Alice Nkulikiyinka

“The mindset and decision you make plays a crucial role in overcoming business failure. But it all starts with a person’s willingness to change, working with others, and learning from experienced entrepreneurs across the globe. Entrepreneurship is a journey that can’t be walked alone”

“Ntabwo tuba twifuza ko bahava babyumva gusa ahubwo tuba dushaka ko bakura nk’abantu, ku buryo bumva bibahaye ingufu n’umwete ku buryo n’uwari ufite ibibazo ataha yishakamo ibisubizo.”

“Akenshi iyo abantu basohotse muri iyi gahunda bagenda bavuga ngo ndumva nongerewe imbaraga zo kumenya uko ikigo cyanjye nakiyobora.”

“In the long run, Rwanda can only be successful if Rwandan entrepreneurs can make most of the opportunities that come with foreign investment; and vice versa.”

“The program instills value based-entrepreneurship and encourages entrepreneurs to develop solutions for existing challenges and progress further.”

“Foreign investments tend to raise the standards of professionalism resulting in better products and better services, enticing Rwandan entrepreneurs to do the same. Foreign investment also creates new supply and complementary markets for Rwandan entrepreneurs can occupy. Foreign investments and local entrepreneurship are therefore strongly interlinked. In the same way as a tree cannot grow in a desert, foreign investment cannot succeed without a vibrant small and medium entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

“Entrepreneurship isn’t just entrepreneurship”

“For local entrepreneurs, foreign investment poses both a threat and an opportunity. The obvious threat is that the international high-level competitors will drive them out of the market because of the expertise and financial resources that are available to them. But there are also numerous opportunities.”

“An investment can be compared to planting seeds. It comes with the expectation that something grows out of it.”

“When growing from 5 or 10 employees to 50 or 80 employees, entrepreneurs find themselves confronted with a whole new set of challenges.”