{"id":7455,"date":"2024-08-16T20:22:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T20:22:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/?p=7455"},"modified":"2024-08-16T20:22:57","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T20:22:57","slug":"kick-off-program-for-the-horticulture-business-challenge-hbc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/kick-off-program-for-the-horticulture-business-challenge-hbc\/","title":{"rendered":"Kick-off Program for the Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, August 8th, 2024, we hosted the Kick-Off program for the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/hbcghana\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Horticulture Business Challenge<\/a>&nbsp;at ISSER Conference Hall on the University of Ghana Campus. The Kick-Off marked the third and final selection stage for participants in our upcoming 10-day program scheduled for September 6th to 13th in Accra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This event brought together a diverse group of tertiary students, recent graduates, and young professionals from renowned institutions such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/kwame-nkrumah-university-of-science-&amp;-technology-kumasi\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/university-of-ghana-legon\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">University of Ghana<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/akenten-appiah-menka-university-of-skills-training-and-entrepreneurial-development-aamusted\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">AKENTEN APPIAH-MENKA UNIVERSITY OF SKILLS TRAINING AND ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT(AAMUSTED_GH)<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/upsaccra\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">University of Professional Studies, Accra<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program was expertly moderated by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/joanachemel\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joana Chemel<\/a>, who also serves as a coach during the main program, with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/susanneroelofsen\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Susanne Roelofsen Afum<\/a>, who joined via Zoom from the Netherlands, introducing herself and offering her best wishes to the participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the morning,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jemima-r-rockson-83900734\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jemima R. Rockson<\/a>, representing GNBCC&#8217;s General Manager,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tjalling-yme-wiarda-23231\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tjalling Yme Wiarda<\/a>, delivered a welcome address and an insightful presentation about GNBCC. She emphasized the significance of projects like the HBC, which are part of the Private Sector Development (PSD) initiatives implemented by GNBCC on behalf of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/embassy-of-the-kingdom-of-the-netherlands-in-ghana\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana<\/a>.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/paul-anartey-a6b779178\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">PAUL ANARTEY<\/a>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/youth-in-food-program\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Youth in Food Program<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/deborah-anobil-628170196\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Deborah Anobil<\/a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/holland-greentech\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Holland Greentech<\/a>&nbsp;also presented their programs and initiatives, exposing participants to the many opportunities and initiatives that exist for young professionals in Horticulture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program also featured engaging introductions from the two participating companies: Green Gold Gardens, represented by CEO&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rosaline-nutsugah-773072a\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rosaline Nutsugah<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/green-energy-ghana\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Green Energy Ghana<\/a>, represented by Project Manager&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/laurens-stijnen\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Laurens S.<\/a>&nbsp;Both companies are esteemed members of GNBCC. Green Gold Gardens was previously involved in the GNBCC Women in Business Mentorship Program, while Green Energy Ghana is a registered founding member of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/hbpghana\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Horticulture Business Platform (HBP)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This strategic involvement of our members and project participants aims to enhance the continuity of impact and ensure a 360-degree benefit for all stakeholders. During the HBC program in September, participants will work in mixed teams to identify feasible solutions to real business challenges identified by the two participating companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After these presentations, the participants were divided into seven mixed-gender teams, each consisting of three members and over the course of two hours, these teams collaborated to brainstorm and present innovative preliminary solutions for the participating companies. The company representatives were impressed by the creativity and practicality of the solutions and selected the top four teams to proceed to the main program in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A big CONGRATULATIONS to the 12 selected participants!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On August 8th, 2024, we hosted the Kick-Off program for the\u00a0HBC\u00a0at ISSER Conference Hall on the University of Ghana Campus. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":7456,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[155,157],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-hbc"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15516,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/the-horticulture-business-challenge-2026-kicks-off\/","url_meta":{"origin":7455,"position":0},"title":"The Horticulture Business Challenge 2026 Kicks Off","author":"Grace Agorigo","date":"March 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The future of Ghana\u2019s agricultural sector was on full display last Thursday at the WACCI on the University of Ghana campus. Out of over 300 ambitious applicants, the top 24 young minds gathered for the highly anticipated kick-off of the 3rd edition of the Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC).","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ESQ-Elsie-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ESQ-Elsie-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ESQ-Elsie-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ESQ-Elsie-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ESQ-Elsie-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7452,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/project-update-horticulture-business-challenge\/","url_meta":{"origin":7455,"position":1},"title":"Project Update: Horticulture Business Challenge","author":"Tracy Mensah","date":"July 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"We are thrilled to announce that applications for the 2024 Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC) are now closed!","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Horticulture Business Challenge&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Horticulture Business Challenge","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/hbc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2024-07-19_0_photo_5825782701192495471_y.jpg.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2024-07-19_0_photo_5825782701192495471_y.jpg.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2024-07-19_0_photo_5825782701192495471_y.jpg.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8756,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/exploring-horticulture-in-practice-hbc-week-3-recap\/","url_meta":{"origin":7455,"position":2},"title":"Exploring Horticulture in Practice:\u00a0HBC Week 3 Recap","author":"Tracy Mensah","date":"September 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Friday, the HBC team and participants spent the day gaining practical skills and insights into Ghana\u2019s Horticulture Sector, through a program designed in collaboration with Holland Green Tech. The day began with a tour of the Defamercist Centre of Excellence, a newly established greenhouse and training farm located on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Horticulture Business Challenge&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Horticulture Business Challenge","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/hbc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025-09-19_0_HBC_WEEK_3.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025-09-19_0_HBC_WEEK_3.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025-09-19_0_HBC_WEEK_3.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025-09-19_0_HBC_WEEK_3.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8794,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/kick-off-program-horticulture-business-challenge-hbc\/","url_meta":{"origin":7455,"position":3},"title":"Kick-Off Program: Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC)","author":"Tracy Mensah","date":"September 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By July, over 130 young people, from tertiary students to recent graduates and young entrepreneurs, had applied to join the third cohort of the Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC), all eager to make their mark in Ghana\u2019s horticulture sector. After a rigorous interview process involving about 60 candidates, 36 outstanding participants\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Horticulture Business Challenge&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Horticulture Business Challenge","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/hbc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025-08-29_0_DSC09404.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025-08-29_0_DSC09404.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025-08-29_0_DSC09404.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2025-08-29_0_DSC09404.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13263,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/kick-off-program-horticulture-business-challenge-hbc-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":7455,"position":4},"title":"Kick-Off Program: Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC)","author":"Tracy Mensah","date":"August 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By July, over 130 young people, from tertiary students to recent graduates and young entrepreneurs, had applied to join the third cohort of the Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC), all eager to make their mark in Ghana\u2019s horticulture sector. 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