What will it take to reimagine entrepreneur support in East Africa — and strengthen enterprise support organizations (ESOs) for the long term? “Seeds of Success: Reimagining Entrepreneur Support for Greater Impact in East Africa and Beyond” was hosted by Pollinate Impact in partnership with the William Davidson Institute (WDI) and Sankalp Dialogues.
The session convened ecosystem actors to unpack the evolving realities facing ESOs, such as accelerators and incubators, across the Global South. Drawing on WDI’s research into the interconnected challenges shaping ESO effectiveness — from financial sustainability and program design to trust gaps gaps among stakeholders, talent recruitment and retention, and misaligned incentives across funders, investors, and entrepreneurs. Rather than treating these issues in isolation, the session applies a systems lens: tracing how ecosystem dynamics create reinforcing loops – and identifying practical, field-tested solutions that can be adapted, piloted, and strengthened across regions.
Speakers & Contributors :
Ruod Ariete – Community Choreographer, Pollinate Impact
Tess Thuo – Pollinate Impact (session check-in & facilitation)
Wendy Taylor President and CEO, William Davidson Institute (WDI)
Yaquta Fatehi, Program Manager – Impact Management & Measurement, WDI
Arielle Molino – Chief Convener, Pollinate Impact
Karnika Yadav – Partner, Director – Africa, Sankalp
