As part of the Management and Entrepreneurship Skills course, industry players are annually invited to share their entrepreneurial journeys and insights with final-year students.
Under the theme 'Mastering the Art of Business Pitching,' this year’s focus shifted to successful alumni of the university, who have won multiple innovation competitions and secured various funding opportunities.
Their presence aimed to boost students' confidence and offer practical lessons from real-world experiences.
Now leading their ventures, the alumni recounted the challenges, lessons, and successes they encountered in the entrepreneurial world, particularly in pitching for funding and building sustainable businesses.
Mr. Sonny Yaw Gilbert, of Peelinova Limited Company, advised students not to become overly attached to their initial ideas and emphasized the importance of teamwork.
“In most pitch competitions, feedback can feel like an attack. But don't be too quick to defend your idea. There’s always a bit of truth in every criticism. You might have the best product, but how well you tell your story will determine whether you win a grant or not.
One of the things you should hold on to dearly is building a team with the right people and the right set of skills,” he stated.
“We started with an idea to can mushrooms, but judges harshly criticized our concept. We went back, reflected, and completely revamped our idea. Though we were eliminated from the competition, we didn't give up. We refined our approach, returned, and eventually won. If we had assumed our idea was perfect, we wouldn’t have grown.” Ms. Abigail Sume, CEO of Mushplus Agri-Foods Limited, added.
Ms. Hannah Appiah, Founder and CEO of McHan Cosmetics Limited, shared her entrepreneurial journey and the impact of her business model.
“We secure grants from organizations by identifying problems and providing practical solutions. My company, for instance, recycles cocoa pods sourced from smallholder farmers to produce cosmetic products like black soap and body creams. By doing this, we create jobs, make a positive impact in our society, and empower young people who want to venture into entrepreneurship,” she said.
Prof. James Osei Mensah, the course lecturer, expressed his gratitude to the facilitators and highlighted the growing opportunities within the entrepreneurial space.
“There are so many avenues for students and graduates to explore entrepreneurship. But to access funding, one must master the art of pitching. I hope the students have learnt from this engagement and are better prepared to seize future opportunities,” he stated. “I am very grateful that you took the time to share your experiences with the final-year students of the Faculty of Agriculture and the School of Veterinary Medicine,” he added.
Also present at the event was Nadia Ali, Programme Director of the Cosmos Innovation Centre, a key partner in supporting young entrepreneurs across Ghana.
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