Ever since his experience in fintech at one of Africa's largest telecom companies, Yanju Folarin has been on a mission to increase financial inclusion in West Africa. To further investigate mobile money as a tool for increasing financial access, Yanju traveled to Nigeria, Ghana, and Benin to visit the hubs of financial activity in each location: the marketplaces. While there, he spoke with mobile money agents and the people that use their servcies in an attempt uncover any opportunities that could help unbanked people access financial tools that can help better their lives. This is his Inspiration Grant story.   Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academics-research/entrepreneurship/levy-inspiration-grants Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship. Produced, written and edited by Tyler Seybold.Hosted by Tyler SeyboldSpecial thanks to our featured student, Yanju FolarinBackground music by Blue Dot Sessions

Luna Yamashita and Aman Vijay began their friendship journey as neighbors. Little did they know that some time later, they’d be halfway across the world doing hands-on research together. Both share a deep passion for mental health and wellbeing, but when they also connected over their desire to support underserved populations in developing countries, their entrepreneurship journey began its course. This collective passion led them to travel to Kenya to investigate the country’s mental health needs, centered around an employee wellbeing app idea that they had been dreaming up. Along the way, their initial assumptions were tested and challenged, leading to unexpected learnings on their journey. This is their Inspiration Grant story.   Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academics-research/entrepreneurship/levy-inspiration-grants Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship Produced, written and edited by Tyler SeyboldHosted by Tyler SeyboldSpecial thanks to our featured students Luna Yamashita and Aman VijayBackground music by Blue Dot Sessions

Entrepreneurship is built into Lucy Grierson's heritage, so when she came to Kellogg, she wanted to use her time away from full-time work to dive into her creative side and further explore her entrepreneurial potential. After some soul-searching on the type of company she saw herself building, the idea to create a denim brand based on the values of the American West came to her, combining her experience with embroidery and her love of U.S. Western ideals and culture. For her Inspiration Grant, she set out on a mission to Colorado and Wyoming to answer the question: what values does the American West stand for, and how might you represent that in an apparel brand?Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academics-research/entrepreneurship/levy-inspiration-grants Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship Produced, written and edited by Tyler SeyboldHosted by Tyler SeyboldSpecial thanks to our featured student, Lucy GriersonBackground music by Blue Dot Sessions

Scuba diving has been a core part of Walker's life since he was a teenager. Post-high school, he spent some time working in government policy and marine protected areas, and his passion continued as he began his degree at Kellogg. For his Inspiration Grant, he wanted to travel to a developing diving hub, in this case, the Philippines, to see how they're working through the growing pains of managing their marine resources: tapping into the economic benefits of the scuba diving industry, while also trying to mitigate the downsides and support sustainability efforts. While on the ground, he got to witness some of nuances and complications that he never would have known while researching from afar. Show Notes: Philippines Tourism report: https://beta.tourism.gov.ph/news_and_updates/1st-philippine-tourism-dive-dialogue-unites-dive-industry-37b-raked-in-2022 Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academics-research/entrepreneurship/levy-inspiration-grants   Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship     Produced, written and edited by Tyler Seybold   Hosted by Tyler Seybold   Special thanks to our featured student, Walker Wiese   Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

When Julia Ha and Mohit Patel were introduced to the concept of microgrids in developing countries as a way to address electricity access, they were intrigued to learn more about a market opportunity that also positively impacted a huge, unaddressed population. Later, as they began to explore the topic more deeply, they eventually decided that the best way to go deeper was to speak directly to their potential consumers and current companies trying to address this issue. For their Inspiration Grant, they traveled to Kenya and Ethiopia, and along the way, they learned that things were more complicated than they anticipated and a one-size-fits-all approach was not the way to go.Show Notes: - Productive Use of Electricity: https://energypedia.info/wiki/Productive_Use_of_Electricity- What is a microgrid?: https://www.microgridknowledge.com/about-microgrids/article/11429017/what-is-a-microgrid Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academics-research/entrepreneurship/levy-inspiration-grants Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship Produced, written and edited by Tyler SeyboldHosted by Tyler SeyboldSpecial thanks to our featured students, Julia Ha and Mohit PatelBackground music by Blue Dot Sessions

With both parents in the healthcare industry, Sherry Zhuang grew up hearing stories about the ups-and-downs of navigating the healthcare system. While she never had to worry about her own healthcare access, she saw the struggle of families who were less fortunate and how strongly they were impacted by not getting the care they needed. In the hope of learning more about the issue for her own entrepreneurship journey, Sherry traveled to Mexico to find out how doctors, clinics, and startup founders are innovating within their own complex healthcare system, all in the hope of finding ways to give underserved patients the healthcare access that they deserve. Relevant Links:AMA Digital Health study: https://www.ama-assn.org/about/research/ama-digital-health-care-2022-study-findings Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academics-research/entrepreneurship/levy-inspiration-grants Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship Produced, written and edited by Tyler SeyboldHosted by Tyler SeyboldSpecial thanks to our featured guest, Sherry ZhuangBackground music by Blue Dot Sessions

