Breakout 3
Saturday
|
3:45 pm
Aldrich 108

Entrepreneurship through Acquisition

Although Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA)— where entrepreneurs search for and acquire small, stable, cash-flow positive businesses with the intention to grow them over time—is becoming more popular, few “search funds” have been established in Africa. Indeed, there has been limited data to support the case for investing in African search funds and the benefits of this novel asset class. Still, ETA remains uniquely positioned to unlock value, find new talent, and accelerate the growth and development of SMEs—particularly family businesses—across the continent. This panel will focus on three key questions: (1) What makes Africa ripe for the growth of search funds? (2) How can the North American search fund model function on the continent? (3) What are the dynamics of operating and growing businesses under this model?

Entrepreneurship through Acquisition

Although Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA)— where entrepreneurs search for and acquire small, stable, cash-flow positive businesses with the intention to grow them over time—is becoming more popular, few “search funds” have been established in Africa. Indeed, there has been limited data to support the case for investing in African search funds and the benefits of this novel asset class. Still, ETA remains uniquely positioned to unlock value, find new talent, and accelerate the growth and development of SMEs—particularly family businesses—across the continent. This panel will focus on three key questions: (1) What makes Africa ripe for the growth of search funds? (2) How can the North American search fund model function on the continent? (3) What are the dynamics of operating and growing businesses under this model?

America/New_York
Mar 25, 2023 3:45 PM
Aldrich 108

Other Sessions

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Lunches
Saturday
|
12:45 pm
Batten Hives
Making Money Moves
Career Design Workshop
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Making Money Moves

What do you want to be "where" you grow up? If you’re looking to intentionally design your next professional move, this workshop is for you! Come apply design thinking principles to craft your next move. This interactive workshop centered on you is the sign you were looking for. Join us for a lunch and learn where you’ll walk away with actionable next steps.

America/New_York
Mar 25, 2023 12:45 PM
Batten Hives
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Breakout 2
Saturday
|
11:25 am
Aldrich 111
Affordable Housing
Delivering Innovative Solutions to Bridge Africa’s Housing Deficit
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Affordable Housing

Real estate can be a vehicle to leap the African middle-class into financial prosperity. The challenges are recognizing the barriers, finding new opportunities, and enabling access. In this session, we will cover the needs for better planning, construction, and access through the lens of people involved in both the public and private spaces. We will conclude with practical guidelines for investing in affordable real estate from within and beyond the African borders at the personal and institutional level. Affordable does not mean low-quality; it means scalable and replicable for the masses. Innovators are making a difference through new construction-technologies, collaborating with government to minimize risks, and bringing unique means to connect capital for developers, buyers, and investors.

America/New_York
Mar 25, 2023 11:25 AM
Aldrich 111
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Breakout 2
Saturday
|
11:25 am
Aldrich 110
Digital Infrastructure
Accelerating Africa’s Digitization through Targeted Infrastructure
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Digital Infrastructure

Africa is in the midst of a digital revolution: approximately 473 million Africans are online, and an additional 300 million will likely join them by 2025. Average download speeds in Africa doubled between 2015 and 2019, while data costs halved. Underpinning this growth is the installation of digital infrastructure (fiber optics, data centers, and more) serving the continent. In this panel, we will hear from the folks building that infrastructure. We will understand the history, opportunities, and challenges in this sector.

America/New_York
Mar 25, 2023 11:25 AM
Aldrich 110