The Circle Academy takes aspiring and existing social entrepreneurs and puts them through a 12-week programme of practical business training to help develop and grow their entrepreneurial mindset, business skills and a More Than Profit approach to their ideas and businesses.
The Academy began in September 2019 and has just completed its 5th round where we saw 25 candidates from around the world attend our online sessions. At the end of the course, candidates are invited to pitch their business to a panel of judges and an engaged audience. 5 of the candidates bravely presented their business and a panel made up of The Circle Founder and CEO, Kirsty Thomson, Brian McLeod and Michael Quinn, found Nadia Khuzayim the overall winner and was awarded the pitch pot.
Nadia told the judges, in three minutes, her passion, her business and what the funding would be put towards. Boma Ikolojia Regeneration is an organisation that aims to address drought and food scarcity in rural communities in Africa (mainly Kenya) through restoring the land and using its natural resources in a sustainable way. The funding was going to buy the organisation a wireless router to allow teams to communicate with each other and save members flying to Kenya to retrieve information.
A hugely worthy cause and thanks to the fundraising of YOU and match funding from The Circle, we have helped this business through another stage of its development. Well done to Nadia from all of us at The Circle.
The Circle Academy accepts applications year-round and the next round is due to start at the end of February.
The Circle is offering 40 funded places on their programme to people from the following groups from around the world;
- Young people under 30
- People living or working in rural communities
- People whose idea/business is in the environmental space
You can download the prospectus and apply over here.