ELISA – an acronym for Entrepreneurial & Leadership Initiative for a Sustainable Africa – is a robust initiative driving cross-sector collaboration across Africa.  The scope of work for ELISA includes the following:

CONNECT Connecting Leaders & Entrepreneurs
ELISA’s online community connects and aligns leaders and entrepreneurs who discover new strategies and fuel cross-sector collaboration for the affordable commercialization of new products, improved healthcare and increased self-reliance in Africa. Our diverse and influential member network includes innovative individuals, companies and organisations who take a proactive interest in Africa and value opportunities to connect, share ideas and develop partnerships.

DISCOVER Providing Places Where New Ideas Can Be Tested
ELISA’s grow spaces, innovation labs and online community provide the ideal places where new ideas can be tested and developed with resources and mentorship from industry executives, investors, venture capitalists, policy makers and stakeholders.

GROW Professional Development Training
ELISA nurtures ideation, collaboration and innovative product development by providing professional development training for students, academics, entrepreneurs and industry leaders who develop innovative technologies and alternative ways to grow food.

How ELISA Began

ELISA began as a personal project for Elisabeth Pasalk Valerio. Elisabeth had a vision to connect entrepreneurs and leaders in Africa, help them learn from each other and grow as innovators, and assist them with bringing their ideas to fruition into sustainable projects.  The program features a range of offerings, including internships at facilities that Elisabeth and her husband, Danny, established in Zimbabwe at Gwango Wildlife Park; and a meeting place for science teachers and researchers from all over the world to connect and learn from one another.

Elisabeth is a founder of ICDP – the International Center for Professional Development – a nonprofit organization in the United States that promotes career success in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. One of the ICPD’s signature programs, Gallus, is a global member community of accomplished leaders who make an impact, connect, evolve and empower others in the fields of biotech, medtech and consumer healthcare.  

Elisabeth was immersed in her work with ICPD when she returned to Zimbabwe to manage a wilderness estate located at the edge of Africa's second largest National Park; and from there, started building a tourism destination based on her mother’s wish for her to look after herds of elephant residing on the estate. Through this endeavor, Elisabeth connected with the local community, and discovered there was no science curriculum being taught at any of the secondary schools in the area, among other voids. The discovery inspired Elisabeth to fill this gap by connecting leaders she met through ICPD with projects in Africa so they could share their knowledge and collaborate with the area’s indigenous people.

To understand the magnitude of this collaboration, it’s important to understand the innate wisdom of the people of Africa. In rural villages, the indigenous inhabitants possess ancient knowledge about natural materials, including a root that grows in the area that helps ease pain; and a native plant that can suppress appetite to help people lose weight. These are only two examples among endless discoveries that could potentially help individuals across the globe.

By sharing their indigenous knowledge of “natural medicine” with her global network gained through ICPD, Elisabeth envisioned a collaboration that would ultimately generate income to help sustain African communities through commercialization of products made with natural materials.

Elisabeth’s initial vision has grown and evolved into what ELISA is today: an endeavor that connects entrepreneurs and leaders in Africa in an effort to help them to learn from each other and grow as innovators – but also help to grow their ideas and turn them into sustainable projects.