BROADCASTS.com

Violet Nyando is an Agricultural Innovation Expert with over 15 years of experience in Agribusiness Advisory Services and Agricultural Rural Innovations Studies with a particular interest in Youth Entrepreneurship, Governance, and Leadership of Agri-Enterprises. Her experience in Kenya and Eastern Africa and engagement with International Development Practitioners across the World has earned her a deeper understanding of the African Agricultural and Community Landscape. 

Violet has expertise in the areas of Agricultural Innovations including Climate Smart Agriculture, Agricultural Policy Development, Institutional Development, and Strengthening, Agricultural Advisory and Extension, Agricultural Product Value Chain Development, Gender Analysis, and Mainstreaming, Agribusiness Development with a particular interest in Youth Entrepreneurship, Governance and Leadership of Agri-Enterprises, Public Policy  Lobby and Advocacy Processes and Impact Assessment of Development Projects both in the public and private sector.

Key interview highlights:

• Many African business ideas fail not because they are not good but because they did not get sufficient support. Many African SMEs fail before the 3rd year because of insufficient interrogation of the business idea and the foundation that they were built on wasn’t strong enough to last
• Youth-led African businesses need better institutional support and business development services, in addition, to access to finance, technical assistance, skill-building, and good governance/management training
• Access to finance is still a major challenge to growing good ideas into profitable businesses. In Kenya there are some Youth Entrepreneurship Funding Models that include:
• Group lending
• Government program-based funding (declared funds) that target youth
• Cost-share funding models promoted by development partners (bundled with technical assistance) where partial funding is provided and bundled with technical assistance and mentoring
• The entrepreneurship process needs to be demystified in terms of the timelines for business growth and profitability and hard work that goes into creating a successful business.
• The importance of prioritizing customers by creating a great customer experience. Customers are not only a form of funding but also the best advertising. Happy customers are the best advertisers and repeat customers are good for cash flow.

Connect with Violet on LinkedIn: Violet Nyando 

Thanks for joining us for another episode of the WTF (Africa Edition) podcast. 

We would love to hear your feedback on the show and how we could improve so please complete this short survey.

Guest/sponsorship request: If you would like to be a guest or sponsor the podcast, please contact us at whereisthefunding@gmail.com. 

Where to find us:  Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Help us grow:  Please subscribe,  stream or download, leave a rating or review and share your favorite episodes with family, friends, and colleagues. 

Social Media:

Follow the WTF podcast on Instagram and like or follow the WTF Africa Edition podcast on Facebook.

Follow hosts on LinkedIn: 

Michelle J. McKenzie  and Lydia Nylander

Join us for the next episode!