Pollinate Impact

Arielle Molino makes the case that the game of pinball is a great analogy for impact incubators in the Global South. Just as pinball players must juggle multiple moving elements and react quickly, incubators are constantly navigating the complex and often conflicting demands of funders, entrepreneurs, and investors. Social entrepreneurs are in the game too- navigating unpredictable twists, surprise “bumpers,” and the occasional multi-ball moment of opportunity and overload. She draws on Pollinate Impact's recent conversations with incubators and investors to offer up a way to change the status quo, and build a thriving environment for impact entrepreneurs. #impactincubators #socialimpact #globalsouth #socialenterprise #ESOs #impactentrepreneurs #PollinateImpact

Welcome to the Pollinate Impact community Engineering for Change, LLC! Engineering for Change (E4C) prepares, educates, and activates the international technical workforce to deliver transformative, high-impact solutions that improve quality of life globally. We are thrilled to welcome you to our global community for impact, innovation and entrepreneurship! Jonathan K. Leah Putman Iana Aranda Arielle Molino Shami Rao Paul Basil Tess Thuo Ruod Ariete Sophia Calugay-Morita #PollinateImpact #ImpactIncubation #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #SocialImpact #membernetwork

A Two-Way Conversation on Funding, Impact, and Collaboration Our upcoming convening is a members-only discussion bringing together incubators, accelerators, and impact enablers to engage in meaningful, two-way conversations with Andrew Gwadiva, Allan O. and Maaike Broekhuis. We're excited to foster candid, open dialogue, bridging perspectives between those who provide funding and those who drive impact. Boehringer Ingelheim Shell Foundation The DOEN Foundation #webinar #fundraising #membersonly

Every choice we make today shapes the planet we leave behind. As we mark World Earth Day, we celebrate the bold action of social impact incubators who are driving real change across the globe, by supporting those entrepreneurs who are tackling the climate crisis with urgency and innovation. The impact incubators in our network are launchpads for bold ideas that make our planet cleaner, greener, and more equitable. Here’s how they’re helping reimagine our world: 🌍Powering climate-tech and clean energy solutions 🌍Nurturing entrepreneurs in underserved regions 🌍Creating resilient green livelihoods 🌍Reimagining business models for sustainability 🌍Unlocking social innovations that protect both people and the planet Let’s continue investing in innovation, amplifying local solutions, and supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs who are shaping our world for tomorrow. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) SHONA Enviu IKP EDEN RUG - Empower | Innovate | Sustain NSRCEL Impact Hub Nairobi Ateneo de Manila University Blue Nest Emerge Livelihoods Villgro Shared Value Hub WYLDE International SHE powered by iDE Villgro Philippines Impact Hub Abidjan Academic City University Miller Center for Global Impact Upaya Social Ventures Reach for Change New Energy Nexus #worldhealthday #healthadvocacy #SDGs #Envision2030

Securing funding for entrepreneurs remains a complex journey. Incubators and accelerators invest significant time and resources into preparing entrepreneurs, yet alignment gaps with investor expectations continue to stall promising deals. Meanwhile, investors consistently search for ventures that truly meet their strategic objectives—an ongoing challenge. Following our insightful fishbowl discussion "Elephant in the Room" alongside #SankalpAfrica2025, it's now time to put these critical insights to the test. Where exactly does alignment falter? How can incubators better meet investor expectations? And what practical steps can both sides take to build more investable pipelines? Pollinate Impact, together with SNDBX | The Village Experts and WYLDE International, invites you to a dynamic follow-up session: "The Elephant in the Room, Revisited: Putting Incubator-Investor Insights in East Africa to the Test." This interactive event aims to validate previous findings, sharpen action points, and strengthen collaboration between investors and incubators in East Africa. If you're an investor, incubator, accelerator, or referred entrepreneur ready to move beyond talk to tangible solutions, join us on April 23rd 👇 Arielle Molino Shami Rao Ruod Ariete Tess Thuo Sophia Calugay-Morita Paul Basil afrorama #investmentreadiness #incubators #investors #startupecosystem #pollinateimpact #eastafrica #impactinvesting

