Innovative Solutions for Building Economic Inclusion: Bizzell’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives

Innovative Solutions for Building Economic Inclusion: Bizzell’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives

By Editorial Staff

Global progress, economic inclusion, and entrepreneurship are catalysts that drive transformative change. When not only used as a buzzword, economic inclusion embodies the belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to fuel advancement. Economic inclusion is not only ethical but also can provide a source of inspiration when applied in communities. Paired with entrepreneurship, this combination can become a key to sustainable development, which can inspire anyone to contribute to society.

One of the profound ways economic inclusion and entrepreneurship intersect is by dismantling barriers to economic entry points. For aspiring entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, accessing traditional avenues of business support will have many challenges. Economic inclusion initiatives strive to level the playing field, ensuring that underrepresented entrepreneurs receive the mentorship, resources, and capital necessary for their ventures to thrive. This enhances individual economic standing and contributes to the diversification and enrichment of the broader business landscape.

Innovative solutions to economic inclusion involve creative approaches and strategies to foster equal opportunities and promote financial participation for individuals who may not otherwise have an entry point into business. Some of these include digital financial inclusion, blockchain for financial identity security, and the creation of new microfinance models. Leveraging digital technologies such as mobile banking, using blockchain to secure digital identities, and using microfinance models to provide funding for entrepreneurs solidifies access to both security and capital. Community investment platforms, social impact bonds, skill development catalysts, and partnerships with social enterprises can all also positively impact budding entrepreneurs, providing community support and opportunities for skill building, coupled with financial and social capital to bring ideas to life. Cross-industry collaboration is another strategy to promote increased inclusion as entrepreneurs across sectors can share knowledge, networks, and resources.

Unfortunately, despite all the innovative ideas outlined, we are still far from strategically rolling out these solutions nationwide. Implementing these strategies requires collaboration between governments, financial institutions, technology companies, and social organizations to create a more inclusive and equitable economic landscape.

At Bizzell, our corporate programs focus on providing efficient and effective youth empowerment and economic development solutions that improve overall quality of life. Using participatory approaches, we leverage our team’s combined experiences to develop both our Job Corps program and Small Bizzness Accelerator. Job Corps is a renowned organization dedicated to providing education and vocational training opportunities to young adults across the United States. Our mission is to empower youth and emerging adults with the skills and knowledge to pursue successful careers. This program continues to connect us to the vision and foundation of Bizzell, committed to building healthy, secure, connected, and sustainable communities across our nation and around the world. The Bizzell Small Bizzness Accelerator aims to foster entrepreneurship and economic development by supporting startups with planning, guidance, and resources.

In the dynamic and intricate terrain of the business landscape, aspiring entrepreneurs face multifaceted challenges. Navigating these complexities requires not only vision, and determination, but strategic guidance and insights. In today’s interconnected world, inclusion is recognized as a moral imperative and a strategic advantage for any enterprising organization. We stand at the forefront of this with global initiatives such as the XcelHERate challenge. This program, launched in 2024, supports young women entrepreneurs aged 18-35 years with existing businesses that demonstrate resilience. This program benefits any women-led businesses that offer unique, scalable products or services with a positive social impact on the community. The challenge winner will gain access to the SNDBX workspace and its community of over 35 entrepreneurs from various fields, facilitating potential collaborations and partnerships to scale their businesses and explore new markets.

At Bizzell, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of economic inclusion and encourage entrepreneurs, both budding and established to continue to move the needle in our national and global economies.

Bizzell-SNDBX Paves the Way for Women Entrepreneurs in Kenya

Bizzell-SNDBX Paves the Way for Women Entrepreneurs in Kenya with XcelHERate Challenge

January 22, 2024 (New Carrollton, Md) — A cohort of 20 women entrepreneurs in Kenya is poised to embark on an intensive entrepreneur boot camp as part of the inaugural Bizzell-SNDBX XcelHERate Entrepreneurship Challenge (XcelHERate). This initiative is designed to uplift and acknowledge the entrepreneurial prowess of women in Kenya, empowering them to cultivate viable business opportunities that positively impact their communities.

XcelHERate supports young women entrepreneurs aged 18-35 years with existing businesses that demonstrated resilience. The challenge sought businesses that disrupt the status quo by offering unique, scalable products or services with a positive social impact on the community. The challenge winner will gain access to the SNDBX workspace and its community of over 35 entrepreneurs from various fields, facilitating potential collaborations and partnerships to scale their businesses and explore new markets.

The XcelHERate identifies and supports emerging businesswomen, offering them training and coaching interventions to fortify their foundations. Top participants will also receive cash injections into their businesses to ensure sustainability and success. This challenge recognizes the perseverance and innovation of women who have transformed challenges into profitable ventures.

