- Cascador, an accelerator for mid-stage entrepreneurs in Africa, is closing its 2023 application cycle on June 30th, giving business owners a two-week window to submit their applications.
- The program, now in its 5th year, combines six months of mentorship with a one-week in-person “power intensive” in Lagos, aiming to drive business growth, leadership skills, and long-term success.
- Recent alumni surveys show that past Cascador fellows have raised over $23 million in the capital, and the program has been praised for its unique model and access to top-tier mentors and faculty.
Cascador, an accelerator for mid-stage entrepreneurs in Africa who are scaling mission-driven companies, is closing the 2023 application cycle on June 30th, giving business owners only 2 weeks to submit their application to join the programme.
Cascador, now in its 5th year, is proven to drive scale for entrepreneurs by combining 6 months of mentorship with a one-week in-person “power intensive” in Lagos. The programme is designed to turbo-charge not only business growth, but the leadership skills, support network, and teamwork that enable long-term success and profitability.
The 2023 Cascador programme will be hosted from October 30th – November 3rd, 2023 at Lagos Business School. All lodging and meals for the week-long immersion are provided by Cascador.
For entrepreneurs who are passionate about driving growth and impact, Cascador is a unique model that has successfully elevated dozens of companies through an outside-the-box blend of education, mentoring, pitch training, and personalized support.
Recent alumni surveys show that past Cascador fellows have raised over $23M USD in capital.
Dave DeLucia, CEO of US-based Immunext and Co-Founder of Cascador, shared, “Our top-tier mentors and faculty are dedicated to the success of our fellows, and we have seen great gains in market traction, revenue increases, and investment and lending activity among participants.
As a team, we work very hard to ensure that alumni leave the Cascador programme as strong, transformative leaders with a strategic plan to scale, and the connections, resources, and capital required to execute their plan.”
Alumni from past cohorts recently shared the impact of participation in Cascador through testimonial videos. Highlights include feedback from Dr Ebi Ofrey, CEO of GeroCare, Adeola Alli, CEO of OneHealth, and Godson Nkeokelonye, CEO of 234Parts.
Dr Ebi Ofrey, CEO of GeroCare, shared his motivation to apply saying, “I applied to attend Cascador because it’s quite different from what I see in many other accelerator programmes. The key thing was the level of mentorship and the people that we have access to. I needed to hear perspectives from people who are experienced in the industry and don’t have any bias.
They are willing to teach, they are willing to be vulnerable and to open up to you. Even before I left the environment of Cascador, it was already helping to scale my business from connections and doors being opened by the faculty.”
CEO of OneHealth, Adeola Alli, explained how she discovered Cascador, “I got into Cascador as a recommendation from one of my existing startup support groups. I had a chance to really interact with people which is what I love. The programme curriculum was very beneficial.
Speaking to and learning from faculty, deep diving into our business models, trying to retell our story… I really like that aspect! The social element to it is great. There is a lot of cross-pollination, even with the faculty, because it’s an open space to talk and listen.”
Godson Nkeokelonye, CEO of 234Parts, discussed the value of mentors in Cascador, saying, “I had exhausted everything I knew in trying to get the business to scale. It was very apparent that I needed the help of subject matter experts. The mentorship in Cascador is huge.
I have been to so many business schools and I have not had this much mentorship. Cascador creates so much value, and you get the best of all worlds, from operations to sales to branding to HR. And I can continue to leverage that access. I’ve been able to open big doors for us going forward. I want to remain a lifetime supporter of Cascador.”
Cascador participants are mid-stage entrepreneurs with at least 2 years in operation. They should have annual revenue from sales that exceeds $50,000 USD per year or have raised at least $250,000 USD of capital. Annual participation is limited to 10 fellows.
Learn more at www.cascador.org and view testimonial videos from alumni on the accelerator’s YouTube channel.
Interested Cascador applicants can apply online through June 30th.
About Cascador
Cascador is an annual, no-cost programme focused on a business scale. The accelerator curriculum is designed for mid-stage African entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and their leadership skills by working with successful American and Nigerian entrepreneurs from a wide range of industry sectors, backgrounds, and geographic locations.
A one-week annual intensive in-person programme is augmented with preparatory exercises, and self-awareness coaching, and is followed by 6 months of mentorship. Interested applicants, partners, sponsors, and prospective faculty can learn more and contact the Cascador team at www.cascador.org.