Enrolling for the Dobson is one of the best decisions and a beautiful experience that contributes to my stories as a McGill student. The creative learning process exposed me to various skills and knowledge required to excel as an entrepreneur. At the start of the process, it was not quite clear to me if I wanted to participate neither did I have a better picture of the project I intended to execute. The only objective that I was certain about was my intention to make an impact in my motherland. This passion to be a change agent drove me into discussing and crowdsourcing ideas from friends and relatives with similar goals. The process gave birth to our startup Agro-Impact, comprising a team of diverse individuals intending to improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers in Nigeria and increase food productivity.
Through the Dobson cup, I was able to gain the support and training required to lead the team through the early stages of the business model development. My team being shortlisted as a top-five finalist in the environmental track further exposed us to personalized mentorship and financial education regarding businesses. Unfortunately for my team, we could not win the cup, but I envision it as losing the battle and winning the war. The overall learning and building of entrepreneurship spirit was my sole aim of enrolling into the program and this was achieved. So far, we have not lost sight of our goal as a team, we have been looking towards alternative funding options such as the MCF-transition fund to drive our dreams.
In general, the process helped me develop communication, leadership, multitasking, teamwork, and management skills. It also improved my entrepreneurial spirit and built my resilience which are necessary ingredients to survive beyond McGill University walls.
Henry Nwachukwu (Nigeria)
Mastercard Foundation Scholar Alumnus, Master in Chemical Engineering
