beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship

💬 ''One person can’t change the world, but a community can!" – Reynolds Cohort 1 Fellow Brandon Reynolds was featured in Authority Magazine for his work creating Activ8, an app that makes environmental activism more accessible. It provides unbiased info on politicians’ environmental track records, educational resources, and rewards users for sustainable choices. 📱Brandon created Activ8 to bridge the gap for young people wanting to take action but unsure where to start. In the article, he shares key lessons on standing up for what you believe in and the power of being part of a community like beVisioneers. 📙Take a read : https://ow.ly/wnn550V7CjJ #bevisioneersthemercedesbenzfellowship #bevisioneers #planetpositive #education

🖐️ 5 Lessons on Landing Customers From Young Entrepreneurs Young entrepreneurs aren’t waiting for the perfect plan—they’re diving in, learning on the go, and landing customers fast. What’s their secret? It’s not about big budgets or years of experience—it’s about action, adaptability, and smart strategies. In our latest article, we break down five key lessons from founders who’ve made it happen. Want to know how they did it? Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eBkUSBVU Featuring Cohort 1 Fellows Josephine Katumba, Ashish Pahwa and Linda Kaumphawi. #bevisioneersthemercedesbenzfellowship #bevisioneers #Entrepreneurship #LessonsLearned #planetpositive #Adaptability

💭 In South Africa, approximately 63% of households are food insecure, with 17% critically undernourished. Cohort 1 Fellow Maya Zaken is tackling food security and sustainability with an unexpected solution—black soldier flies. Her article, "Harnessing the Power of Black Soldier Flies for Africa’s Agricultural Future," was recently featured in Africa Outlook. Maya explores how these insects can transform food waste into high-protein animal feed and nutrient-rich fertilizer, offering a circular, sustainable approach to agriculture in Africa. With rising demand for animal feed and increasing food waste, this innovative method empowers smallholder farmers and strengthens food security. 👏 Congratulations to Maya on this feature! Take a read: https://ow.ly/wFqU50V6GcO #bevisioneersthemercedesbenzfellowship #bevisioneers #FoodSecurity #SustainableAgriculture #AfricaOutlook #CircularEconomy

🇺🇬 Fighting Climate Disasters | Pamela Musimenta In Uganda, deforestation and land degradation have led to severe soil erosion and devastating floods—challenges that Cohort 2 Fellow Pamela Musimenta, a water resources engineer with the Ministry of Water and Environment, has witnessed firsthand. With climate change accelerating these issues, communities are struggling to protect their land and livelihoods. 💡But Pamela has a solution: restoring degraded land through tree nurseries and conservation measures that combat erosion and promote sustainability. Her initiative doesn’t just protect the environment—it also strengthens local communities by preserving farmland, reducing flood risks, and ensuring water conservation for the future. 📝 Discover how Pamela is restoring ecosystems and safeguarding her community’s future. #bevisioneersthemercedesbenzfellowship #bevisioneers #fightingclimatedisasters #Uganda

💭 How do we shape the future leaders of sustainability on the bV program? Our Fellows' learning journey is marked by Milestones that track the development of their projects. 🙌 Fellows have recently wrapped up Milestone 2. As they move beyond the FOCUS Phase which was about turning ideas into reality. They applied what they’ve learned to develop prototypes that demonstrate the core functionality of their solutions—testing ideas, refining them with feedback, and proving viability. In the end, our Fellows finalized their Minimum Viable Product! ✍️ Venture Lab Lead & Venture Coach Nihal Ahmed explains the key takeaways, and the next steps for Fellows. #bevisioneersthemercedesbenzfellowship #bevisioneers #learning #planetpositive

🙌 The third round of Local Hubs have reached their conclusion all around the world! 🇰🇪 Today we focus on the Nakuru Hub in Kenya where Fellows explored the theme "Local to Global," focusing on scaling their impact beyond borders. They reconnected, shared project updates, and visited a local sugar processing company to gain industry insights. 💡 The aim of the Local Hubs is to have locations around the world where all cohorts of beVisioneer Fellows, as well as external community members - including future potential Fellows, local non-profits, start-ups and organisations - can collaborate, network, showcase their work, and engage in skills and knowledge sharing. 🌎 Thank you Nakuru Hub! Charity Ayoti Kipyegon Sigey Kefah Mokaya Dominic Kata Vivian Nyaguthie #bevisioneersthemercedesbenzfellowship #bevisioneers #kenya #localhubs #planetpositive

