#DiverseByDesign
We are bridging the accessibility gap in purpose-driven entrepreneurship
Accelerator
Entrepreneur In Training Program
The Digital Economist Accelerator has pioneered the Entrepreneur In Training (EIT) Program embodying our approach to global impact: Engage, Innovate, Transform. The program is an exciting and dynamic opportunity for early-stage professionals, recent graduates and students who are looking for practical training in building digital-first businesses. With a focus on social entrepreneurship, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and economics training, the 12–24 week program provides an unparalleled opportunity to work alongside global leaders in financial technology, emerging technologies (like blockchain, AI/ML, predictive analytics, IoT, AR/VR) and technology investing.
Maria Kiejnich
“The EIT program made me invest in my skillset: it showed me how to both deepen and broaden my understanding and allowed me to bring my teamwork to the next level.”
Congratulations to the graduates!
The 2020 cohort successfully completed the intensive 12-week Accelerator - Entrepreneurs In Training program - which ran through September 15 through December 15, 2020. The cohort was selected with a competitive process with less than 3% program acceptance rate (from over 400 applications we received during the 20-day application period from all over the world). The 12 selected EITs hail from North America to Africa and Europe to Asia with 8 countries represented, and over 50% women.
Applicants at a glance
Cohort 2020
Poland
Maria Kiejnich is a purpose-driven entrepreneur, and a Founder of UGO.Earth. Kiejnich is a UCLA Economics and Environmental Systems Graduate, passionate about social innovation, sustainable development and impact storytelling. She completed the EIT program within the top three finalists.
Nigeria
Chidi Nwaogu was an entrepreneur journey at 16 when he founded 9ja Boi Interactive, a video game company focused on teaching youth about climate change. Currently Nwaogu is the Co-founder and CEO of Publiseer, a digital platform helping independent and underserved African artists earn above minimum wage.
Maria Kiejnich
Chidi Nwaogu
India
Aanandita Gahlot completes her undergraduate degree from Delhi Technological University in Economics while also engaging with Dristi, a company focused on directing rural India towards social and technological integration.
Aanandita Gahlot
United States
Kishan Gajjar currently works at Akamai Technologies on their blockchain team as a backend engineer. Gajjar loves challenges which call for high throughput and low latencies and which is why he chose this career path, to love what he does everyday. In his free time, he enjoys playing FIFA 20, a soccer focused video game, on his PS4.
United States
Ranjani Sridharan is an investment professional with over 15 years of executive finance and impact investing experience. She is Founder of Kshetra PBC, an early-stage FinTech marketplace and fund for investors seeking to lend working capital to social enterprises who are working on the UN SDGs.
Kishan Gajjar
Ranjani Sridharan
India
An alumnus from MIT Sloan’s partnership program Asia School of Business, Varun Singhi is an experienced Database Strategy & Business Transformation Professional with 11+ years of expertise across US and APAC regions. Singhi has done various strategy consulting projects for clients in South East Asian countries.
Varun Singhi
Canada
Rong Feng (Coco) is currently a senior consultant at Deloitte, Canada. As a mission driven individual, Feng is passionate about the healthcare and AI world and seeks to personally impact these areas throughout her career.
Spain
Joel Christoph is currently an AI Analyst at Tekal Previous experience includes the University of Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, a Young Ambassador at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, and Digital Civilization Fellow at the Oxford-Hainan Blockchain Research Institute. Christoph is a dual degree master’s candidate at John Hopkins SAIS and Tsinghua University.
Nigeria
Abiodun Akanbi is an Economist, Research Data Analyst, Sustainable Development Practitioner, and Social/Tech Entrepreneur. In addition to his work and leadership experience, Abiodun is a fellow of the African Presidential Leadership Program, Egypt and an alumnus of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).
Rong Feng
Joel Christoph
Abiodun Akanbi
Previous Entrepreneurs In Training
GRACE SCHILLEWAERT
ENTREPRENEUR IN TRAINING
Grace is an Economics major at Vanderbilt University. During her EIT program at The Digital Economist, she founded and launched Monticello Education Connection, inspired by team discussions on "antifragility" as applied to education.
ATTICUS LI
ECONOMIST IN TRAINING
Atticus is a strategist and behavioral economist and primarily focused on implementing The Digital Economist's offerings by drawing insights from applied behavioral economics. He is also the founder of Unhackmylife.