Fast-growth entrepreneurial ventures are essential for prosperity and social progress. Small businesses can be agile early movers in adapting to new trends and responding to crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Universities play a crucial role in underpinning innovation and entrepreneurial activities. They provide the conditions, facilities and talent that foster the emergence of breakthrough ideas.

The partnership between Riara University (RU) Kenya, The Open University UK, and Ashoka East Africa seeks to renew and adapt the entrepreneurship curriculum to produce enterprising graduates capable of securing employment and commercialising locally developed innovations in Kenya. The project addresses a fundamental question: How does curriculum adaptation enable SSA educators to adapt entrepreneurship-related courses delivered through classroom-based environments to blended learning environments within the context of digital innovation?

The partnership allows graduates to learn about entrepreneurship. This knowledge will come in handy with resources such as coaching and mentorship from other businesspeople who will motivate these young entrepreneurs to walk in their unique entrepreneurship journeys. Through action research, the project has designed and launched a Virtual Accelerator digital infrastructure for deploying and scaling entrepreneurship training and networking with industry for students to put into practice classroom-based learning. In addition, through virtual workshops, the project will build the capacity within the partnership and establish a project management structure to sustain the partnership.