Anton C. Bizzell, MD, Chairman and CEO of Bizzell US, emphasized the importance of this program, stating, “Empowering women entrepreneurs is not just about breaking glass ceilings; it’s about creating a network that nurtures brilliance and fosters a legacy of innovation. In this business incubator, we will cultivate dreams, turning them into thriving enterprises, one empowered woman at a time.”

The second phase of the challenge centers on an entrepreneur boot camp—a comprehensive program delivering three months of intensive business coaching. This training equips participants with valuable skills to expand their businesses and comprehend the significance of various disciplines. The boot camp encompasses a blend of in-person training and virtual coaching sessions, providing a holistic learning experience.

Joram Mwinamo, CEO of SNDBX, affirms, “Through this boot camp, we aim to equip business owners with the skills and knowledge to take their businesses to new heights. We believe in values such as hard work, determination, resilience, and passion, and we want to instill these values in Kenyan entrepreneurs, particularly women in business.”

Conducted by experts from SNDBX, a professional services aggregator offering a diverse range of services to help businesses realize their full potential, the boot camp provides training and coaching in essential areas such as product-market fit, strategy, capital readiness, operations, and excellence.

In addition to the boot camp training, participants have the opportunity to win cash prizes provided by Bizzell, the sponsor of the challenge. The first, second, and third-place winners will receive cash injections into their businesses for expansion and growth. The pitching and award events will garner media coverage, offering valuable publicity for the participants.

For more information about XcelHERate, please visit: https://xcelherate.com/.

About Bizzell US:

Established in 2010, Bizzell US (Bizzell) is a consulting, strategy, investment, and technology firm that designs innovative solutions to help build healthy, secure, and sustainable communities in our nation and around the world. Bizzell leverages the combined experience of our diverse subject matter experts to develop data-driven, research-informed answers to the world’s most complex challenges—ensuring our clients achieve their vision and goals through innovated solutions. To learn more about Bizzell, visit https://BizzellUS.com/.

Media Contact: Chad J. Brown, Chief Administrative Officer
cbrown@bizzellus.com | 301.459.0100

About SNDBX:

SNDBX International is an innovative, one-stop professional services aggregator that provides relevant, local solutions for growing African businesses within a vibrant entrepreneurial community. With a network of experts from various disciplines, SNDBX strives to create sustainable success and growth for SMEs of all sizes. To learn more about SNDBX, visit https://ke.sndbxinternational.com/.

CEO, Anton C. Bizzell, MD and Her Excellency Marie-Hélène Mathey-Boo Lowumba, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Visits Bizzell Corporate Headquarters

Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Visits Bizzell Corporate Headquarters

April 7, 2023 (New Carrollton, Md) – Bizzell welcomed Her Excellency Marie-Hélène Mathey-Boo Lowumba, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to our corporate headquarters on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. The visit provided an opportunity for Bizzell to highlight its commitment to community development and social responsibility in partnership with the DRC.

During her visit, Ambassador Lowumba met with Bizzell Chairman and CEO, Anton C. Bizzell, MD, and other key executives, to discuss Bizzell’s activities in the DRC, as well as its ongoing efforts to promote sustainable development, social responsibility, and youth empowerment. They discussed ways in which Bizzell can continue to support economic growth and job creation in the DRC, as well as further opportunities for collaboration and the importance of building strategic partnerships.

“We are honored to have welcomed Her Excellency Lowumba to our corporate headquarters and to have the opportunity to discuss our shared commitment to sustainable development in the DRC,” said Bizzell. “As a multi-national company, we are committed to collaborating closely with our partners in the DRC to make sure that our endeavors provide local solutions to benefit the community and have a global impact to offer a more sustainable future for all.”

(L to R) Celestin Lombe, First Counselor; Bill Scarbrough, PhD, VP Health Solutions, Bizzell; Yomi Jones, Chief Investment And Finacial Officer, Bizzell; Rose Amolo, VP Global Programs, Bizzell; Dale Clark, Senior Consultant, Bizzell; Mireille Mangambu Tshimini, Attache; Anton C. Bizzell, MD, Chairman and CEO, Bizzell; Marie-Hélène Mathey-Boo Lowumba, Ambassador Extraordinary; Dominique Lubilu  Mubiyayi, First Counselor; Tresor Mpumbu Mukadi, First Secretary; Catherine Mobutu, Attaché

About Bizzell US

Bizzell US is a strategy, consulting, and technology firm with a mission to improve lives and accelerate change. Bizzell US is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) HUBZone-certified company that delivers award-winning services to a diverse portfolio of government, private sector, and NGO clients to help build healthy, secure, and sustainable communities across the globe. Leveraging decades of combined experience from our multiple-disciplinary team, our subject matter experts develop data-driven, research-informed innovative solutions to complex, real-world challenges.

