Climate Launchpad

Impact Hub Lusaka was honored to have taken part in a global green business ideas competition between 7th August 2021 and 28th October 2021in partnership with Climate Launchpad, an organization sponsored by EIT Climate-KIC and is co-funded by the European Union. The competition aims to fight climate change in a profit-making framework. Collecting the best minds from around the world and pooling them in a competition that dazzles the minds to see a profit-making side like never seen before! While exploring fantastic solutions to mitigate the terrible effects of climate change.

National Finals

Being, the National Coordinators of the competition in Zambia, Impact Hub Lusaka flagged off the competition with a recruitment process that saw over 300 applications from various entrepreneurs and social innovators from all parts of the country. This recruitment process, which resulted in the shortlisting of 45 in the first selection, sent the recruitment in a final phase selection through the course session that required the participants to take part in a mini-course as the final selection criteria resulting in a final trainee cohort of 28 innovators. After the recruitment, the competition proceeded with two (2) weeks of boot camp sessions in which trainees received top-notch holistic training on business management, finance, and marketing. The trainees were then subjected to mentorship support in which they developed the business pitching skill that proved to be the spear of the entire competition. The pitching sessions under mentorship culminated into a pitching final that saw the climax of a mesmerizing competition in Zambia. Creating a stage for the trainees to pitch their business projects to a panel of judges at Impact Hub Lusaka, that saw 3 winners emerge from Zambia namely; Priscilla Musenge of Entomo Farms with an idea of producing organic fertilizer from insect farming, Marvin Banda of Skygrid Products producing floor pavers from plastic and Stella N’gona of Trip-Charc producing clean cooking energy blocks as an alternative to charcoal.

Regional Finals

The 3 Zambian winners joined 13 other participants virtually from all over the world to battle it all out in the regional finals held in Mozambique. The first round saw two (2) of Impact Hub Lusaka’s trainees make it to the last 8 on the regional final namely; Marvin Banda and Priscilla Musenge. The final round saw Pricilla Musenge as the only Zambian and Impact Hub Lusaka trainee making it to the global pitching finals in Switzerland.

Global Finals

The global finals created an opportunity for the Zambian trainee to test the strength of their business project against many other ideas gathered from around the world. However, with resilience and motivation, Priscilla Musenge was able to emerge as Runners Up at the global finals in Switzerland and received funding of 5000 Euros to enable her to launch her business.