyond. Ayuss serves as an inspiration for young people looking to pursue their dreams and create a meaningful impact in their community. His unwavering passion for creating compelling digital stories and his dedication to passing on knowledge and experiences make him a beacon of hope for young entrepreneurs in Northern Ghana. 

IGNITING DREAMS SILVER WINNER, 2020

Ganaa Cornelia 

Ganaa Cornelia is the founder of Nelia’s foods , a food and spice processing company that processes fresh farm produce into dried and powdered, ready to use products. Cornelia currently partners with about 150 smallholder farmers and women in rural communities where she sources her raw materials. 

Her business has created employment opportunities for young people by engaging five(5) full-time employees. Thanks to the seed funding that she received from CPI, she has registered her business with the Registrar General's Department and the Food and Drugs Authority and launched 4 additional products. Moreover, Cornelia has been able to move her business from production at home to a processing site where she processes her products. 

Following our support, Cornelia has gone on to win other business prizes exceeding GHS 150,000.00. 

When we asked Cornelia the impact of the Igniting Dreams program on her, she responded, “CPI and Igniting Dreams have been central in my growth as an entrepreneur. They trained and offered me my first opportunity to pitch my business. This helped develop my self-confidence and public speaking skills. The prize money also helped me to register my business and propelled me to raise more money to scale up. CPI did not only give me hope but they also helped to me empower the 150 smallholder farmers and women that I work with”    

IGNITING DREAMS BRONZE WINNER, 2020

Hamid Adams

Hamid Adams is the Co-Founder and CEO of Tondar Ventures, a Shea processing company that processes raw Shea into butter and other Shea products. His business has created 26 job opportunities for the youth and women of the Upper West Region. 

In January 2020, Hamid pitched for the Igniting Dreams Prize and emerged as the bronze winner of the competition. Following that, Coalition for Positive Impact (CPI) provided business development training for Hamid and connected him to business mentors to assist him in his entrepreneurial journey. 

Prior to joining the Igniting Dreams Program, Hamid was making ₵4,000 in annual revenues. Two years after the program, he has raised equity funds totaling ₵15,000 and annual revenues of ₵50,000. 

When we asked Hamid if our program had an impact on him, he responded, “Yes, I did not only gain brand recognition from the igniting dreams program, but I also had a platform to network and connect with successful entrepreneurs and business coaches who have all played critical roles in my entrepreneurial journey. Additionally, I have received many business referrals and even had the opportunity to participate in a Ghana SME exchange program in Germany due to the networks that I created at the igniting dreams program”.

IGNITING DREAMS GOLD WINNER, 2019

Hamza Mabruka

Hamza Mabruka is the founder of Influx Groundnut Products, a food processing company that processes raw groundnut into butter and cookies. Mabruka manages her own groundnut farm from where she sources her raw materials. Her business has created employment opportunities for young people by engaging ten (10) full-time employees. 

In 2019, we supported her with an amount of GHS 1,500. This prize helped her register her business venture and make her first production. Mabruka eventually became a beneficiary of the MasterCard Foundation program. Prior to winning the 'Igniting Dreams Prize', Mabruka had not launched her business and knew little about entrepreneurship.  All she had was an idea and a prototype, but we identified her potential and helped her make her dream a reality. 

Following our support, Mabruka has gone on to win other business prizes exceeding GHS 100,000.00. 

When we asked Mabruka the impact of the Igniting Dreams program on her, she responded, “CPI and Igniting Dreams have been central in my growth as an entrepreneur. They trained and offered me my first opportunity to pitch my business. This helped develop my self-confidence and public speaking skills. The prize money also helped me to register my business and propelled me to raise more money to scale my business”.