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Michael Oberteye Blog of Monday, 30 December 2024

Source: Oberteye Michael

Graduation and pitch competition event held for Cohort 3 of Thinking Minds' Ghana's Step-up Ecofashion Incubation Program

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Thinking Minds Ghana, a non-profit enterprise and social innovation hub in Kpong held a graduation and pitch competition event for Cohort 3 participants of the Step-Up Eco-Fashion Incubation program last weekend.
A total of 10 young women underwent six (6) months of business incubation and graduated with eco-fashion startup businesses designed to launch their careers in the fashion industry.
The Step-up Ecofashion Incubator is an all-female sustainable fashion entrepreneurship program that combines training in human-centered design, leadership and environmental conservation with hands-on workshops empowering participants to create eco-friendly products, apparels, bags and packaging.
The program fosters creativity, promotes environmental sustainability, and equips young women to launch eco-friendly fashion businesses, contributing to the circular economy.
The Program aims at removing gender barriers to entrepreneurship by placing a gender lens on the incubation program.
This is to change the narrative where the sewing machine and threads were synonymous to lack of choice and oppression into a means of economic empowerment for women by creating fashionpreneurs who contribute to the conservation of the biodiversity and socioeconomic wellbeing of our societies.


Five out of the 10 graduands took part in a pitch competition where they presented their innovative sustainable fashion products, showcasing creativity, environmental impact, and business potential to a panel of expert business development practitioners made up of Mr. John Obuaba, a social entrepreneur, Mr. Alex Fordjour, Deputy Agric Director for Lower Manya Krobo and Mr. James Arthur-Amoah, Executive Director of Legal & Entrepreneurship Support Hub.


At the end of the competition, Miss Rita Kwao Esenam’s startup, Revive & Thrive won the ultimate price, a brand-new JAKI industrial sewing machine worth GHS 5,000 as first prize.
Miss Dorcas Madey Kumah, CEO of Premium Luxury Homes placed 2nd and went home with a cash prize of GH2000.00. Miss Rita Adjo Korletey, CEO of Adzo-Adzo Eco-Chic and Regina Dordzi’s Build Women Vision tied as 2nd runners-up and received GHS 1,000.
All 10 startups will receive 6 months free business advisory support, access to Thinking Mind Ghana’s Designer’s Makerspace and an online market place where they can market their products to an international market.
Seth Panyin Boamah, the Executive Director of Thinking Minds Ghana stated that, the skills acquired by the graduands are expected to help them scale up their startup businesses in preparation for an Accelerator program to build on the gains already made. He charged them to keep on refining their businesses to enable them achieve global recognition.
He advised other young women to take advantage and enroll for the Cohort 4 of the program.
Miss Rita Kwao Esinam, CEO of Revive & Thrive Hub who won the pitch competition, expressed her excitement at her feat. she stated that the pitch competition boosted her confidence as an entrepreneur. She added that her prize would greatly add value to her business.
She advised young women desirous of venturing into the fashion industry to consider sustainable fashion because it does not only provide good source of income but also conserves the environment.
Sharing her experience with the program, 2nd runner-up and CEO of Adzo-Adzo Eco Chic, Miss Rita Korletey Adzo, said, “This program changed my understanding of fashion. It taught me to turn waste into valuable products. Winning as 2nd runner-up motivates me to grow Adzo-Adzo Eco Chic into a brand that promotes sustainability and empowers other young women. I've been exposed to things that I didn't know but all thanks to Thinking Minds Ghana. "
According to her, her aim is to add value to her product to meet market standards, adding that she will invest her prize money in her business.