Hollard empowers student entrepreneurs with second edition of Streetwise Finance Business Challenge

Hollard Ghana, the country’s favourite insurer, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life, awards Jnelp Innovations, a student entrepreneur, with GHC 40,000 as funding at the just-ended Hollard Streetwise Finance Entrepreneurship Business Challenge held at the University of Cape Coast.

In collaboration with the University of Ghana Business School and the University of Cape Coast, the grant-based program showcased ten talented student-led businesses that presented their business ideas to a distinguished panel of judges in a bid to secure funding. Zenags Organics won the second-place prize of GHC 20,000, and Career Path won the third-place award of GHC 10,000.

Speaking on the essence of the event, Alexander Osei Mensah, General Manager of Operations at Hollard Insurance, described the initiative as a testament to the insurance group’s efforts to nurture entrepreneurial spirit and innovation among the youth.

“As a company that does well by doing good, our purpose is to bridge the gap between the corporate world and academia. Being an entrepreneurially driven company, Hollard believes in enabling its community to create better futures. Since universities are essential in nation-building and the training ground for business leaders, we focus on engaging tertiary students to ensure they are enabled to succeed in the future with Hollard’s support. In doing so, we aim to inspire more students to explore opportunities that will lead to successful employment upon graduation, particularly through entrepreneurship,” Alex added.

Portia Sackey, the founder of Jnelp Innovations, expressed her satisfaction with the event’s outcome, stating, “We are thrilled to be winners of the Hollard Streetwise Finance Business Challenge. We are grateful to Hollard Ghana for this opportunity to help small businesses thrive.

With this funding, we will expand our business by investing in research and development for our skin product and purchasing a tricycle and two extra automatic filling machines to enable us to meet the demanding markets with our products”.

The success of the second edition of the Streetwise Finance Business Challenge reinforces Hollard Ghana’s commitment to fostering economic growth and empowering the next generation of business leaders. The company remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that contribute to the overall development of Ghana’s entrepreneurial landscape. Student startup businesses participating in the competition include Overseas, Gamkrib, Delsoy Foods, Shuttle Track, Prifrimps Food, Geia Technology, and Firefly I.O.

Keren Arthur, PhD, the Director of the D-Hub, urged the winners to be strategic in their decisions while remembering that entrepreneurship is an experimental process.

“Adopt a step-by-step process for using funds and know that entrepreneurship requires a small-scale pilot before major investment. To the other businesses who competed, don’t give up. This event has added to your story, and I hope this will make you stronger and even more committed to taking the ideas forward. The doors of the D-Hub are always open to help you chart the next chapter of your story,” she added.