By Kristine Milbrandt

Shalom Nwaokolo ’12 has been awarded one of 10 worldwide fellowships from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Global Startup Workshop.

Nwaokolo, an economics and mathematics double major, will spend March 27-31 in Istanbul, Turkey, where he will attend various seminars and workshops given by the world’s best practitioners of social entrepreneurship. Nwaokolo’s fellowship covers all expenses aside from airfare, which Wartburg is paying.

“I am humbled and honored,” Nwaokolo said. “When I look at the accomplishments of the other fellows, I feel even more humbled to be amongst the 10 fellows chosen.”

Nwaokolo, from Nigeria, discovered the fellowship opportunity online. He submitted his resumé as well as a number of essays detailing his numerous entrepreneurial ideas.

The MIT GSW, held annually since 1998, is the world’s leading workshop dedicated to building business ecosystems worldwide. Renowned entrepreneurs, government officials, professors and the 10 fellows attend the three-day workshop. Each fellow has the opportunity to pitch his or her idea to funders and investors.

“As a fellow Shalom will present his idea in a formal session addressing how he will want to influence and improve the entrepreneurial landscape,” said Dr. Timothy Ewest, Nwaokolo’s mentor. “He was selected because his venture is precisely what social entrepreneurship is about.”

Nwaokolo co-developed LightingNBV — an electrification project aimed at bringing solar lighting to 150 households in rural India — with Adamu Muhammad ’12 and Ewest. The developers have spent three years seeking funds for their project, valued at $14,000.

“We have heard some ‘no’s’ from people who simply don’t get the idea and are still thinking in classic charity-funding models,” Ewest said. “But, with the heavy hitters like MIT, we resonate deeply.”

Nwaokolo, who said the GSW “can’t wait” to hear more about LightingNBV, hopes that their notice will lead to the project’s scheduled implementation in August 2012.

Aside from LightingNBV, Nwaokolo is developing several business ventures aimed at his native Africa. One is the CloudBerry League, a company focused on leveraging African business opportunities. A math and science clinic now in the planning stages would expand technology access to 1,000 youths in underserved nations. The $15,000 project is scheduled for summer 2013 implementation, beginning with Ghana.

“He is also starting a venture called YOUBABI (Youth Bank for Business Incubation), which  is a business incubation program aimed at harnessing the entrepreneurial element in young Nigerians,” Ewest said.

Following graduation from Wartburg in December 2012, Nwaokolo plans to work at an investment bank or a large nonprofit organization. He also hopes to attend graduate school and study business or developmental economics.

“Wartburg’s mission of service and leadership reinforces my philosophy of using my talents, skills and networks to the benefit of humanity,” Nwaokolo said.

Visit www.mitgsw.org to view the profiles of the 10 GSW fellows. To donate to Nwaokolo’s business, visit lightingnbv.blogspot.com.