Entrepreneur in Residence

About Seedstars

Seedstars is a group headquartered in Switzerland / Geneva on a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging and frontier markets through technology and entrepreneurship. We operate 2 main activities to achieve our mission: (A) We work in partnership with development agencies, governments, corporate partners, and private donors to develop entrepreneurship ecosystems, create jobs, and fuel income growth. (B) We invest in high-growth technology companies in impactful sectors (fintech, ed-tech, agritech, health tech, etc) in emerging markets.

About SAFEEM

SAFEEM (Swiss Association For Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets) is a Geneva-based non-profit organization on a mission to support entrepreneurs in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. SAFEEM is an independent organisation that operates in partnership with Seedstars, a global investment holding with a similar goal of impacting people's lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. The organization works with Seedstars staff and has an Equivalency Determination (ED) certificate from NGOsource, proving its equivalence to a Certified Public Charity. SAFEEM has previously collaborated with various organizations such as UN Environment (UNEP), GIZ, European Union, Visa Foundation, and more to fuel economic growth and create jobs in emerging markets.
 

Seedstars Talents

Seedstars Talents’ mission is to support top talents from emerging markets to get access to and acquire 21st-century skills to help them shape their career in a meaningful way. The Talents team partners with development organisations, governments, investors and higher-education institutions on finding and providing solutions to mitigate skill imbalances by bridging labor market skill shortage gaps through its core activities:

• Academy - Equipping the education sector with gamified tech and entrepreneurial EdTech platforms and science-backed innovative pedagogies. 
• Talent Agency - Discovering and preparing Academy talents and landing them in meaningful professional opportunities.

About the Program

Funded by USAID, MCC, and Microsoft, the DigiFemmes Program is a holistic technical assistance program to enhance the capacity of women in Cote d’Ivoire to run and grow successful businesses by participating in the digital economy.

The program supports existing women-led small and medium enterprises (W-SMEs) in their growth journeys, creates a robust pipeline of new W-SMEs, and works with ecosystem stakeholders to create a supportive environment for digital skills in Cote d’Ivoire. 

About the job

SAFEEM is offering a job opportunity as a full-time Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) for DigiFemmes Entrepreneurs, which is a 9-month onsite program held in Côte d’Ivoire, and implemented in different areas across Abidjan. 

The role will require frequent local travel.

Onlys shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

Main Responsibilities

• Execution of the outlined design and curriculum of the program.
  • Review W-SMEs outputs (market opportunity navigator, value proposition canvas, business model canvas, etc) and provide quality inputs for improvements.
  • Support experiment design and documentation.
  • Review  WSMEs opportunity/MVP pitches.
  • Ad hoc support to WSMEs team (with a strong focus on helping them design or execute digital marketing experiments). 
  • Provide mentorship for multiple WSMEs simultaneously.
• Track and report on batch progress.
• Represent Seedstars in the local community.
• Identify areas for program innovation and improvement and share it with the central acceleration program team.

Qualifications:

Mindset

• Passion for startups and technology in emerging markets.
• Flexibility & professional exposure - This job only makes sense for someone who is passionate about learning and traveling often.
• Strong belief in getting things done.

Background

• Fluent French with a strong command of English.
• Bachelor’s Degree in business management, marketing, finance, international development, or related/otherwise relevant field.
• Previous product leadership/founder experience.
• Deep understanding of startup methodologies (testing/experimentation design, fundraising, etc) as well as up to date knowledge of the latest tools (Analytics, SEM/Email/Social marketing, etc.).
• Teaching and training experience is a plus.

Why our employees love working with us:

• We are on a mission to impact people's lives in emerging markets.
• You get many growth opportunities and responsibilities early on.
• You work in an entrepreneurial culture where you're surrounded by a vibrant and diverse team.
• We offer autonomy and flexibility with a flat hierarchy and a strong belief in freedom-centered practices.
• We were awarded as one of the most democratic workplaces in the world due to our freedom-centered practices.
• We are an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and encourages applicants from historically underrepresented groups.

We are an equal opportunity employer with a diverse mix of nationalities and backgrounds represented in our company. We truly value diversity and believe that the cultural landscape of our organization should reflect the types of work that we engage in and the places that we do it. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status and strongly encourage applicants from historically underrepresented groups to apply to all of our roles at Seedstars and SAFEEM.

Funding of the DigiFemmes Program

• The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an independent U.S. government agency that works to reduce global poverty through economic growth. Established in 2004, MCC provides grants and fixed-term assistance to countries that meet high standards of good governance, anti-corruption, and respect for democratic rights. The Digital Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI) project is an initiative of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) that works with partner countries to transform systems in terms of data use and digital access and tools. www.mcc.gov | www.dcli.co
• USAID is the lead U.S. government agency fighting extreme global poverty and enabling resilient and democratic societies to develop their potential. For more information, visit https://www.usaid.gov/.
• Launched in 2021, Microsoft's Africa Transformation Office is a driver of business development within Microsoft. It works with partners to foster Africa's sustainable growth, accelerate digital transformation and empower millions of Africans through digital technologies.