Alumni Spotlight: Building Business In Africa

​Audience: Open to Harvard students, staff and faculty interested in Building Businesses in Africa

​Pelkins will share his journey from Cameroon to co-founding CassVita, an agtech venture that extends cassava shelf life from 3 days to 18 months, reducing post-harvest loss and increasing farmer income by up to 400%

​Beyond traditional venture capital, this session will spotlight the rise of venture philanthropy and other alternative models of funding that are unlocking growth in underserved markets. You’ll hear how CassVita built factories through capital that prioritized both social impact and financial sustainability—an approach that is reshaping how ambitious entrepreneurs across Africa scale transformative ideas