What’s stopping you from running smoother operations? At our recent Pollinate Impact session, ecosystem leaders shared their biggest operational roadblocks and got a first-hand look at two platforms built to solve them: Cunomial and Babele. Both Cunomial and Babele offered powerful, customizable solutions to tackle these challenges from managing mentor networks and program tracking, to automating grant disbursals and building cohort-specific workflows. Biggest takeaway? If you're managing large, multi-program portfolios, you don't have to do it all manually. Being part of the Pollinate Impact community means access to ecosystem-vetted tools and the shared wisdom of peers who’ve already done the trial and error. Pro tip: If “streamlining” feels impossible right now, start by mapping your most painful bottleneck, then ask, Is there a tool that can automate this? Odds are, there is. Thank you to our speakers Emanuele Musa of Babele, Ayush Gupta and Govind Arora of Cunomial for an impactful discussion and everyone who joined the session! 🎯 Want the session recording? 📩 DM us and we’ll send it your way. #pollinateimpact #impactecosystem #startupsupport #operations #incubatortools #acceleratorlife #platformpower #communitylearning #esos #digitaltransformation

Securing funding for entrepreneurs remains a complex journey. Incubators and accelerators invest significant time and resources into preparing entrepreneurs, yet alignment gaps with investor expectations continue to stall promising deals. Meanwhile, investors consistently search for ventures that truly meet their strategic objectives—an ongoing challenge. Following our insightful fishbowl discussion "Elephant in the Room" alongside #SankalpAfrica2025, it's now time to put these critical insights to the test. Where exactly does alignment falter? How can incubators better meet investor expectations? And what practical steps can both sides take to build more investable pipelines? Pollinate Impact, together with SNDBX | The Village Experts and WYLDE International, invites you to a dynamic follow-up session: "The Elephant in the Room, Revisited: Putting Incubator-Investor Insights in East Africa to the Test." This interactive event aims to validate previous findings, sharpen action points, and strengthen collaboration between investors and incubators in East Africa. If you're an investor, incubator, accelerator, or referred entrepreneur ready to move beyond talk to tangible solutions, join us on April 23rd 👇 Arielle Molino Shami Rao Ruod Ariete Tess Thuo Sophia Calugay-Morita Paul Basil afrorama #investmentreadiness #incubators #investors #startupecosystem #pollinateimpact #eastafrica #impactinvesting

We invite you to our April & May convenings, designed to help you thrive in the impact ecosystem. Join us for transformative sessions where you'll connect with industry leaders, discover practical solutions to common challenges, and expand your professional network. Our carefully curated calendar covers everything from navigating investor relationships and funding strategies to enhancing your impact storytelling. Check the schedule below and register to claim your spot today: https://lnkd.in/dHSXKS5Y Here's a glimpse of what's up next: 📅 April 23: The Elephant in the Room, Revisited Building on our successful Sankalp Africa Summit discussion, this follow-up session tackles key challenges in incubator-investor relationships across East Africa. Join us to validate insights and develop actionable strategies that strengthen investment pipelines. #events #webinar #impactecosystem #socialimpact

We are delighted to announce that The Spark Project has joined our community of changemakers! The Spark Project empowers purpose-driven entrepreneurs, creatives, and changemakers who are building sustainable businesses with the tools, resources, and community support they need to transform ideas into reality. Join us in welcoming The Spark Project to the Pollinate Impact family! Paola Betita Tan Patrick Dulay Arielle Molino Shami Rao Paul Basil Tess Thuo Ruod Ariete Sophia Calugay-Morita #PollinateImpact #ImpactIncubation #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #SocialImpact #Pollinators #PollinateImpact

Arielle Molino, Chief Convener at Pollinate Impact, will be at ASSEK's Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summit for East Africa this Friday! She'll join a roundtable discussion with Grace Wachori, Millie Abila, MCIPR, MPRSK, David Ogiga, Mercy Mukulu, and Arch. Nyamai Wambua HSC, MAAK. Facilitated by Kudzai Maraire Mubaiwa, the discussion will dive into the role of associations in driving economic empowerment and sustainable innovation. The speakers will share their insights on how collaborations, policy advocacy, and strategic partnerships help associations build stronger ecosystems that nurture entrepreneurship and innovation. We can't wait to connect and be part of this important conversation! Session: Strengthening Associations for Economic Empowerment and Sustainable Innovation 📅Friday, Apr 11 🕙 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM 📍Nairobi https://lnkd.in/dqE8xAur Shami Rao Ruod Ariete Tess Thuo Sophia Calugay-Morita Paul Basil Katherine Fligg Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs AfriLabs (East Africa) Westerwelle Foundation Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Associations