Michael Asante
Saforo

Michael Asante Saforo is the project lead at Duapa Werkspace Ghana with 5 years’ experience in business development. He is responsible for implementing and coordinating the different programs with early, mid and late-stage enterprises from pre- to post-incubation and also a Business Coach for the different programs run by DUAPA. Michael is involved in providing business development training and coaching with different programs including entrepreneurship boot camp training, incubation and acceleration, funded by different partners including GIZ, SNV Ghana, Forum Civ, British Council, MDF West Africa, Ghana Tech Lab, Ghana Enterprise Agency and among others.
Michael is the current business development facilitator for the SNV GrEEn Incubation Program under the Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project; a one-year incubation program implemented by Duapa Werkspace, managed by the SNV Ghana and funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF). (2021). He is also the Project lead for the MSME COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery Program (MCRRP); a Business Model Improvement, COVID 19 Resilience, Social Media Marketing and Digitalization of Operations for 200 MSMEs in the Western Region, Central and Western North. The project is implemented by Duapa Werkspace, managed by The MDF West Africa and funded by The Master Card Foundation. He is the project lead for the Ghana Tech Lab Base Innovation program which gives relevant skills in technology to young people between the ages of 18 – 35 years and also prepares them to think and create new innovations in solving societal problems in forms of prototypes. This includes training and intensive incubation.
He is also providing business development and coaching for 5 agribiz SMEs in the Western Region under the GIZ SME Business Training & Coaching Loop which is being implemented by Turn Around Help, managed by AFC and Funded by GIZ Ghana
 

He was the Technical Support Lead for the Ashesi D:Lab Summer 2021 Mobile Application Projects; A six months project to help students use design thinking methodologies and fundamentals to solve real life problems by developing prototypes. Projects under the program includes; The Electric Vehicle and Scooter Project, Vertical and Hydroponics Projects, The Health Kiosk Project, The Machine Learning Recommender Project, The Flood Project, The Mounted Project and The Mental Health Project. The project is funded by The Master Card Foundation and implemented by The Ashesi D: Lab.(2021). He was also the Project Lead for the Ashesi D:Lab Future Learning Hack 1,2 &3; a hackathon with the aim of identifying challenges with online examination systems and develop creative and innovative ideas in form of prototypes. The project was implemented by The Ashesi D:Lab and sponsored by Vodafone Ghana, and Hatchery Positivo BGH (2020). He was also the Lead project coordinator for the British Council Jobs for Youth: Migration and Employment Promotion project for young Ghanaians; a Bootcamp, Incubation and Accelerator program by hapaSpace, managed by the British Council and Funded by the GIZ. (2018 - 2019).
He was the Ashanti Regional Coordination Lead for the Ghana Hubs Network 25 Days of Wow; an entrepreneurial journey and tour organized by the Ghana Technology and Business Hubs Network or the Ghana Hubs Network which consists of hubs (innovation, entrepreneurship, business development, incubators, etc). The objective of the tour was to bring together innovators and active stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem to engage on the draft entrepreneurship policy aimed at creating the enabling environment within the ecosystem which was funded by the GIZ (2019) and the Project Lead coordinator for The National Entrepreneurship Innovation Program; a project implemented by hapaSpace, sponsored and funded by the Ministry of Business Development. The project was to support 100 SMEs in the Ashanti Region with business development, Incubation, and funding. (2019)
Michael holds a Professional Diploma in Project Management from Alison, Ireland, Certificate in Eco-Inclusive Enterprise Incubator from Seed Ghana, a certificate in Marketing Strategies in Business from Mashav, Israel, Certificate in Consultancy for Entrepreneurship from INCYDE Foundation Spain, a Certificate in Lean Research Approach from Ashesi D:Lab and certificate in Information Technology from British Council.