Ghana - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Social enterprise tour agency in Ghana funding after-school programs for rural youth focusing on Computer Literacy, Reading, Public Speaking, Confidence Building and Sportmanship

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Empowering Youth Through Tourism: A Sustainable Social Enterprise Impact Xperience, a travel agency specialising in immersive Ghanaian experiences for vacations, business retreats, and lifestyle seekers. Impact Xperience will showcase Ghana's rich culture and beauty and directly support our after-school program in the under-resourced Volta Region. Sustainable Impact: Travel with Purpose: Proceeds fund a haven for at-risk youth, providing after-school support, mentorship, and educational opportunities. Empowering Futures: Investing in education allows children to reach their full potential and breaks the cycle of poverty in rural communities by teaching Coding, Robotics, Reading Camps, Libraries & Sports Impact Xperience Offers: Authentic Experiences: Curated tours beyond the tourist trail, fostering cultural exchange and community connection. Diverse Packages: Vacation getaways, business retreats tailored for productivity, and immersive lifestyle programs

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Impact Xperience works to address two main key issues in Ghana's Volta Region. My organisation tackles the lack of educational opportunities and resources for at-risk youth by providing after-school support, mentorship, and educational opportunities in various fields. Secondly, it combats limited economic opportunities in rural communities by attracting tourists who seek responsible travel experiences, potentially creating jobs and bringing income to the region through tourist spending that may directly support the programs or the community.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

1. Improved educational outcomes for at-risk youth: My after-school support, mentorship, and educational opportunities provide valuable resources that can help young people stay in school, improve their grades, and gain the skills they need to succeed in the future. 2. Empowerment of at-risk youth: By providing mentorship and guidance, Impact Xperience can help young people develop self-confidence, make positive choices, and reach their full potential by tapping into the work experience, skills and educational knowledge of tourists at empowerment workshops along their travel 3. Economic development for rural communities: My focus on responsible tourism attracts visitors who are interested in supporting local communities. This tourist spending creates jobs, boosts the local economy, and provides funding for your programs. 4. Sustainable development: Impact Xperience promotes a sustainable approach to tourism that benefits both the environment and the local people.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

My startup's service has two distinct targeted beneficiary groups: At-risk youth: This group faces a lack of educational opportunities and resources. My after-school support, mentorship programs, and educational opportunities aim to address this need and empower them. Rural communities: These communities struggle with limited economic opportunities. My startup works to attract tourists seeking responsible travel experiences. This increased tourism can bring jobs and income to the region, potentially supporting both the programs I offer and my wider region. In essence, my startup works with a social impact model, aiming to benefit both the at-risk youth through education and the rural communities through economic development.

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-12-02

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

0

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

0

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

N/A

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Hospitality and Travel

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

By empowering young people with skills in IT, the ability to read well, boosted confidence and grooming children to become confident adults, we are preparing them for the job market and as well equipping them with the foundation and skills in IT to attract good-paying jobs

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

3

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

4

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

Focus on the whole child: My organization addresses various aspects of a child's development, not just academics. Coding, robotics, and reading all build STEM skills, while confidence building and sportsmanship develop social-emotional learning (SEL) crucial for future success. Complements in-school learning: By offering homework assistance, we reinforce concepts learned in school. We also wish to tailor our IT skills or robotics programs to align with current school topics once we have the needed equiment. Meeting the demands of the future: Coding and robotics are in high demand, and we're equipping students with valuable skills for future careers. Critical thinking and problem-solving: These skills are essential across disciplines and our programs encourage them through creative problem-solving in arts & crafts sessions as well as coding and robotics. Research shows that after-school programs can lead to improved grades and standardized test scores. Reduced risk factors

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Our young girls are used to being shy with very little interest in sporting activities, but currently, we have a bunch of young girls who have become confident and no longer wait for the boys to do certain activities but they also take charge & lead Our sex education sessions are no longer focused on girls only but rather on boys and often both genders. We do not reserve leadership positions for only boys as it is in the public schools and most private schools. At our center, girls have equal opportunity to stand for leadership roles During our drumming and dancing sessions, we do not reserve singing for girls and drumming for boys, but both genders have the chance to decide which of the acts to join and practice. Last year, none of our girls dared to jump and swim in the river, but almost all the boys - even those little boys who couldn't swim had the guts to get in the river. We began encouraging our girls to dare and now we have more girls swimming

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

2

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

4

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

4

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

3

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

5

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

6

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.08 Justification for my startup

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Competitors: Educational NGOs: There are NGOs in our Region that focus on improving education for underprivileged youth. International Volunteer Programs: Programs that connect volunteers with communities in Ghana could be seen as competition. Responsible Travel Companies: Other companies offering eco-tourism or responsible travel experiences in the Volta Region What Makes Us Stand Out: Holistic Approach: Impact Xperience tackles both educational and economic issues, creating a more sustainable impact. We provide educational opportunities while simultaneously generating income for the community through tourism. Focus on Youth Empowerment: Our after-school programs, mentorship, and leadership development opportunities go beyond basic education, empowering youth for the future. Sustainable Tourism Model: By attracting tourists who directly support the programs or the community, Impact Xperience creates a closed-loop system where tourism benefits the very people it impacts.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

With our purposeful actions on inspiring young girls to venture into male-dominated roles, whenever we seek to hold workshops and seminars of boys and girls talks, we often consider a female leader or entrepreneur to facilitate such.