’24–’25 Ford Philanthropy Mobility Fellowship alum Jamie Thurston Wyngaard has been appointed as one of the City of Cape Town’s Invest Cape Town Ambassadors, joining a three-year initiative to strengthen business, investment, and innovation in the region.
A Watson Institute Retail Readiness Training Program alum is making headlines with the launch of Baltimore’s first Grow Well vertical farm, now operating out of the Langston Hughes Community Business Resource Center.
Watson Institute’s Wells Fargo Small Business Fellowship is receiving major media attention, landing on the front page of The Baltimore Times following the program’s official launch.
We’re thrilled to highlight Bryant Williams, a 2025 alumnus of the Retail Readiness Training Program, whose work is receiving national attention for its potential to transform the future of food safety. Bryant, the founder of CoreWellness, is helping advance a groundbreaking effort to create an allergen-reduced peanut that could make life significantly safer for individuals and families affected by severe peanut allergies.
We are thrilled to celebrate Purva Parwani, Alumna of the 2023–2024 Western Union Global Fellowship Program, who has been awarded a full scholarship to Harvard. Purva’s journey—from her roots in Bhopal, India, to one of the most prestigious universities in the world—reflects her extraordinary dedication to education, community impact, and youth empowerment.
We’re excited to share that a Watson Institute alumnus from the 2023 Venture Accelerator program Jiayuan Tian has been featured on Minerva Voices (by Minerva University) for receiving the prestigious 2024 Diana Award. This recognition honors young leaders making meaningful, sustained contributions to their communities. Jiayuan Tian joins other Watson alumni such as Reese Wong, Aditi Joshi, and more who have also received this award in previous years.
Hammed Kayode Alabi, a visionary social entrepreneur, recently achieved remarkable success as the first runner-up among 47 fellows in the Western Union Global Fellowship Program powered by the Watson Institute. This accomplishment, coupled with his receipt of a $5,000 venture development stipend, reflects his unwavering commitment to democratizing access to 21st-century skills across underserved communities in Africa. In an illuminating interview, Alabi shares his journey, shedding light on the principles and experiences that have shaped his path towards social impact.
Ali says that when it comes to getting involved with Doste Afghan Foundation, “raising awareness is one of our core goals.” Through their annual fundraisers, they provide volunteers with context, statistics, and graphics to share on social media and spread awareness of the humanitarian crisis. The next fundraiser will take place in 2024.
Watson Institute is excited to share a update from Jessica Lewis, CEO of Mobu Enterprises and a 2023 Truist Foundation Fellowship Alum.
[Atlanta, Ga July 13, 2023] — Mobu Enterprises, a leading provider of innovative real estate solutions, is thrilled to announce the imminent release of their groundbreaking mobile application, “Container Life Real Estate Masterclass.” This educational platform is set to revolutionize the way individuals perceive and engage with real estate investments, that includes leveraging the transformative potential of container homes.
Samuel Lasiti is one of Tapona’s Accelerator program alumni. He is a co-founder of Leap Empowerment Development Initiative (LEDI-Kenya) and founder of Wakulima Ni Sisi Initiative. He shared with us his empowerment journey and how his enterprise and support from Tapona has enabled him to impact lives
