Citi Foundation

About the Citi Foundation

The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. They invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyse job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill their mission and drive thought leadership and innovation.

Our partnership with the Citi Foundation

The Citi Foundation is a former partner of YBI, and together we supported more than 38,000 young people across Europe.

The five-year-long Youth Business Europe (YBE) programme (2015 – 2020) was designed to tackle youth unemployment in Europe, with a focus on underserved young people in 10 countries. The programme was designed to support young entrepreneurs to start or strengthen a business through training, networking, mentorship and, in some cases, financial assistance.

Over the course of the programme, 11 YBI members supported more than 38,000 young people to start or strengthen 11,000 businesses, with 8,000 new jobs were created. YBI members were able to expand their offerings and forge valuable new connections, and Citi employees reported multiple benefits from their involvement in the initiative. Read the full report here or watch the video below:

Initiatives

2015 – 2020: Youth Business Europe Youth Business Europe In 2015, Youth Business International and Citi Foundation launched Youth Business Europe, a five-year regional programme to support young people to start, grow and sustain their business. Through this partnership, we worked with the Citi Foundation to tackle youth unemployment and drive sustainable economic growth across Europe. Programme overview The programme was designed to increase […]

Success Stories

Adaeze Akpagbula

Nigeria

34-year-old entrepreneur Adaeze Akpagbula is passionate about green technology and sustainability in agriculture. Having witnessed the struggles of farmers first-hand—especially her own parents—she was inspired to harness IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) climate-smart technologies to transform livestock farming. Through her business Farmspeak Technology Limited, Adaeze is making significant strides in enhancing productivity, increasing […]

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Dareem Jeffrey

Trinidad and Tobago

29-year old Dareem Jeffrey’s entrepreneurial journey began with a mission to combat water scarcity in his home country of Trinidad and Tobago. Growing up in a rural community, he witnessed first-hand the challenges posed by water shortages. This inspired him to create EcoWash, an innovative, ecological carwash system that uses only two litres of water […]

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Keerthana Vangapally

India

29-year-old Keerthana Vangapally’s journey as a social entrepreneur began with a deeply personal experience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she fell seriously ill. Her family turned to traditional millet-based recipes to aid her recovery, and the impact was profound. This experience sparked an idea: what if more people had access to nutritious, preservative-free food options made […]

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Sandra Junele

United Kingdom

Sandra Junele, founder of Junele Ltd, is on a mission to combat climate change by turning textile waste into stunning wall art panels and inspiring her community to embrace sustainability. Her innovative business not only transforms discarded materials into beautiful, eco-friendly products but also creates opportunities for education and advocacy. Sandra’s entrepreneurial journey began with […]

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Ronald Mugaiga

Uganda

Ecomak Recyclers, founded by 29-year-old entrepreneur Ronald Mugaiga, is transforming Uganda’s housing landscape while tackling a global challenge: plastic pollution. This forward-thinking social enterprise recycles plastic waste into low-carbon construction materials, including bricks, blocks, and roofing tiles. These products are not only sustainable but also more affordable and efficient to build with compared to traditional […]

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Publications

Effectuation and its application in youth entrepreneurship training

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Zdenek Turek Europe Cluster Head and CEO Citibank Europe Plc

“Investing in today’s youth is critical to the health of society and the economy. Targeted programs like Youth Business Europe have helped young people to develop new businesses that have positively contributed to economic growth and social wellbeing. In these more than three years of partnership we supported more than 13,000 young people creating more than 3000 jobs; over 3,500 youth-led businesses have been started or strengthened; and over 1,000 young entrepreneurs have been provided with business mentoring. Our partnership with YBI, under our Pathways to Progress initiative, will continue to build on our achievements and set more young people on a sustainable economic path.”