Programs and Alliances

Publications: Africa Risk Dashboard (order here)

The Africa Risk Dashboard presents a framework to help cut through the fog of information across many disciplines and to make sense of complex situations in Africa. We have developed this resource through our shared experiences in Africa, and the experiences of many other investors. We trust it will be a useful tool for policymakers, investors, and all others who seek to mitigate risks while designing and executing projects in Africa more successfully.

Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School

AKILI was initiated by Issa Baluch when he was a Senior Fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative and has engaged in multiple workshops, training events, presentations and lectures in the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). Issa serves as a Member of the Dean's Council of HKS. AKILI has worked closely with Professor Calestous Juma and his Agribusiness Innovation in Africa Project.

MIT Africa Initiative

AKILI has been a member of the MIT-Africa Initiative and participated in the formation of research and training activities for faculty and students, including participation in the annual MIT Sloan Africa Business Conference. AKILI has worked closely with the MIT Center for Advanced Urbanism to design sustainable agribusiness areas in Africa.

AKILI African Agribusiness Finance Labs

AKILI is designing an initiative to promote financial literacy, bankability and good financial practices in African agribusiness. Seeking to model “good financial practices” as a complement to the already successful “good agricultural practices” developed by GlobalG.A.P. (www.globalgap.org), AKILI will be teaming-up with financial institutions and educators to improve the financial strength and capacity of African agribusiness entrepreneurs and organizations.

Environmental and Social Impact Assessments

AKILI has worked closely with consultants recommended by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to complete an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment in Ghana, and has worked with MIT faculty and students to design agribusiness sites that meet and exceed IFC ESIA Terms of Reference.

African Youth Microfarms

AKILI has organized youth mircrofarms in local village schools in Ghana in collaboration with Joint Aid Management from South Africa and the Ghana 4-H Council. The AKILI microfarm model is designed for training youth in agronomy and entrepreneurship in collaboration with commercial farms.

Workshops, Seminars and Presentations

AKILI has organized workshops and seminars in the U.S. and Africa with collaborators from Harvard, MIT, the Corporate Council on Africa. AKILI principals have made presentations to seminars and workshops around the world, from the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, Grow Africa, Global AgInvesting conferences, and many more.