We are proud to be supporting hundreds of incredible young women at beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship. If you are attending DiscovHER on March 8th at Palo Alto be sure to connect with Serena Allen who is making significant strides in tackling the air pollution crisis. 👏

🚀 Venture Coaching Groups: Insights from Milestone 2 Venture Coaching Groups provide structured coaching, monthly video calls, and entrepreneurial learning support to help fellows develop skills, track progress, and reach key project milestones. They also lead learning sessions and support grant evaluations. As part of Milestone 2, the top-performing Venture Coaching Groups shared insights from their prototyping process: Dunia Safi VC Group – Who or what has been the most valuable resource when developing your prototype? Green Giraffes VC Group – What was the most surprising or unexpected part of your prototyping process? Eco-Baddies – What is the most valuable feedback you have received that reshaped your prototype? Who was it from? 💬 Here’s what they had to say. #bevisioneersthemercedesbenzfellowship #bevisioneers #venturecoaching #planetpositive

🚀 Top 3 Venture Coaching Groups for Milestone 2! 💡Venture Coaching Groups play a key role in guiding fellows as they move from idea to project launch. Through structured coaching, monthly video calls, and entrepreneurial learning support, venture coaches help fellows develop critical skills, track progress, and complete key project milestones. They also contribute to the broader program by leading learning sessions and supporting grant evaluations. For Milestone 2, the top-performing groups are: 🥇 Rank 1: Dunia Safi – Led by Mark Malhotra 🥈 Rank 2: Green Giraffes – Led by Marguerite Bellec 🥉 Rank 3: Eco-Baddie Academy – Led by Arpan Somani 👏 We would also like to recognize the top-performing Fellows from each of these groups, whose creativity, persistence, and hard work have helped bring innovative solutions to life. Their commitment to driving change is inspiring and sets a high bar for future milestones. 🎉 Congrats to the following Fellows 🎉 Dunia Safi: ABIY KIFLE ASSEFA, Camillah Canty, Alina Yemelyanov, Tanya Haralampieva, Lawrence Kosgei, Malika Cornwall, Ruby Kipingor, Kimberly Uehisa and Victor Henu. Green Giraffes: Marina Gavrilaki, Rumbidzai Muyambo,Montasir Jim, Arianna Lawrence, Nadav Kempinski, Roberts Treize, Matilde Marino,Jerrybright Ogenrwot, Kevin Odhiambo, Yasmin Y., and Jithin Kumar Palepu. Eco-Baddie Academy: Aida Namukose, Sneha Harsh, David Santiago Mayoral Bonilla, Fatimata Cham, alonyo chloe, Saransh Hasija, Aishah-Nyeta Brown, Prisca Akinyi, Anna Freitag, Hannah Njambi, and Valerio Oliviero. #bevisioneersthemercedesbenzfellowship #bevisioneers #venturecoaching #MilestoneAchievement

🇮🇳 Fighting Climate Disasters | Chaitanya Sakre In Mumbai, flooding has been more and more of devastating and disruptive force —something Cohort 1 Fellow Chaitanya Sakre witnessed firsthand as a student. With climate change driving more frequent and intense rainfall, the city is being pushed to its limits. But Chaitanya has a solution: water-absorbing porous asphalt that allows rain to drain away instead of pooling on roads. His innovation doesn’t just reduce flooding—it also helps communities harvest rainwater for daily use, minimizes road damage, and cuts down on costly repairs. ✍️ Learn how Chaitanya is transforming infrastructure to help his community withstand extreme weather. #bevisioneersthemercedesbenzfellowship #bevisioneers #fightingclimatedisasters #SustainableInfrastructure #MumbaiFloods