Learn more at www.BizzellUS.com.

water tower plaque dedication in Ekiti State Nigeria

Bizzell Delivers Clean Water Projects in Two Underserved Communities in Nigeria

water tower plaque dedication in Ekiti State Nigeria
L-R: Chief (Dr.) Anton C. ‘Ọmọ́wálé’ Bizzell, His Royal Majesty Oba Dr. Solomon Ilesanmi Ajibade JP (Ajigbotoluwa 1), the Owa of Odo Ayedun-Ekiti, H.E. Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Ekiti First Lady, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure and Public Utilities, and Prince Michael Ogungbemi, Chairman Ajoni, LCDA at the commissioning.

Bizzell Delivers Clean Water Projects in Two Underserved Communities in Nigeria

September 8th, 2022 (New Carrollton, MD) – Recently, The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) constructed and handed over two water projects donated to two underserved communities, Odo Ayedun-Ekiti and Oke Ako-Ekiti, both located in Ajoni Local Council Development Area in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The projects were commissioned by the Ekiti State First lady, Her Excellency Erelu Bisi Fayemi in the presence of Dr. Anton C. Bizzell, CEO of Bizzell on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 in a colorful ceremony.

water tower dedication in Ekiti State Nigeria

The two identical projects located in the Odo Ayedun and Oke Ako communities have a standard borehole 328 feet deep supported by a solar powered pump of over 400 feet capacity. Each facility comprises a 5,000 liters capacity ground tank that first steps down the water received from the water table before transmitting through two fiber cylinder bottle water treatment plants, and then sends the water to the 10,000 liters overhead tank before delivery to the water point platform where individuals in the communities can then collect clean water. Both are powered by state of the art energy efficient solar panels.

water tower dedication ceremony in Ekiti State NigeriaThe projects were donated as part of Bizzell’s corporate social responsibility and addresses both sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water which remains a challenge in Nigeria. “It is estimated that more than 60 million people in Nigeria do not have access to basic clean water supply and that number grows each year as a result of climate change and population growth”, according to Dr. Bizzell. “Water saves lives and providing clean water is more important now than ever which is why we decided to construct and donate  the water projects to the Odo Ayedub and Oke Ako communities in the Ekiti State of Nigeria”.

water tower dedication ceremony in Ekiti State NigeriaThe commissioning of the projects was preceded by a ceremony at the palace of the traditional ruler of Odo Ayedun-Ekiti, His Royal Majesty Oba Dr. Solomon Ilesanmi Ajibade JP (Ajigbotoluwa I), the Owa of Odo Ayedun, who expressed his gratitude on behalf of the community, and conferred the chieftaincy title of Balógun Akórewọ̀lú of Odo Ayedun-Ekiti on Dr. Anton C. Bizzell, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the community. Dr. Bizzell, an African-American who traces his ancestry to Nigeria through ancestry DNA testing was also named ‘Ọmọ́wálé’ and welcomed as a son of the community.

water tower dedication ceremony in Ekiti State NigeriaThe chieftaincy and commissioning ceremonies were witnessed by a mammoth crowd from the community, as well as senior government officials, traditional rulers, and other community stakeholders. The Ekiti First Lady H.E. Erelu Bisi Fayemi, on behalf of the Government of Ekiti State, thanked Bizzell for the kind gesture and appealed to them to favorably consider scaling up the intervention to benefit more communities. In her words, “You will find the Government and people of Ekiti state – the land of honor – to be people of integrity, who will always follow through with commitments they make to you and ensure such interventions are protected and well maintained.”

Mr. Akin Rotimi, a community leader and facilitator of the project stated that “the initiative goes a long way in consolidating the cordial relationship between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the United States of America and is a demonstration of citizen diplomacy championed by well-meaning Americans in collaboration with Nigerians who have worked together to deliver the project”.

About Bizzell

Established in 2010, Bizzell is a global strategy, consulting, and technology firm with a mission to build health, secure, connected and prosperous communities around the world. Bizzell partners with stakeholders and growing countries around the world to unlock global health, workforce, and technology opportunities to improve the lives of residents and economies. Under the leadership and vision of founder, Anton C. Bizzell, MD, the company has grown into a thriving firm headquartered in New Carrollton, Maryland with staff and offices in various regions around the country and globally in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Learn more about how we develop data-driven, research-informed, innovative solutions to complex-real-world challenges: www.BizzellUS.com.

Bizzell US Contact
Carlos Gomez, Market Impact Specialist
Cgomez@bizzellglobal.com | 301-459-0100 x286

water tower dedication ceremony in Ekiti State Nigeria
Picture of water project in Ekiti State Nigeria.