GIST Initiative Final Project Report

II.

ResultsoftheGISTLocalPartnerSurvey

GISTcountryandregionalpartnersareessentialtoGISTsmission;theycontributelocalresourcesand
helpbuildopportunitieswithustosupportentrepreneurshipecosystemsandamazingentrepreneurs
whoarereadytolearn.GISTbringsvalueandopportunitiestoentrepreneurialecosystemsin
collaborationwithourpartnersaroundtheworld.Countryandregionalpartnersandtheir
entrepreneurshavebenefittedthroughpartnershipwiththeGISTInitiativeanditsprogramming.A
representativefromStartupMalaysiawithwhomCRDFGlobalcollaboratedsaidtheGISTInitiativewas,
apartnershipthatfeltmorelikeafriendship...supportingeachotherformutualbenefits.

ThroughtheGISTInitiative,CRDFGlobalhascollaboratedwith85organizationsin40countries.CRDF
GlobalsurveyedalloftheseorganizationstogathertheirthoughtsonparticipationwiththeGIST
Initiativeandreceivedcompleteresponsesfrom25organizations,aresponserateof29.4%.CRDF
Globalhadvaryinglevelsofengagementwithpartnerorganizationsbasedonfundingopportunitiesand
ontheindividualsattheorganization.CRDFGlobalreceivedresponsesfrom10ofthe11organizations
thatCRDFGlobalclassifiedastheGISTInitiativesstrongestpartners,basedonthelevelofcollaboration
throughouttheprogram.

CRDFGlobalsurveyedthepartnerorganizationsrepresentativestoseektheirfeedbackabouttheGIST
programminginwhichtheyparticipated.Partnerorganizationsentrepreneurshavereceivedaccessto
businessexpertsandaskquestionsinrealtimeatGISTTechConnects.Theorganizationsentrepreneurs
alsoappliedtoGISTTechIcompetitionswhichbroughtthesemifinalistsinternationalexposure,
mentorshipandseedfunding.TwelveorganizationshavecollaboratedinhostingGISTStartupBoot
Camps,andtheyhavereportedandincreasedlevelofconfidenceamongtheentrepreneurswho
attendedandanimprovementintheorganization'sreputationandcredibility.Wefound
overwhelminglypositivereviewsofthewaysthattheGISTInitiativecontributedtosuccessofthelocal
partners,andwilldetailtheresultsofthesurveybelow.

Interpretingtheresults
CRDFGlobalaskedpartnerorganizationstoprovidetheirfeedbackontheirtimewithworkingwiththe
GISTInitiativeoverallandwiththethreeprogramareasoftheGISTInitiative:BootCamps,
TechConnectsandCompetitions.Firstthesurveytopicisdisplayedwiththeweightedaverageofthe
responsesinparentheses,withStronglyAgreeasa5downtoStronglyDisagreeasa1.Theweighted
averagetakesintoaccountallresponsesanddemonstratesthestrengthofagreement.Thisisfollowed
byachartthatshowsthedistributionofresponses,aswellasananalysisoftheresponsesandsome
quotesbythepartnerorganizations.

TheGISTInitiativeismaybethegreatesttechnologyentrepreneurshipnetworkandcommunity
intheworld.BeinganactivememberofithelpedCTICDakarbeingrecognizedinternationally
andgetaccesstogreatUSinvestorsandentrepreneursplusitsalotoffun!CTICDakar

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GIST Initiative Final Project Report

GISTInitiativeOverallAnalysis
ThepartnerorganizationswereaskedtoprovidetheirfeedbackontheGISTInitiativeoverall.This
particularquestionandresponsesare:
Pleaseindicateyourlevelofagreementwiththefollowingstatementsregardingtheimpactthat
participatingwiththeGISTInitiativehadonyourorganization:WiththeGISTInitiative:
Youraisedyourvisibilityasanorganization(4.32)
Yourentrepreneursreceivedaccesstohelpfulentrepreneurialskills,trainingsand
opportunities(4.28)
Youwereabletoformorstrengthenconnectionswithseasonedentrepreneurs,investors
andthebusinesscommunity(4.21)
Youacquirednewideasorskillstobetterserveyourmembership(4.16)
Youwereabletoformorstrengthenconnectionswithaspiringentrepreneursinyour
community(4.04)
Youraisedyourvisibilityasanorganization
(4.32)
Yourentrepreneursreceivedaccessto
helpfulentrepreneurialskills,trainings
Youwereabletoformorstrengthen
connectionswithseasoned
Youacquirednewideasorskillstobetter
serveyourmembership(4.16)
Youwereabletoformnewconnectionsor
strengthenconnectionswithaspiring
0

StronglyAgree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree

10

15

20

25

30

ThestrongestagreementwaswiththestatementthatparticipatingwiththeGISTInitiativeraisedthe
partnerorganizationsvisibility.However,weightedaveragesforallstatementsareabove4,which
correspondstoagree,meaningthatonaveragealllocalpartnerswhoparticipatedinthissurveyhave
foundtheGISTInitiativetobebeneficialtotheminallofthefivewayspresentedtothem.