Ever since attending an arts elementary school as a kid, Noelle Harasym has had a deep love for art and artists. More recently, she wanted to investigate how artists create sustainable careers for themselves in a tumultuous and challenging societal environment. On top of that, new tech and AI tools like Midjourney and DALL-E, which threaten to displace working artists, have heightened the urgency to find ways to support them. For her Inspiration Grant trip, Noelle traveled to a few cities in Europe to meet artists and see how they're promoting their work through tech platforms and overall keeping themselves going. Along the way, she picks up lessons on empathy, the complex nature of artists and tech platforms, and what it takes to be a working artist.Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here: https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/academics-research/entrepreneurship/levy-inspiration-grantsLearn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship. Below are a list of links shared by Noelle, featuring the artists, studios, and collectives she visited during her trip:- Marcus McAllister, artist, Paris (https://www.marcusmcallister.com/)- Rivoli 59, artist residency, Paris (https://www.59rivoli.org/homepage/)- Margaret Hunter, artist, Berlin (https://margaret-hunter.com/)- Haus Schwarzenberg, studio and gallery space, Berlin (https://haus-schwarzenberg.org/)- Coung’s Creative Market, print store, Berlin (https://www.cuongscreativemarket.com/)- Let it Bleed, print store, Berlin (https://www.letitbleedberlin.com/)- Alternative arts tour, street art tour, Berlin (https://alternativeberlin.com/berlin-tours/street-art-tour/)- Copenhagen outsider art gallery, Copenhagen (https://coag.dk/)Produced, written and edited by Tyler SeyboldHosted by Tyler SeyboldSpecial thanks to our featured guest, Noelle HarasymBackground music by Blue Dot Sessions

In this special episode, we're featuring unaired stories from some of our past student travelers with a focus on automation and the human touch. Each of our featured students went into their Inspiration Grant trip with a hypotheses or assumption that digitizing or automating a process would be the ideal solution to their chosen problem area. As they each subsequently learned, automating processes was not as simple as they had originally imagined... Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here.  Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship. Produced, written and edited by Tyler SeyboldHosted by Tyler SeyboldSpecial thanks to our featured guests, Yousuf Ahmed, Jialu Zhou, and Sahil DesaiBackground music by Blue Dot Sessions

Noor Johal firmly believes that some of the best dairy products in the world are produced in her home state of Punjab, India. Having grown up on her family's dairy farm, her conviction comes from personal experience. Although her family farm's outcome was not ideal, she never forgot her roots and has always held on to a love for the dairy industry. When given the opportunity to study something she's passionate about, it was clear to her that dairy farming should be her focus, so she traveled to Switzerland to experience one of the most prolific dairy-producing areas of the world. Through speaking with businesses, government agencies, and dairy farmers themselves, Noor was able to learn more about ways in which current producers are innovating within the dairy industry. Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here. Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship. Produced, written and edited by Tyler SeyboldHosted by Tyler SeyboldSpecial thanks to our guest, Noor JohalBackground music by Blue Dot Sessions

Process and organization has always been one of Cammie Merten's strengths, so it's no surprise that her training in data analysis and and experience interning at DoorDash sparked her interest in the world of supply chain and logistics. To dive deeper into this subject, Cammie traveled to several cities in Asia with vastly different types of infrastructure to study how they manage last-mile delivery. While there, she got to experience each city's unique culture with her own eyes and witnessed the strategy that each city employs to move things from one place to another.  Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here.  Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship.   Produced, written and edited by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guest, Cammie Merten Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

Starting September 20, we're excited to bring you a new batch of Levy Inspiration Grant Program episodes. The Levy Inspiration Grant Program is a one-of-a-kind funding program for asipring student entreprneurs at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Through the program, students can travel to any country of their choosing to study a probelm they're passionate about and investigate a possible solution through entrepreneurship. In its first year, the program sent students to over 30 countries on six continents, and we're excited to bring you another year of stories and lessons learned from our student travelers. Subscribe to the Levy Inspiration Grant Program wherever you get your podcasts, and learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship. To learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program, visit the program's webpage here.

