Starting With Women
Women Founders Growth Cohort
A growth cohort for women founders building scalable ventures with traction, purpose, societal relevance and long-term value potential.
AjoAje's Women Founders Growth Cohort combines founder leadership, commercial clarity, expert guidance, ecosystem access and impact articulation to help promising ventures become more credible, scalable and partnership ready.
At a Glance
Who it's for, and what to expect.
Who it is for
Women founders/co-founders with a validated concept, early traction or a growing business & clear ambition to scale.
Duration
12 weeks
Format
Weekly founder sessions, expert clinics, peer circles, readiness reviews and final showcase.
Core outcome
Sharper growth strategy, stronger founder readiness, better partner/investor positioning and a 90-day roadmap.
What Founders Will Gain
- Sharper problem-solution fit, business model and revenue pathway
- More focused go-to-market, traction and financial discipline
- Stronger founder story, visibility and partner readiness
- Access to mentors, experts, peers and ecosystem connections
- A clear impact thesis linked to relevant SDGs and, where applicable, African country/region NDC priorities
Learning Journey
A ten-module path from founder mindset to growth roadmap.
| Module | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Founder mindset & leadership resilience |
| 2 | Problem, solution & value proposition |
| 3 | Business model & revenue pathway |
| 4 | Go-to-market & traction |
| 5 | Brand, storytelling & founder visibility |
| 6 | Financial basics & growth planning |
| 7 | Partnerships & ecosystem navigation |
| 8 | Impact articulation: SDGs / NDC relevance |
| 9 | Pitch & readiness review |
| 10 | Growth roadmap & next-step support |
Venture Selection Principles
- Credible founder/team and clear commitment
- Real problem, practical solution and evidence of market relevance
- Scalability and sustainable growth potential
- Openness to strategic guidance and ecosystem collaboration
- Clear societal contribution through jobs, access, inclusion, resilience or local value
- Alignment with relevant SDGs and, where applicable, country/region NDC priorities
Mentor and Expert Engagement
Mentors and experts should bring relevant professional, entrepreneurial, investment, sector or leadership experience and commit at least 1 hour per week during the agreed engagement period. Confidentiality and conflict-of-interest expectations apply.
After the Cohort
- AjoAje founder/alumni ecosystem and targeted learning opportunities
- Potential referrals to strategic partners, customers, mentors or experts
- Readiness pathway for selected AjoAje Impact Ventures support
- Post-cohort tracking of growth, jobs, partnerships and capital readiness
For Partners and Sponsors
Corporates, development actors, investors, accelerators and institutions can sponsor founders, provide experts, open market connections or support a dedicated thematic cohort.
Request Mentorship — Mentee Criteria
Mentee Criteria
Individuals applying for mentorship may be considered based on:
- Clarity of personal, academic, professional, or entrepreneurial goals
- Demonstrated motivation and commitment to growth
- Readiness to engage actively and consistently in the mentorship process
- Openness to feedback, accountability, and learning
- Alignment between the applicant's goals and the purpose of the mentorship pathway
- Potential to translate the mentorship experience into meaningful personal, professional, or societal contribution
Additional impact-oriented consideration
Priority may be given to applicants who can show:
- A clear intention to contribute positively to their community, sector, or ecosystem
- Interest in building work, projects, or enterprises aligned with sustainable development and inclusive growth
- Leadership potential and a willingness to create value beyond themselves
Join the Mentor Network — Mentor Criteria
Mentor Criteria
Mentors may be selected based on:
- Relevant professional, academic, entrepreneurial, or leadership experience
- Strong integrity, professionalism, and values alignment
- Genuine interest in supporting the growth of others
- Ability to provide constructive guidance across career, education, business, leadership, or personal development topics
- Willingness to support mentees with empathy, consistency, and accountability
- Alignment with AjoAje's mission and mentoring standards
- Willingness to dedicate a minimum of 1 hour per week to the engagement
Mentors are expected to bring not only relevant experience, but also the time and commitment needed for meaningful engagement. As a baseline, mentors should be willing to dedicate at least one hour per week to mentoring activities, whether through one-to-one sessions, group mentoring, office hours, workshops, or related support.
AjoAje Impact Ventures — Venture Support Criteria
Venture Support Criteria
Potential ventures may be considered based on:
- Strength and credibility of the founder or team
- Clarity of the problem being addressed and the proposed solution
- Relevance to real market, societal, or ecosystem needs
- Scalability and sustainability potential
- Alignment with AjoAje's values and impact lens
- Readiness for strategic support, partnerships, or growth acceleration
- Openness to mentorship, collaboration, and ecosystem engagement
- Potential for measurable and lasting value creation
Additional impact alignment criteria
Priority may be given to ventures that can clearly demonstrate:
- Alignment with one or more Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Alignment with the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of a relevant African country or region, where applicable
- A clearly stated contribution to societal growth, inclusion, resilience, sustainability, or local economic development
- Potential to create jobs, strengthen communities, improve access, or support environmentally and socially responsible growth
- A clear "give back" dimension through positive outcomes for society, ecosystems, or underserved groups
AjoAje gives priority to ventures whose objectives are not only commercially credible, but also clearly connected to broader development outcomes. This may include alignment with relevant Sustainable Development Goals, the Nationally Determined Contributions of a specific African country or region, or other clearly articulated contributions to inclusive, sustainable, and societally meaningful growth.
Join the Cohort