SEVEN Fund Awards $30,000 in “Entrepreneurial President” Essay Competition
Compelling student essays advise Rwanda on enterprise solutions
to poverty
February 19, 2009 — CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS —The Social Equity Venture Fund — SEVEN — is proud to announce the winners of its 2008-2009 Student Essay Competition. The two student winners include Ms. Andreata Muforo, a second-year MBA student at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, who wrote the winning essay in the graduate category; and William Kalema, a junior at Northwestern University majoring in history, who wrote the winning undergraduate essay.
The winners, selected through a competitive review process that included a jury of leading business executives and development experts, were chosen from more than 650 essays. Entries were received from more than 450 institutions and 35 countries, with submissions from places as diverse as Iran to China, and Peru to Burundi.
The judges also awarded honorable mentions to Jamie Simon, an MBA student from the Presidio School of Management for a thoughtful integration of the theories of natural capitalism with economic development; and two undergraduates, Pin-Quan Ng from Columbia University, for an insightful comparison of Singapore and Rwanda, and David Fennig of Ohio State University for an innovative set of recommendations.
Students reviewed a video interview with His Excellency, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda discussing his vision for the Rwandan private sector, and assumed the role of policy advisor in the area of pro-entrepreneurship development. The graduate winner was awarded a $20,000 scholarship, and the undergraduate winner was awarded a $10,000 scholarship. The winning essays will be presented to President Kagame for his review.
"Our intention was to create a global discussion among the world’s brightest and most action-oriented students over what makes good policy in a progressive emerging economy; our two winners, both of whom are African, represent all 650 entrants with great distinction," said Michael Fairbanks, co-founder of the SEVEN Fund.
About SEVEN
SEVEN (Social Equity Venture Fund) is a virtual non-profit entity run by entrepreneurs whose strategy is to markedly increase the rate of innovation and diffusion of enterprise-based solutions to poverty. It does this by targeted investment that fosters thought leadership through books, films and websites; supporting role models - whether they are entrepreneurs or innovative firms - in developing nations; and shaping a new discourse in government, the press and the academy around private-sector innovation, prosperity and progressive human values.
About the John Templeton Foundation
The John Templeton Foundation (www.templeton.org) serves as a philanthropic catalyst for discovery in the areas engaging life's biggest questions. These questions range from explorations into the laws of nature and the universe to questions on the nature of love, gratitude, forgiveness and creativity.
Entrepreneurs create products, services and jobs. They expand economies, improve people's lives, provide employment (high and rising wages) and bring about competition. A competitive environment, in turn, gives rise to efficiency, meritocracy and further innovations and entrepreneurial drive.
The potent combination of entrepreneurship and technological innovation can forge an environment that is conducive to further enterprise, involving even government policy in supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.
