We equip entrepreneurs with the skills, tools & strategies to drive business growth.
Reach for Growth
Designed for CEOs, founders, and managing directors,
the Aspire Business Programme focuses on driving sustainable growth and fostering innovation tailored to African markets.
“The Aspire Business Growth Programme, allowed me to structure my business properly and ensure that the people I was working with also got value out of the tools and skills we were learning.”
Yaa Obenewa Okudzeto,
CEO of Built Services Consult, Ghana
About the Aspire Business Growth Programme
For Business Owners & Founders
- The main applicant and participant is the Business Owner, CEO, or Founder of the business
- For Leadership Team: Business owner accompanied by up to 2 senior leaders
Business Profile
- Years In Business: Business in operation for more than 1 year
- Revenue: Generated between $30,000 – $400,000 in annual revenue in the last financial year
- Employees: The business has a minimum of 3 full-time employees
- Internet Enabled: Smartphone/internet connection to access online tools, courses, and the online community
- Performance-Oriented: Willing to share key performance/financial data (so that you and we can learn about your growth progress).
About the Learning Journey
PHASE 1
Get Set Up for Growth: Planning and Money
PHASE 2
Lead for Growth: Talent
PHASE 3
Identify Growth Opportunities: Customers
PHASE 4
Financial Analysis: Money
PHASE 5
Build Talent Pipeline: Talent
PHASE 6
Plan for Growth: Planning
PHASE 7
Growth Network
PROGRAMME START DATE
April 2025
DURATION
6-MONTHS
(Time commitment will be no more than 3-4 hours per week.)
FORMAT
ONLINE
PROGRAMME FEE
$650 per business*
* This cost covers 3 people i.e. the business owner plus 2 other senior members of the team
What’s in it for you?
Expert Insights from Stanford Seed
Gain valuable management skills through a combination of experiential courses, including a live guest lecture from Stanford Graduate School of Business faculty.
Tailored Growth Tools
Learn proven business practices and leadership skills through through interactive virtual workshops, practical tools and strategies to grow your businesses, lead teams, acquire talents and diversify revenue streams.
Flexibility and Team Inclusion
Participate online with up to 2 senior members from your team from the convenience of home or office with a schedule designed for busy entrepreneurs.
Networking
Join a Pan-African support network of like-minded business owners to share experiences with and enhance your learning.
Mentorship
Receive a Pro bono mentorship access to Stanford Seed mentors and project-based Stanford Seed consultants, as determined by the level of commitment.
A word from Aspire Alumni
Please don’t take these tools for granted.
These are powerful tools, I treat them as gold. The programme made me mindful of the power of storytelling
and how we can craft and utilize our stories to secure investment and funding opportunities.
Jackie May, Twyg, South-Africa
To say that the Aspire Programme is my most eventful and practically enriching programme is an understatement.
As a company, we owe you, AMI and Stanford.
Dankishiya Saleh Hadi, CEO & Principal Associate, Dankish & Associates Limited, Nigeria
Aspire has been a great experience.
The planning and customers & markets toolkits in particular helped us achieve our revenue growth goal.
Ennes Edison Basson, Quanova Consulting and Advisory Namibia
Getting the opportunity to engage and learn from other business owners
especially those who run businesses unrelated to mine, opened my mind to a wealth of opportunities available there.
Linda Nyambezi, Founder and Managing Partner, Insele Capital, South Africa
We have experienced increase in revenue from 40% to 60% and a 20% increase in the number of customers.
Nelson Neba, D’farma Ventures, Cameroon
Start Your Aspire Journey
Learn More
Connect with our Enrolment Team
Certificate of completion
The Aspire Business Growth Programme is also available in French:
The Faculty & Team
Bronwen McConkey
Chief Product Officer
Sam Kimera
Facilitator
Stanford Seed Lecturer
Themba Nkomo
Learner Success Manager
Latest Updates
About AMI and Stanford Seed’s Collaboration
Stanford Seed is collaborating with African Management Institute (AMI) to provide an exclusive offer for early-stage founders and business owners. The goal of the AMI and Stanford Seed relationship is to help your business achieve its aspirational growth objectives by blending AMI’s business growth programme with Stanford Seed’s expertise
Scholarship Support
For a limited time, Stanford Seed is providing partial scholarships for the Aspire Business Growth programme to qualified applicants.
FAQs
The next cohort kick’s off October, 2024
The program runs for 6 months each month you have;
- 120 min. live learning lab/webinar where the topic/concept for that month is introduced by AMI expert facilitators.
- An online learning platform where you will be expected to to download tools and resources for continuous learning and
- A pod this small peer meeting where founders meet to discuss and problem solve.
This cycle happens every month and your commitment is 3 to 4 hours per week.
During the 3rd month, we have a guest lecture from Stanford Graduate School of Business Faculty and after the 6 months of learning, you can apply for mentorship and project based consultants from the Stanford Seed, this comes at no additional cost.
Yes, there are live learning lab sessions every month.
The programme also includes accessing our learning platform where you can download resources and access courses on demand.
All the sessions in this programme are virtual, no sessions are done in person/face-to-face.
This is not an academic programme so there are no graded assessments, however, at the end of each phase there are tools and resources that you are supposed to review, download and implement on your business.
Once you complete your application, a selection committee reviews your application to check your eligibility. This process takes 1-4 days. We intend to respond to you as soon as your application has been reviewed.
We encourage you to check the eligibility criteria listed on this programme page before applying.
No. As the business owner and the key driver of change in your organization, you are required to actively participate in the programme .
However in certain circumstances, we allow senior team members such as co-founders, directors or C-suite executives e.g chief operations officer to attend of behalf of the business owner.
The cost of the programme is $650 per business. This fee covers 3 people i.e. the business owner plus 2 other senior members of their team. Nominating the 2 additional participants is optional . Meaning whether you decide to attend alone as the business owner, or accompanied by 1 or 2 team members, the price of the programme is the same. Please note that there will be no additional costs incurred by you during the course of the programme
The fee covers 3 people i.e. the business owner plus 2 other senior members of their team. Nominating the 2 additional participants is optional . Meaning whether you decide to attend alone as the business owner, or accompanied by 1 or 2 team members, the price of the programme is the same.
A 4th or other additional participants will be charges $217 USD per person for the full duration of the proramme
Yes . 50% at contracting (to confirm your enrollment) and the remaining 50% due one month after the 1st installment.
For a limited time Stanford Seed is offering further scholarships of up to 75% based on the organization’s needs.
Female -led businesses, businesses in agriculture, clean energy or those operating in small and rural markets are encouraged to apply for the programme.
Yes.
On enrolment we send you a payment link customized to your country. So you can pay in your local currency or in USD whichever is convenient.
Yes. On graduation you get a certificate of completion from both AMI and Stanford Seed.
AMI and Stanford Seed do not offer business loans or any direct business funding to participating businesses.
However as part of the programme you will learn how to access finance to grow your business. We have seen participants who successfully complete the programme leverage their skills to access funding.