Implementing Partner

MEST Africa is an entrepreneurial training programme, seed fund, and incubator for Africa’s next leading software entrepreneurs. They have adapted their specialised curriculum, perfected over the past 10 years, to support UNICEF StartUp Lab entrepreneurs in developing a basic business model and preparing to go-to-market. Representatives from MEST Africa lead incubation efforts at the UNICEF StartUp Lab.

Managing Director, MEST Africa

Originally from a small city in India called Madras (now Chennai), Ashwin is an Interactive Designer/Developer, specializing in UI/UX and product growth. Ashwin designs and implements the Startup Lab incubation curriculum, built on experience with 40+ African tech companies in Accra, Lagos, Nairobi and Cape Town. He applies expertise from work with diverse companies and ecosystems, education ranging from computer science to psychology, and years of startup consultancy to prepare the Startup Lab’s early-stage entrepreneurs to go to-market.

Director, MEST Africa

Prasanth Kumar is a Global Executive Leadership development consultant. Based in Accra, he is Director of Consultancy at MEST Africa. He is also associated with organizations around the globe for market development, business development and consulting practice.

Program Manager, MEST Africa

Gerhard is a media, marketing and technology enthusiast, having worked in sales, account management and product management roles spanning verticals in advertising, digital publishing, digital marketing and e-commerce.

Program Coordinator, MEST Africa 

Jesse brings to bear experience in developing and implementing targeted programming within Africa and North America, spanning WASH and Gender-based Violence programs.

Community Coordinator, MEST Africa 

Jayasri wields expertise in social media communication, content strategy, and writing for online & offline publications, having worked with tech startups across the world.

UNICEF in Ghana

Innovation is critical to the acceleration and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and key results for children in Ghana, Western and Central Africa and across the world. UNICEF’s team is dedicated to promoting innovative solutions for children and young people from all stakeholders, especially from Young People, across health, nutrition, WASH, education, social and child protection systems.

The UNICEF StartUp Lab convenes, incubates and tests those innovative ideas in the real world and quickly brings them to market, accompanying and capacitating the startups along the way.

UNICEF Deputy Representative in Ghana

Fiachra provides the overall vision and direction for the UNICEF Startup Lab and assures its integration with UNICEF’s wider portfolio of support to Ghana, across various sectors and partnerships at national and global levels.

Youth Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Digital Public Goods, UNICEF in Ghana

Chris develops links between StartUp Lab participants and UNICEF’s entrepreneurship and innovation support mechanisms, such as Innovation Fund, Digital Public Goods Alliance, Gen-U, and more.