(3 Minutes Read)
The Sustainable Employment through Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) program, a five-year initiative supported by the Mastercard Foundation, has celebrated a major milestone by graduating its fifth cohort of entrepreneurs. The latest graduation ceremony, which took place last Saturday at the Skylight Hotel in Shaggar City, marked the successful completion of the program for 28 startups based in Shaggar.
This cohort, however, was part of a broader initiative that spanned three key cities in Ethiopia: Shaggar in the Oromia region, Bahir Dar in Amhara, and Hawassa in the Sidama Regional State. In total, the program hosted 75 founders across these locations—30 in Shaggar, 32 in Bahir Dar, and 13 in Hawassa.
Led by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) in collaboration with Orbit Innovation Hub, the SEED program is designed to foster sustainable employment by nurturing entrepreneurial talent and supporting enterprise development. The initiative places a strong emphasis on inclusion and gender equity. In a notable achievement, 95% of the founders participating in this cohort were women, reflecting the program’s commitment to empowering female entrepreneurs.
Read Also;
https://trendsnafrica.com/ethiopia-launches-portal-to-promote-startups/
Speaking at the event, Dr. Hassen Hussein, CEO of EDI, highlighted the transformative impact of the program on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Ethiopia. He emphasized that SEED is not only equipping young entrepreneurs with essential business skills but also contributing to job creation and economic resilience in local communities. The graduation ceremony served as both a celebration of achievement and a call to action for continued innovation, with the graduates now poised to scale their businesses and make meaningful contributions to their regions and beyond.