Priscilla Hu didn't always acknowledge her passion for food. Although it was rooted in her childhood, for a while she thought she'd have to take a more practical career path. As she began to acknowledge her love for food, with experience in a foodtech startup along the way, things became more and more clear. Eventually, she traveled on an Inspiration Grant trip to France and Kenya to see two different cultures' approach to food access and sustainability. During her trip, she learned plenty about the attitudes and approaches to food in these places, but more importantly, she made a discovery about her own entrepreneurial path.  Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here.  Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship. Learn more about Priscilla's trip and MBA journey ➡️  https://kell.gg/xeg   Produced, written, edited, and mixed by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guest, Priscilla Hu Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

Food has been a common thread throughout Adrian Wyland's life. While his appreciation of food has a long history, it wasn't until more recently that he began looking deeply into how fruits and veggies are produced. While he was studying abroad in London, he decided to explore this interest further to learn more about regenerative agricultural practices and how they differ from conventional ways of producing food. He'd read as much information as he could find, but talking directly to the farmers using these practices was a different experience. Join us as we hear Adrian's story and what he learned through his Inspiration Grant trip throughout Europe on this week's episode. Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship.   Produced, written, edited, and mixed by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guest, Adrian Wyland Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

Entrepreneurship runs in Kimberley Charles’ family, so when she told her law school classmate Kiyan Savar about her desire to start her own rum brand, it just made sense. Since then, they’ve partnered to start building Cane Cutter’s Rum, a Guyanese-made rum that honors the history and legacy of the rum industry and the people that made it. For their Inspiration Grant, they traveled to Guyana, Barbados, and Martinique to learn as much as they could about rum, from the distilling process to the opinions and habits of rum-drinking locals. Here, they share some of their learnings and what’s next for their entrepreneurial journey. Learn more about their trip and MBA journey ➡️  https://kell.gg/b172 Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here.  Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship.   Produced, written, edited, and mixed by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guests, Kimberley Charles and Kiyan Savar Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

After spending a quarter studying in Argentina, Aniket Saoji wanted to use his experience in data analytics and software to help local businesses level-up their processes. With the power of technology, he hoped that these small and medium businesses could grow and compete with the big players of the world. Starting with an open mind and a list of questions, his path took an unexpected turn along the way, landing on a subject that he didn’t originally expect: taxes. In this episode, we learn a little about his story of exploration and adaptability during his travels in Argentina.  Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship.   Produced, written, edited, and mixed by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guest, Aniket Saoji Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

For Audrey and Emily, knowing where their food comes from is a core value. Even aside from their shared interest in nutrition, they each put a priority in understanding the sources of their food products and the systems in which that food is produced. This mutual passion led to a particular interest in the red meat industry, and based on their research, they thought there was plenty of room for disruption (and improvement). To kick off their entrepreneurial exploration, they traveled to New Zealand, a shining example of the best of livestock industry, to learn about how producers there are bringing ethical and sustainable red meat products to dinner tables across the world.  Learn more about their trip and MBA journey ➡️  https://kell.gg/x6xj Learn more about the Levy Inspiration Grant Program on the program's webpage here.  Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship.   Produced, written, edited, and mixed by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guests, Emily Williams and Audrey Melville Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

Growing up on a livestock farm in Australia, Jonny got an up close and personal view into the food supply chain. This upbringing stayed with him, and when he came to business school he continued to be inspired by this space, but this time with a sustainability twist: using insect-based proteins for livestock feed, or even for human consumption. This interest led him to travel to a few countries in East and Southeast Asia to learn about current innovations in the insect-based protein industry and how current startups are working to get more people eating bugs. Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship.   Produced, written, edited, and mixed by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guest, Jonny Vaux Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

During the pandemic, Utkarsh saw several of his friends and loved ones face varying mental health challenges in his home country of India. Like many places, accessing mental healthcare was an opaque process, but the cultural mores and taboos associated with seeking help made the problems even worse. Looking for solutions, he trekked to India to speak with regular patients, doctors, and other healthcare providers to see how the system could be improved. Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship.   Produced, written, edited, and mixed by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guest, Utkarsh Makkar Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

Tasha is a self-proclaimed foodie. Her relationship with food has always been centered around connection and culture, using food as a way to get to know other people. With some experience at the restaurant tech company Toast under her belt, she visited a few countries in Latin America to see how different restaurants are (or aren’t) incorporating new digital restaurant tech innovations. Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship.   Produced, written, edited, and mixed by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guest, Tasha Kewalramani Background music by Blue Dot Sessions

Garrett was the kind of kid that loved animals and nature. While that interest took a back seat for a number of years, he eventually came back around to it with a lingering question: what can he do to help with the numerous challenges the world is facing due to climate change? To explore this area further, he traveled to Australia to speak with researchers and innovators who are creating and discovering new ways of healing the world’s climate. Learn more about the Entrepreneurship at Kellogg program at kell.gg/entrepreneurship.   Produced, written, edited, and mixed by Tyler Seybold Hosted by Tyler Seybold Special thanks to our guest, Garrett Nastarin Background music by Blue Dot Sessions