The Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies—known as Stanford Seed—is a Stanford Graduate School of Business-led initiative intent on ending the cycle of poverty in developing economies.
SEED’s Transformation Program seeks out small and medium sized businesses looking to achieve massive growth and scale in the West African sub-region. The Program is designed around intensive sessions taught by Stanford faculty and industry experts through experiential learning exercises.
Seed’s regional center in West Africa was launched in 2013 with an initial cohort of 36 executives representing 29 companies from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
Application Deadline: November 15th 2015
The center recently admitted its 5th cohort of CEOs, and is looking to start recruiting for its 6th cohort, who will enter STP in March of 2016.
The STP curriculum is customized to address the needs of CEOs/leaders in developing economies who lead growing enterprises.
STP topics include leadership training, entrepreneurial organizations, strategy, operations, accounting, marketing, finance/investing, value chain innovations, governance, business ethics, and product and service innovations.
Program Eligibility
The Stanford Seed Transformation Program is specifically intended for founders/leaders who lead and want to grow their established businesses in the West Africa subregion.
Applicants must demonstrate commitment and potential to grow and scale their companies, thereby creating jobs, products, or services that benefit those living in poverty.
- Applicants must be founders/leaders of for-profit companies.
- Applicants lead organizations with an annual revenue range between $150,000 and $15 million.
- Applicant’s company must be headquartered, legally registered, and currently operating within West Africa.
- Applicant must have English language proficiency.
- The program is open to all industries. The following sectors have been represented in past cohorts:
- Agriculture and Food Processing
- Construction, Civil Engineering, and Real Estate
- Education
- Energy
- Financial Services
- Healthcare
- Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
- Retail & Product Manufacturing
- Tourism
- Transportation and Logistics
- Water and Sanitation
- Other sectors qualify as well
Participant Commitment
- Admitted CEOs/leaders must commit to the six month program duration.
- Mandatory attendance is required for all four Transformation Program sessions, held at Seed’s center in Accra, Ghana.
Cost to Participants
- STP participants are responsible for transportation to and from Seed’s center in Accra, Ghana, as well as for lodging during the sessions.
- Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and most dinners will be provided during the program.
Program Fee
- The Program Fee is waived for the Seed Transformation Program starting in March 2016.
Program Calendar
Seed Transformation Program sessions last one week and will be held in March, May, July, and August 2016.
Detailed program information, including faculty profiles, and daily schedules, will be forwarded to you after your admission.
Apply Now for the 2016 Stanford SEED Transformation Program
Deadline to submit the online application is 15 November 2015 (however, the admission committee will review applications on a rolling basis so we recommend you apply early).
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Stanford SEED Transformation Program
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