Stanford Seed West Africa

Stanford Seed Transformation Program (STP) Benefits

Stanford Faculty-Led Curriculum

The STP curriculum is customized to address the needs of CEOs in developing economies who lead growing enterprises.

STP topics include leadership training, entrepreneurial organizations, strategy, accounting, marketing, finance/investing, value chain innovations, and product and service innovations.

Learning by Doing

Highly interactive sessions provide tools and methodologies used by entrepreneurs at Stanford and beyond to improve organizational effectiveness.

You will also learn about Design Thinking—an innovative problem-solving approach refined by Stanford faculty and its alumni—that is invaluable for identifying new products and services for your customers. 

Local and Regional Networks

Bringing together CEOs from different countries and industries enriches your learning experiences and helps in building relationships across borders and industries. 

Through frequent breakout sessions you will get to know other participants in your cohort. Together, you will begin to apply your learnings and practice applied skills such as negotiation, working in teams, public speaking, leadership, and pitching to potential investors. 

Former STP participants continue to stay engaged with Stanford Seed and become part of the peer network, often presenting the experience of their own journeys to incoming cohorts.

Coaching by Experienced Volunteers 

Seed volunteer coaches spend 6 to 12 months in West Africa working with company leaders and helping them implement their learnings from the Seed Transformation Program.

Volunteers have demonstrated substantial success in managing and/or coaching companies with aggressive goals while holding leadership positions in Silicon Valley and beyond.

Volunteers eager to support CEOs in developing economies but unable to spend extended time in your region are also available to work on short-term projects, lasting from a few days to several months.

Collaboration with Stanford Students

• CEOs enrolled in STP may apply to host a Stanford student intern during the summer academic break (June/July through August/Sept). Interns typically focus on projects related to important aspects of your transformation and should be achievable within 8 or more weeks. 

• Stanford Seed Design Thinking Workshops are offered in partnership with the Stanford Africa Entrepreneurship Network and typically take place in October, February, and April. Students present their findings via video conference to CEOs.

• The Stanford Seed Post Graduate Work Experience places students with companies enrolled in Seed's Transformation Program. Duration varies from several months to 1+ years.

Participant Commitment 

• Admitted companies must commit to the six month program duration.

• Mandatory attendance is required for all four sessions, held at Seed's center in Accra, Ghana. 

Cost to Participants

• STP participants are responsible for transportation to and from Seed's center in Accra, Ghana, as well as for lodging during the sessions. 

• Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and some dinners will be provided during the program.

Application and Deadline

• The application and application deadline for spring 2016 program intake will be posted soon.

• Register and you will receive an email when the application and the application deadline are posted.

Program Fee

• The Program Fee is waived for the session starting in September 2015.

Program Calendar

Detailed program information, including faculty profiles, and daily schedules, will be forwarded to you after your admission.

Program Eligibility

The Stanford Seed Transformation Program  is specifically intended for CEOs who lead and want to grow their established businesses in the West Africa subregion. 

• Participants must be founders, co-founders, or C-level executives within the organization.

• Organizations have annual revenue between $150,000 and $15 million.

• Participants operate in sectors known to improve lives, including:
  • Agriculture and Food Processing
  • Construction, Civil Engineering, and Real Estate
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Financial Services
  • Healthcare
  • Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
  • Retail & Product Manufacturing
  • Tourism
  • Transportation and Logistics
  • Water and Sanitation
  • Other sectors qualify as well