A new eight-week virtual exchange certificate program that brings together undergraduate students from the United States, Ghana, and Mexico to design entrepreneurial solutions to climate challenges.
The Climate Entrepreneurship Exchange is a new eight-week virtual exchange certificate program from the William Davidson Institute (WDI) at the University of Michigan that brings together undergraduate students from the United States, Ghana, and Mexico to design entrepreneurial solutions to climate challenges. Built on WDI’s proven Entrepreneurship Exchange model and adapted for a climate focus, the program is delivered by WDI in partnership with Academic City in Ghana and Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) in Mexico.
Working in cross-cultural teams of six, students identify a climate issue in Ghana or Mexico and develop a business concept to address it, guided each week by a dedicated mentor. This WDI Academy program pairs weekly live webinars featuring guest experts on entrepreneurship and climate with asynchronous e-learning modules, so students take part from wherever they are. The cohort runs February through April 2027 and is open to 120 undergraduate students of any major, 40 from each partner country. The program culminates in a hybrid pitch competition hosted at Academic City in Accra, where Ghanaian finalists present in person and their teammates in Mexico and the United States join virtually. Members of the top winning team will receive a cash prize of $500 each.
Eight weeks (February–April 2027)
120 undergraduate students, any major, drawn evenly from partner institutions in the United States (University of Michigan), Ghana (Academic City University), and Mexico (UDEM)
Cross-cultural teams of six students, each paired with a dedicated mentor
Weekly live webinars and asynchronous e-learning modules, plus weekly team assignments and mentor check-ins
A live pitch competition in Accra, Ghana, among finalist teams
What Participants Gain
A deeper understanding of climate challenges from different country perspectives and experience developing business solutions to address them
A broader understanding of entrepreneurship as a tool for addressing real community challenges in addition to generating profits
Experience working on a cross-cultural team, and a peer network spanning three countries
Core entrepreneurship skills, including design thinking, market research, business modeling, finance, and pitching
Experience developing and delivering a clear, compelling business pitch
A Climate Entrepreneurship Exchange certificate of completion, issued jointly by WDI, Academic City, and UDEM
What to Expect
Orientation: Establishing teams, mentor introductions and program software, followed by seven units:
1
Introduction to Climate Change:
Hear from a climate expert, explore climate challenges from different country perspectives, and consider entrepreneurship can play a role in addressing them.
2
Introduction to Entrepreneurship:
Learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and draft your team charter.
3
Design Thinking & Creative Inquiry:
Use creative problem-solving techniques to identify and define the climate challenge your team will address.
4
Market Research & Opportunities in the Energy Sector:
Learn how to understand customers, conduct market research, and explore opportunities in the energy sector.
5
Turning Your Idea into a Business:
Apply the social business model canvas and marketing fundamentals to develop your team’s business model and marketing plan.
6
Finance & Funding:
Learn how entrepreneurs finance and fund new ventures, and develop your team’s financial and funding plan.
7
Pitching Your Business:
Learn how to build and deliver a compelling business pitch and produce your team’s climate entrepreneurship pitch video.
Live Pitch Competition
The three finalist teams then pitch live at Academic City University in Accra, with each team’s Ghana-based members presenting in person and their U.S. and Mexico-based teammates joining remotely.
Our Track Record
Partners
WDI serves as the lead partner, working with two dynamic universities in Ghana and Mexico that bring strong capabilities in entrepreneurship, technology, and international education.
The University of Michigan is one of the nation’s leading public universities, known for excellence in education, research and public service. Across its campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint, U-M advances discovery and innovation in health, science, engineering, business, the arts, humanities and beyond.
An eight-year-old, fast-moving university in Accra offering a BBA in entrepreneurship alongside programs in engineering, AI, and informatics, with a tech and entrepreneurship center that co-creates student projects.
A nonprofit private university founded in 1969 in Monterrey, with about 22,600 students across 30 undergraduate programs and international partnerships spanning more than 1,040 universities in 81 countries.
See the week-by-week plan for the February–April 2027 cohort.
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