Gaborone, Botswana – The Global Entrepreneurship Network is excited to announce the opening of a new Startup Huddle chapter in Gaborone, Botswana to support the growth of the local startup community while crowdsourcing advice and support for its entrepreneurs. Gaborone joins a global network of more than 60 Startup Huddle chapters world-wide and will host its first event on February 16.
In addition to providing direct support to entrepreneurs, the Startup Huddle program addresses a critical element of success for all entrepreneur ecosystems – connectivity. According to GEN research, startup communities with higher levels of local connectedness translate to an increased number of startups – and that founders with high levels of connectivity grow their revenue twice as fast as those with lower levels.
"Startup Huddle Gaborone will be the first chapter of its kind in Botswana,” said Mavis Modise, organizer of Startup Huddle Gaborone. “Delivering this program reflects how entrepreneurship support organizations are developing capacity for entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship development. Startup Huddle puts citizen economic inclusion at the center as it will help entrepreneurs identify solutions, enhance their confidence in pitching ideas, and build a sense of belonging."
At each Startup Huddle event, local founders give six-minute presentations outlining challenges facing their companies. Each presentation is followed by a 20-minute conversation with an audience of peers, mentors, educators and advisers who provide constructive criticism focused on finding solutions and increasing founder know-how. With new founders cycling through each gathering, and previous presenters joining the audience to give back, the community continues to expand while connections deepen.
"Startup Huddle Gaborone will create a support platform for the local startup community to grow, which will allow entrepreneurs to scale their businesses and get the exposure they need,” added Modise. “Entrepreneurs will be able to address critical challenges they face and share experiences and advice on business ideation, management and operations."
Startup Huddle Gaborone is supported by the University of Botswana Engineering, Technology and Innovation Centre and University of Botswana Business Clinic. To learn more about Startup Huddle Botswana or to join a local event, visit www.startuphuddle.co.
About Startup Huddle
Run by the Global Entrepreneurship Network in partnership with local organizers, Startup Huddle is a program designed to help one entrepreneur at a time while strengthening the local ecosystem. Entrepreneurs discover challenges to the solutions they face through purposeful engagement with a broad array of voices from their local community. Currently, there are local Startup Huddle chapters in more than 50 cities around the world. For more information, visit www.startuphuddle.co.
About the Global Entrepreneurship Network
The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates projects and programs in 200 countries to make it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross border collaboration and initiatives between entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN works to fuel healthier start and scale ecosystems that create more jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and strengthen economic growth. For more information, visit www.genglobal.org.