Muhammed Danso

Business adviser, Business leader, Business mentor, Change agent

I am an entrepreneurship ecosystem builder with over eight years of experience supporting startups, designing innovation programs, and driving sustainable business development in The Gambia. As Program Coordinator at Startup Incubator Gambia, I lead the delivery of incubation programmes, business coaching, mentorship, and entrepreneurial capacity-building initiatives that help transform innovative ideas into viable and scalable businesses. I am a certified trainer in Design Thinking and the International Labour Organization’s Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) methodology. Through these internationally recognized approaches, I have trained and mentored more than 1,000 entrepreneurs and supported hundreds of startups in accessing grant financing, investment opportunities, and strategic business support. My work extends beyond startup incubation to building stronger entrepreneurship ecosystems through partnerships with government, development agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. I am passionate about designing programmes that foster innovation, promote inclusive economic growth, and create sustainable employment opportunities for young people and women. I am a 2024 Builders of Africa Fellow, an alumnus of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Center for West Africa, and a mentor for the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to supporting entrepreneurs across Africa and contributing to the continent’s growing innovation ecosystem. My vision is to see more young Africans leverage entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology to solve pressing social and economic challenges while building resilient businesses that create lasting impact. I believe that empowering entrepreneurs with the right skills, networks, and opportunities is essential to achieving inclusive and sustainable development across Africa.

business incubation and Acceleration, Entrepreneurship ecosystem development, program Coordination, Startup Development and Growth, Strategic partnerships and stakeholder management