Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — After spending five days in the hospital due to a typhoid fever infection, Emmanuel Egbroko emerged with a goal of helping Africans prevent infectious diseases.
So, he launched Inocul8, a company that uses technology to increase access to preventive health care products and services. They offer laboratory test services, immunization services, online doctor consultations and more.
"I began a mission called Inocul8 to help Africans prevent infectious diseases. Inocul8 is my life, my purpose and the platform I use to tell the world in action that prevention is better and cheaper than cure," Egbroko said.
Now, Egbroko is trying to actualize his mission as one of 20 inaugural African entrepreneurs in the recently launched Master of Business Creation global program from the University of Utah.
Following years of growth locally at the U. and nationally through an online offering that combines a business accelerator with a graduate business degree, the program is now being offered on a global level.
"Our objective is to become the preeminent, U.S. accredited, global graduate degree for entrepreneurs. That's what we're trying to do," said Jeff Davis, a founding faculty member of the Master of Business Creation program and director of the global program. "We're going to be the No. 1 graduate program for entrepreneurs around the globe."
The program was first introduced at the U. in 2019 as a first-of-its-kind program and over 200 founders have enrolled in it since then. It matches the best of a business accelerator with a top-ranked university to provide entrepreneurs with the information and resources they need to grow and scale their companies.
The program is offered in partnership with the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy and Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the David Eccles School of Business.
After the idea to expand the program became a reality, the next bridge to cross was for the U. to figure out how it would find international companies and get the word out.
Davis said the University of Utah had to navigate legal restrictions related to administering online education in other countries (in this case in Africa) and how public institutions like the U. can go about doing so.
We want entrepreneurs everywhere to have the opportunity to participate in this unmatched program for working entrepreneurs. Within a couple years, we expect to have founders from every corner of the world participating.
– Jeff Davis, U. Master of Business Creation global program director
"In the end, once all our legal analysis and strategy was mapped out, we were authorized to launch into four countries in Africa," Davis said.
The 20 companies in the initial cohort reside in Ghana (15), Nigeria (2), Kenya (2) and South Africa (1).
The U. began conducting outreach through alumni, donors and even harnessed the help of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help spread the word about the program.
Then, entrepreneurs were able to apply to the program through a website where they were asked to complete an application, pitch their company and be screened for admittance.
"We want entrepreneurs everywhere to have the opportunity to participate in this unmatched program for working entrepreneurs. Within a couple years, we expect to have founders from every corner of the world participating," Davis said.
Although it isn't in-person, the global iteration of the Master of Business Creation program features all of the core elements of the successful U.S. program.
The founders in the global program have access to one-on-one mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs in their location, an applied and highly relevant curriculum, networking opportunities and more. They will also join a growing, international network of Master of Business Creation alumni, founders, faculty and mentors.
Davis said the initial cohort represents a diverse array of sectors, including technology, education, agriculture, vision services, climate insurance and much more.
"Stuff that's really quite inspiring. Health care, social assistance, construction materials, a couple of food companies — just a really interesting group of companies that we found that we're quite excited about," Davis said.
It will light my path on this entrepreneurial journey and I already love how much transformation I am seeing in my business after the first few weeks.
– Caroline Pomeyie, founder of OceansMall
Additionally, Davis emphasized that this program isn't an incubator. In other words, they're not looking to launch ground-level ideas.
"We're looking for companies that are revenue-generating companies, they have proven product market fit, their idea has resonated with consumers (and) they have initial sales," Davis said. "The program is especially geared for those early-stage entrepreneurs ... that we can really help accelerate."
Caroline Pomeyie, a student in the program from Accra, Ghana, is the founder of OceansMall, which connects small-scale fishers to profitable urban markets through its digital supply chain services. The company aims to reduce post-harvest losses.
"I have experienced the challenges local fishers face as I come from a fishing community in Ghana," Pomeyie said. "However, I identified that I could make a major impact while creating wealth. The fisheries sector is a vibrant sector very often overlooked."
Pomeyie enrolled in the program because it provides her the opportunity to further her studies while also running her business.
"It will light my path on this entrepreneurial journey and I already love how much transformation I am seeing in my business after the first few weeks," Pomeyie said.
The program carries a tuition cost of $15,000.
Davis said that over the coming years, he hopes to expand the program more throughout Africa while also expanding to other regions across the globe, all while continuing to bolster the success of the U.S. program that made the expansion possible in the first place.
"We're going to really help them understand the financials and the marketing and the sales to go grow their company," Davis said. "I think 10, 20, 30, 40 years from today — people will be talking about this MBC — this amazing degree across the globe, designed and tailored for entrepreneurs."
