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Chivas the Venture Launches in Nairobi

BY David Indeje · October 14, 2016 11:10 am

Chivas Regal has unveiled the first Kenyan edition of Chivas the Venture for its global startup competition for the second year running. The competition is for startups that use business innovatively to transform communities and solve global challenges.

Denis Ochanine, MD Pernod Ricard Kenya and Regional Director for East Africa said, “We are excited to launch The Venture in Nairobi as Kenya is ripe with remarkable entrepreneurs who are socially conscious and strive to positively impact the world. We encourage all aspiring young Kenyans to share success and join the global community of businesses that are creating a better future – after all, it’s what we do today that will change tomorrow.”

With over $1 million in funding and resources, The Venture inspires social entrepreneurs and those seeking positive change from around the world to pursue their ambitions and realise their potential.

“Chivas is all about sharing. It is not about an individual it is about collective success. Share results of your business through social entrepreneurship,” he added.

Applicants from Kenya together with 32 countries across 6 continents will compete to get into the national finals. The winning startups will have the chance to pitch their businesses to panel of business experts who will offer advice and decide which finalist has the most promise to continue to the global finals.

Each country will be selected as a global finalist for the chance to take part in an Accelerator Week programme and travel to the New York, USA for Chivas The Venture final event in July 2017.

The Venture will not accept applications from NGOs or non-profit organizations. Next year, May 2017, the public will have an opportunity to to vote on who will receive funding.

chivas-the-venture

In July 2017, the finalists will attend The Venture’s final pitch in front of a live audience and a panel comprising of social entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders.

Kenya’s WEFARM, a farming information platform came 2nd at last year’s finals, securing $200,000 for their social enterprise.

Chivas Regal launched The Venture in 2014 and has since invested $2 million dollars in social impact-driven startups.

With an emphasis on all things social enterprise, the launch hosted two keynote speakers, Ivan Mbowa, Founder and CEO of Umati Capital, a digital financial services start –up. And Jessica Francisca Colaço, a TED fellow and co-founder of Brave Venture Labs, who remarked that The Venture’s launch in Kenya was coming at an opportune time where “We are seeing a trend of more social enterprise start-ups emerging in Kenya because they bring the self-sufficiency of for-profit businesses and the incentives of market forces to bear on global social problems”.

The launch of Chivas The Venture comes off the back of a global report that revealed 95% of young professionals are looking for businesses to take more responsibility in solving global problems.

To apply for the competition, go to The Venture’s website.

 

David Indeje is a writer and editor, with interests on how technology is changing journalism, government, Health, and Gender Development stories are his passion. Follow on Twitter @David_IndejeDavid can be reached on: (020) 528 0222 / Email: info@sokodirectory.com

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