Bamboo Bikes: from local resources to a social business
Entrepreneurs Testimonials #1 — Kwabena Danso, Booomers International
Bridge for Billions is the online incubator for early-stage entrepreneurs globally to launch successful businesses, by enabling them to structure and refine their ideas step by step with a mentor.
As stated on Booomers’ website “Carbon is light, steel is strong but bamboo is both”. It is also an abundant resource in the region of Apaah in Ghana. Kwabena Danso saw there a real opportunity to make bamboo products for the Ghanaian and international market. That’s why he founded Booomers International, a bamboo bicycles business employing young people from the surrounding villages.
Booomers manufactures beautiful bamboo bicycles frames, bicycles and bike accessories (bike stands and baskets), thanks to local material and employees. Young bike makers have to cut the bamboo, sand it and assemble the frames. Booomers’ social mission is twofold: promote the development of sustainable transportation and thus fight climate change, and foster youth employment in rural communities of Ghana.
When he enrolled in Bridge for Billions in January 2015, Kwabena’s business was already pretty on track and selling products. His main challenge was to secure enough funding for his production to meet the demand: machinery, equipment, production supplies, operations and salaries. The Bridge for Billions Business Creation Tools helped Kwabena to re-evaluate his value proposition and understand his competitive advantage:
“Working through the Bridge for Billions tools has been eye opening and very practical for me as an entrepreneur. In the past I have had access to several mentors in my field but their advice did not helped me to focus my business plan as their experiences were similar to mine. My team in Bridge for Billions has a variety of backgrounds and skills that forced me to see my ideas through different lenses. I ended up having a clear sense of purpose for myself and my business.” Kwabena adds that Bridge for Billions process allowed him to maximize his investment potential.
Mandy Xi, Support Agent and a recent graduate from Brown University who mentored Booomers International shared Kwabena’s enthusiasm. She emphasizes how gratifying it felt to make an impact for a real business, and how it gave her the chance to value her business development skills. “What is particularly rewarding is engaging one-to-one with the entrepreneur on an equal footing and seeing the input my team and I provide being put into action.” Mandy says.
Today Booomers has secured various distributors around the world: in Taiwan, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands. Kwabena hopes that one day he will be able to sell products to its native market, Ghana. Currently, Booomers is also thinking of widening their product portfolio by producing bamboo toothpicks, flooring and blinds to serve the growing hospitality sector in Ghana and abroad.
You just fell in love with Booomers’ bamboo bikes? Check Booomers’ website!
Interested in our online incubator? Want to evaluate and develop your business ideas or support promising entrepreneurs with your skills? Apply to our online incubation program here, and keep an eye open on our Twitter and Facebook feeds!
