Archimedes Project Announces Summer 2015 Frontier Entrepreneur Fellow

July 23, 2015 - PRLog -- The Archimedes Project Frontier Entrepreneur Fellowship supports an aspiring changemakers’ research into the water and sanitation markets of one of the countries across the world where diarrhea is a leading cause of death in children under five years old. Iynna Halilou was chosen as Archimedes Project’s 2015 Frontier Entrepreneur Fellow for her determination to contribute to the economic and social development of her native country of Cameroon and her firm belief in the power of social enterprise to drive sustainable change. A true global citizen, Iynna has lived, worked and studied in Cameroon, France, England, Canada, Russia, Senegal and the United States, most recently earning her Master’s degree in International Relations and Development from New York University. For the Frontier Entrepreneur Fellowship, Iynna hopes to “unlock the potential of local communities by working in tandem with them to find sustainable solutions to the lack of sanitation access.”

Iynna will conduct research with Archimedes Project in the United States before departing for Cameroon. There, she will spend 12 weeks examining the water and sanitation market, interviewing potential customers and local stakeholders and determining what has previously been done. A successful social enterprise is informed by the landscape and local environment, and in Cameroon Iynna will be able to develop partnerships with local residents to design a sanitation enterprise that truly meets their needs.

“We provide the skills and services that the entrepreneurs need to make their dreams of a social enterprise a reality,” said Faith Wallace-Gadsden, Archimedes Project’s Managing Director. Archimedes Project works side-by-side with their enterprise co-founders, from market research, to ideation, through the initial scaling of the business, and continues to provide support from an advisory role as the social enterprise develops revenue streams, hires local staff and establishes an independent advisory board.

The World Health Organization and World Bank estimate that every $1 invested in sanitation projects yields up to $5 in social and economic benefits. Water and sanitation challenges contribute to the deaths of over 700,000 children from diarrhea annually. As an Archimedes Project Frontier Entrepreneur Fellow, Iyanna is ready to take the next step in her journey to create lasting solutions to one of the most pressing challenges of today; access to clean water and sanitation. More information about the Summer 2015 Fellow is available at: http://www.archimedesproject.com/s2015