Oneorganizationsuggestedholdingregionalcompetitionsandsemifinalisteventsfocusedonattracting
regionalinvestors,asinternationalinvestorsthatgotoGlobalEntrepreneurshipSummitsdonothaveas
muchincentivetoinvestintheregionorasmuchmarketunderstandingasalocalorregionallybased
investor.

GISTCompetitions
ThepartnerorganizationsthatpromotedtheGISTCompetitionswereaskedtoprovidetheirfeedback
ontheexperience.Thisparticularquestionandresponsesare:
Selectyourlevelofagreementwiththefollowingstatements:PromotingtheGISTcompetitions
has:
Increasedtheconfidencelevelsoftheentrepreneurswhoapplied(3.92)
Raisedyourorganization'svisibility(3.92)

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GIST Initiative Final Project Report

Improvedtheabilityofparticipatingentrepreneurstopresenttheirventures(3.83)
Strengthenedmyorganization'snetworkofentrepreneurs(3.58)
Increasedmyorganization'scapacitytorunitsownventurecompetitions(3.5)

ThestrongestagreementwaswiththetwostatementsthatparticipatingwiththeGISTCompetitions
increasedtheconfidencelevelsoftheentrepreneurswhoappliedandthatpromotingtheGIST
Competitionshaveraisedthepartnerorganizationsvisibility.Eightof12organizationsalsonotedan
improvedabilityofparticipatingentrepreneurstopresenttheirventures,andhalfoforganizationsthat
respondedsaythatpromotingtheGISTCompetitionsstrengthenedtheirnetworksofentrepreneursand
hadincreasedtheirorganizationscapacitytorunitsownventurecompetitions.

Increasedtheconfidencelevelsofthe
Raisedyourorganization'svisibility

StronglyAgree
Agree

Improvedtheabilityofparticipating

Neutral

Strengthenedmyorganization's

Diagree
Increasedmyorganization'scapacity
0

10

12

14

Oneorganizationnotedthatthecompetitiongavethemtheopportunitytoseeventuresfromaround

TogetherwithGIST,weintroducedforthetimein2009aspecialawardforoutstandingwomenentrepreneursaspart
oftheMITArabStartupCompetition.Sincethen,womenparticipationinourprogramshasbeenincreasingyearafter
yearandin2014,50%ofourwinnerswereWOMEN!MITEnterpriseForumPanArab

GISTandCRDFGlobalservesasapowerfulplatform/linkageforyoungbuddingentrepreneursfromPakistanto
showcasetheirabilitiesandideastotheworld.YoungentrepreneursareprovidedmultipleopportunitiesbyGISTto
competewiththerestoftheWorld.Ourclosecollaborationandpartnershiphasmadethisawonderfulventurefor
promotingtheopportunityamongtheentrepreneursofPakistan.MITEnterpriseForumPakistan
theglobe,andcontinuedtosharethatwiththatknowledgetheywerebetterabletocomparethelevel
ofdevelopmentoftheirentrepreneurswiththesemifinalistsfromotherregions.

GISTBootCamps
ThepartnerorganizationswhohostedGISTStartupBootCampswereaskedtoprovidetheirfeedback
ontheexperience.Thisparticularquestionanditsresponsesare:
Selectyourlevelofagreementwiththefollowingstatements:HostingtheGISTStartupBoot
Camphas:
Improvedmyorganization'sreputationandcredibility(4.5)

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GIST Initiative Final Project Report

Ledtoanincreasedlevelofconfidenceamongtheentrepreneurswhoattended(4.5)
Strengthenedmyorganization'snetworkofentrepreneurs(4.17)
Increasedtheabilityofyourorganization'sentrepreneurstopitchtheirventures(4.17)
Allowedmyorganizationtoacquirenewskillsandknowledgetosharewithourmembership
(4.08)
Strengthenedmyorganization'snetworkoflocalmentorsandinvestors(3.92)
Increasedmyorganization'scapacitytohostlargescaleentrepreneurialevents(3.82)

ThestrongestagreementwaswiththestatementthathostingGISTBootCampsledtoanincreasedlevel
ofconfidenceamongtheentrepreneurswhoattendedandimprovedthepartnersreputationand
credibility.Weightedaveragesforfiveofthesevenstatementsareabove4,whichcorrespondsto
agree,meaningthatonaveragealllocalpartnerswhoparticipatedinthissurveyhavefoundtheGIST
Initiativetobebeneficialtotheminthesefivewayspresentedtothem.Onepartnerorganizationsaid,
Itopenedtheeyesofentrepreneursthattheyhadtoworkharderandhaveabetter"mindset",while
anothershared,thiskindofpartnershipwithourorganizationhaddefinitelyapositiveimpactbecause
therewassomethingconcreteandassessableforyoungentrepreneurs;itactuallywentbeyondthe
speeches.Thatwasreallyremarkable.

