Finalists announced for YBI’s Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2024 

YBI is delighted to announce that nine young entrepreneurs have been shortlisted to become its Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2024. All nine finalists have earned a place to join YBI members, entrepreneurship experts, multilateral representatives and business leaders at The Global Youth Entrepreneurship Summit, 8-10 October, in Nairobi, Kenya.   

A panel of judges including representatives from Accenture, Blackrock, Standard Chartered Foundation, the YBI Board of Trustees and successful young entrepreneurs, saw pitches from 30 shortlisted hopefuls as the finale of the Youth Business International Bootcamp and narrowed the entrepreneurs down to three finalists per category: Climate Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Entrepreneurship.  

The winner of each category will be determined by a public vote (opening soon) and win a year of business coaching, training and support from the YBI network and a cash gift of $5000 to help their business grow. A further panel of judges will choose the overall winner, who will be crowned as the Global Young Entrepreneurs of the year and receive a cash gift of $10,000. Winners will be announced at the Global Youth Entrepreneurship Summit, 8 October, Nairobi, Kenya.   

Anita Tiessen, CEO YBI said:

Our Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition always shines a light on the most impressive and inspiring young entrepreneurs supported by our network. From innovative waste management and recycling solutions to financial education initiatives it’s a privilege to be able to support these business to further their ambition and drive to create a generation for change. I wish all the finalists the best of luck in the online vote and look forward to welcoming them to our Summit in Kenya in October.  

For details on the event and to attend the summit please visit youthbusiness.org/summit. Voting opens on Monday, 8 July 2024 and details on the finalists and how to vote will be available on our Bootcamp webpage soon. 

Meet the finalists:  

Climate Entrepreneurship 

• Adaeze Akpagbula, Farmspeak Technology Limited, Nigeria
• Haron Obong, Lira Seedlings Center, Uganda
• Sandra Junele, Junele Ltd, United Kingdom

Social Entrepreneurship 

• Keerthana Vangapally, 9nutz Millets Private Limited, India
• Maria Silveira, Barkus, Brazil
• Ronald Mugaiga, Ecomak Recyclers, Uganda

Sustainable Entrepreneurship

• Dareem Jeffrey, Kairos General Services And Consultancy Ltd (EcoWash)
• Rafi Mohammad, Fixi Solutions Ab, Sweden
• Veronika Czarnocka, Intu Circularity, Poland