Ye! Community members selected for Westerwelle Young Founders Programme 2022 Spring Cohort
ITC's Youth & Trade Programme has partnered with the Westerwelle Foundation to support youth entrepreneurs in the Ye! Community to access the Foundation's Young Founders Programme - a unique fellowship targeting youth entrepreneurs. The Ye! Community (Young Entrepreneur Community), powered by the International Trade Centre’s Youth & Trade Programme, is a global community supporting youth entrepreneurs worldwide to tap into opportunities, networks, mentorship, and tools to enhance their capacity to build scalable businesses. Through this collaboration, ITC and the Westerwelle Foundation are tapping into the Ye! Community to reach a greater number of youth entrepreneurs who can benefit from the programme's offering.
The Westerwelle Young Founders Programme (YFP) is a 6-month fellowship for outstanding young entrepreneurs from emerging markets. The programme brings together leaders from all over the world, who are united in the pursuit to achieve entrepreneurial greatness. The YFP began in 2016 and is now in its 10th cohort. In 2021, the Westerwelle Foundation received more than 4000 applicants to the programme, demonstrating the valuable opportunity it provides for youth entrepreneurs.
The programme culminates in a conference in Berlin, whereby select young entrepreneurs from the programme are invited to attend and network with experts, investors, and their peers from around the globe.
The International Trade Centre and Westerwelle Foundation collaborate to offer high-growth potential young entrepreneurs from the Ye! Community access to this impactful fellowship programme. A number of Ye! Community members have since taken part in the programme with demonstrated results.
We are excited to announce that for the 2022 Spring Cohort of the Young Founders Programme, two impactful Ye! Community members have been selected:
Louise Mabulo, Founder of the Cacao Project
Louise Emmanuelle d.G. Mabulo is a chef, farmer, and entrepreneur. She is the Founder of The Cacao Project, which cultivates resilient and Climate-smart livelihoods, positioning farmers for sustainable success in San Fernando, Camarines Sur, Philippines.
Mabulo is a National Geographic Young Explorer, a featured honouree for Forbes Asia’s list ‘30 Under 30’, a Young Champion of the Earth under United Nations Environment Programme, a Young Activist Summit laureate, an honouree of Tatler’s ‘Generation T’ and one of the World’s 50 Next Game-changing Producers listed by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awarding Body.
She is the host of the cooking show ‘Simply Sarap’, aimed at promoting cultural diplomacy under the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines. She has also hosted #GenGeo Conversations under National Geographic Society. Louise strives toward empowering farmers and advancing climate action & environmental stewardship through her work.
David Lagarejo, Co-Founder of ZION ING
David is an energy efficiency and sustainability consultant for industrial projects. He is the Co-founder of a startup called ZION ING. The company has received more than USD 70,000 worth of angel investment. David has developed Machine Learning algorithms to measure the carbon footprint CO2 and emissions that industrial projects can reduce by transitioning towards renewables, using the web platform "ZIRCULAR". He has a background in scientific and technical research and 8 patents registered to his name around the world.
Youth working towards the SDGs
Both Louise and David are passionate about sustainability and the planet. Each is playing their part towards achieving the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs) and in paving a way for others to follow suit. Together, they are working towards achieving the following SDGs:
With their selection to the Westerwelle Young Founders Programme, David and Louise will bring a wealth of knowledge to their businesses and their communities.
Connect with Louise and David on Ye! Community by visiting their profiles to learn from their experiences. Or, get in touch with them to learn more about the Westerwelle Young Founders programme and how you can apply.
Meet the YFP Alumni
There are many Ye! Community members who can testify to the value of the YFP. Why not connect with these YFP Alumni on Ye! Community! Click on their profiles below and start networking!
Ye! Community Alumni of the YFP
- Ozaal Zesha
- Chino Atilano
- Ian Otula
- Federico Perez
- Tafadzwa Kalisto Munzwa
- Franc Kamugyisha
- Mamoon Sharif
Access to opportunities such as the Young Founders Programme bolsters the potential of young entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses, scale up their positive impact on people and the planet, and contribute toward achieving the SDGs.
Through collaborations like this, ITC is working in partnership with key ecosystem players to build up the skills of impact-driven young entrepreneurs, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in the market and contibution to the SDGs. For more information on the Westerwelle Young Founders Programme, click here.
Not yet a member of the Ye! Community? Create your profile here for the opportunity to benefit from exciting opportunities from partners like Westerwelle Foundation and others.
About Westerwelle Foundation
The Westerwelle Foundation for International Understanding is a nonprofit organization based in Berlin, Germany with a mission is to create equal opportunities for all by uplifting emerging markets through empowered entrepreneurship.
Website: https://westerwelle-foundation.com/