ThepreparationofthismajoreventpertainingtoentrepreneurshipinAlgierswithknown
entrepreneursfromtheU.S.,gaveusahugevisibilityandwecouldstartingdevelopingour
organizationimageandmarketingtowardpromotionofentrepreneurshipinourcountry.For
Ledtoanincreasedlevelofconfidence
Improvedmyorganization'sreputation
StronglyAgree

Increasedtheabilityofyour
Strengthenedmyorganization'snetwork

Agree

Allowedmyorganizationtoacquirenew

Neutral

Strengthenedmyorganization'snetwork

Disagree

Increasedmyorganization'scapacityto
0

10

12

14

instance,theWorldIntellectualPropertyOrganizationhasdecidedtodrafttwopagesinits
internationalguideaboutourorganizationintermsofourcapabilitytodriveentrepreneurship
programsAlgerianStartupInitiative

GISTTechConnects
ThepartnerorganizationswhohostedviewingsitesfortheGISTTechConnectswereaskedtoprovide
theirfeedbackontheexperience.Thisparticularquestionandresponsesare:

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GIST Initiative Final Project Report

Selectyourlevelofagreementwiththefollowingstatements:HostingtheGISTTechConnect
viewingsiteshas:
Providedattendingentrepreneursaccesstoimportantentrepreneurialinformation(4.05)
EncouragedfurtherentrepreneurialconversationsaftertheTechConnects(4.05)
Raisedyourorganization'svisibility(3.84)
Servedasameaningfulopportunitytobringtogethermyorganization'smembership(3.84)

Theweightedaverageofthelevelofagreementwitheachofthefourstatementswasclusteredaround
4,whichcorrespondstoagree,meaningthatonaveragealllocalpartnerswhoparticipatedinthis
surveyhavefoundtheGISTTechConnectstobebeneficialtotheminthesefourwayspresented.One
organizationshared,ParticipantswerehappywiththequalityoftheTechConnectbroadcastsand
foundthecontenttobeinsightful,stimulatingandeasytounderstand.Attendeessharedtheirpersonal
storiesandotherssharedideas.Theenergyintheroomwasintense!

OneorganizationreallymaximizedthebenefitsoftheTechConnectsthroughsocialmedia.They
promotetheeventviaoursocialmediaandencourageparticipantstowatchitfromhome.Forourown
GISTTechConnectviewingsites,theaudienceisveryhappy.Inadditionwerecordtheeventsand
broadcastthemafterwardsthroughthesocialmedia.

Encouragedfurtherentrepreneurial
conversationsaftertheTechConnects(4.05)
StronglyAgree

Providedattendingentrepreneursaccessto
importantentrepreneurialinformation(4.05)

Agree

Servedasameaningfulopportunitytobring
togethermyorganization'smembership

Neutral
Disagree

Raisedyourorganization'svisibility(3.84)
0

10 12 14 16 18 20

TechConnectsgavemyTeamMembersachancetoexperienceGISTwhichhadbeenalife
changingaffairforme.AfewhavebeenencouragedtostarttheirownStartupsandweare
supportingtheminthisendeavor.FarmSpaceAfrica

Wewereabletogatheroverhundredpeopleinoneplaceandafterthelecture,healthy
discussionsgaveuponwayforwardandmovingtonextlevel.TechnologyIncubationCenter
Benin,Nigeria

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GIST Initiative Final Project Report

ThoughtheresultsshowthatalloftherespondentsrecognizedbenefitsoftheTechConnects,manyalso
providedideasofhowtoimproveTechConnects.Logisticalconcernsincluded:
Internetconnectivityissues
Timezonedifferencesmadetheselectedbroadcasttimelessthanidealforsomeparticipants
Desirefortwowayvideoconnectivitytofacilitateinevenmoreinteractivediscussions
LongertimebetweenannouncementofandthedateoftheTechConnects.Theirorganization
founditdifficulttomobilizeontherelativelyshortnoticeoftengiven.

Suggestionsweregivenaboutlanguageandculture:
SuggestionforTechConnectspeakerstobetterenunciateandusebasicEnglishvocabularywith
thisinternationalaudience
Difficultyoflocalentrepreneurstoculturallyconnectwithinternationalspeakers.The
suggestionwouldbetoincludespeakersfromallregionsduringthevariousTechConnects.

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