And that's a wrap for the 2020 Virtual Accelerator Program! We are truly grateful to have worked with 10 inspiring cohort companies over the last six months -- they've been an amazing bunch! We admire the commitment of all the entrepreneurs who are navigating through new and pressing challenges in this difficult time and are continuing to build on the fantastic work they are doing.
The Upaya team held a final wrap-up session via Zoom with the 2020 cohort to mark the completion of the 2020 Virtual Accelerator Program
Upaya CEO, Kate Cochran addressed the cohort entrepreneurs in her closing message via Zoom last week. "As early-stage organisations,” she said, “each of you could have said, ’oh, this is it – it’s too hard,’ and given up. But you didn’t. You are all still here, and that is a testament to your grit, to your vision, and your tenacity. Please remember that when times get tough in the future. And they will. The organisations that can make it through those times are the ones with the muscle memory of how they navigated through tough times before."
We wish the entrepreneurs the very best as they continue to build and grow their organisations to create greater impact. We strongly believe that small and growing businesses led by driven, innovative entrepreneurs like those in our 2020 cohort will play a big role in the world’s recovery. They have the vision to create dignified jobs in the most vulnerable communities, and the drive to make it happen.
We'd also like to thank all our program partners and speakers who supported us through the program and added immense value to our cohort companies.
2020 Cohort Companies
Meet the 2020 Cohort Entrepreneurs
Meet Deepa Pant, founder of SVATANYA, whose mission is to empower underprivileged women with financial independence that comes with a dignified job. SVATANYA is a Delhi-based social enterprise that trains women to make handcrafted products