Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship has been a theme of my work for several years. Between work with HESE and research in IST, the entrepreneurial mindset is broadly applicable.

Diabetes Screening Training Session – Sierra Leone

1. PhD Dissertation on Start-up Incubators in Rwanda
   For my PhD dissertation, I will be conducting a study on start-up incubators in developing countries. This will be accomplished through a case study of incubators located in Rwanda. Rwanda is a small country in East Africa that has identified Information Technology as a way to drive the economic development of the country. My study will investigate start-ups and the role of start-up incubators and similar organizations in promoting IT entrepreneurship in Rwanda. I will be spending nine months in Rwanda as a part of a Fulbright Scholarship starting in January 2017 and will work with local entrepreneurs there while conducting interviews and observation. Research will focus on how incubators affect the entrepreneurial process of these start-ups and how start-ups interact with other entities in Rwanda including policymakers, academia, and venture capitalists.

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2. Work on Grants for both HESE and IST
   I have had the opportunity to assist with the completion of several grants while working with HESE. One grant, submitted to the VISA foundation, involved the use of mobile payment systems to connect fruit farmers with a juice company based in Sierra Leone. Another grant, submitted to the Gates Foundation, also looked into mobile payments with the intention of collecting data about consumer spending habits in order to better understand how mobile payment systems could be improved in the field. I also worked on several NSF grants about ICTs and refugees, specifically in Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan.  My grant skills were further developed when I applied for and received a Fulbright scholarship to conduct my PhD research (mentioned above). Working on these grants required an entrepreneurial mindset as the main goal was to effectively communicate our ideas and convince others of their value.

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3. Pilot Study evaluating the feasibility of a diabetes screening venture in Sierra Leone
   During summer 2016, I spent three months working in Makeni, Sierra Leone. During this time, my primary task was to implement a pilot study evaluating the feasibility of launching a social entrepreneurial venture focused on diabetes screening in Sierra Leone. During this pilot study, we implemented 10 different pricing and sensitization scenarios at communities in and around Makeni. Training was conducted at each of these locations and the staff were provided with materials needed for their scenario as well as descriptions of their specific pricing and sensitization strategy. Each scenario was then allowed to run organically for between 3 weeks and 2 months (depending on availability and other factors). After this time had passed, I conducted follow-up interviews with staff at each location in order to collect their perceptions of the program and recommendations for the way forward. The lessons learned in this pilot study will inform other ventures on potential strategies for similar types of social enterprises.