How Research is Sparking Innovation in Incubators, Accelerators and the Entrepreneurs They Serve
Roundtable | Online
-
Organized by:
William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan
- In partnership with: IKEA Foundation, African Management Institute, Kenya Climate Innovation Center
About the Event
Incubators and accelerators play a critical role in the startup ecosystem by helping entrepreneurs become investment-ready and develop viable businesses. In this must-attend session for accelerators, incubators, entrepreneurs, and their funders operating in the Global South, join us to discover how rigorous research fuels innovation in program design, supercharges operational improvements, and attracts more funding to this sector.
In this dynamic session, representatives from the IKEA Foundation (Netherlands), William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan (WDI, USA), in collaboration with Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC, Kenya) and African Management Institute (AMI, Kenya) will share the following insights:
IKEA Foundation's approach: Learn how evidence-based, stage-gated grantmaking unlocks innovation for accelerators like KCIC.
Real-world impact: WDI, KCIC, and AMI demonstrate how targeted research drives continuous program enhancement, transforming entrepreneur outcomes.
Dismantling barriers by WDI and KCIC: Discover how we break down colonial research structures, empower local voices, and foster true collaboration and inclusivity for groundbreaking impact measurement.
The AMI advantage: See how AMI's skilled M&E team partners with external researchers to boost program effectiveness using a blend of established methods and cutting-edge insights.
In this dynamic session, representatives from the IKEA Foundation (Netherlands), William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan (WDI, USA), in collaboration with Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC, Kenya) and African Management Institute (AMI, Kenya) will share the following insights:
IKEA Foundation's approach: Learn how evidence-based, stage-gated grantmaking unlocks innovation for accelerators like KCIC.
Real-world impact: WDI, KCIC, and AMI demonstrate how targeted research drives continuous program enhancement, transforming entrepreneur outcomes.
Dismantling barriers by WDI and KCIC: Discover how we break down colonial research structures, empower local voices, and foster true collaboration and inclusivity for groundbreaking impact measurement.
The AMI advantage: See how AMI's skilled M&E team partners with external researchers to boost program effectiveness using a blend of established methods and cutting-edge insights.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Yaquta Fatehi | Program Manager, William Davidson Institute at University of Michigan | Yaquta Fatehi works on complex measurement, gender, and strategy challenges for mission-driven companies. She has over 13 years of experience in mixed-methods measurement and has also honed her skills in continuous improvement and gender lens investing research. |
| Nic van der Jagt | Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation Manager, IKEA Foundation | International development professional w 20+years of experience in planning, monitoring and evaluation of governance, youth employment, and private sector dev programs; extensive short & long-term assignments in SSA, Middle-East, and SEA, working w SMEs, NGOs, biz assoc, trade unions, govts, researchers, & UN agencies; skilled in intervention logic design, indicator dev, data-collection, and (impact) eval approaches. He is responsible for MLE of IKEA Foundation’s Employment and Entrepreneurship portfolio. |
| Stephen Musyoka | Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Kenya Climate Innovation Center | Monitoring and evaluation specialist, strong in project management, proficient in resource mobilisation, rural development, community capacity building. |
| Jonathan Cook | Chairman, African Management Institute | After 10y as a psychologist at the National Institute for Personnel Research, I taught for 25y in the graduate biz schools of the Universities of Witwatersrand and Pretoria. In 2014, I co-founded & currently chair the African Management Institute. I love researching & developing tools for practical impact and growing people. |
Moderators
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Yaquta Fatehi | Program Manager, William Davidson Institute at University of Michigan | Yaquta Fatehi works on complex measurement, gender, and strategy challenges for mission-driven companies. She has over 13 years of experience in mixed-methods measurement and has also honed her skills in continuous improvement and gender lens investing research. |