1. Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of
Technology (MEST)

2. Agenda
1. Meltwater in a Nutshell
2. MEST Overview
3. What you can expect joining MEST
4. What to expect living in Ghana
5. Teaching Fellowship
6. Selection Criteria
7. Job profiles and Experiences

3. Meltwater in a Nutshell
Founded 2001 in Oslo 800 employees Initial funding: $15.000
Global #1 player 50+ offices Always Profitable
Worldwide expansion 18.000 clients Zero Debts

4. What we do for our clients

5. Some of our valued clients

6. The Meltwater Flower Strategy
Meltwater Infra-
Meltwater
Press structure
News
Meltwater
Talent
MEST
New Ventures

7. MEST Overview
Not-for-profit NGO fully funded and run by Meltwater Group

8. It all started with an idea….
Jørn Lyseggen
Founder & CEO Meltwater Group

9. Our Vision
To create wealth and jobs locally in Africa
By training and mentoring young Africans to start their own software
companies and compete successfully in the global market place.
We want to create rock star software entrepreneurs that can inspire
generations to follow in their footsteps
Our focus is on Accra, Ghana, but once we succeed we hope that a
sense of pride and hope will ripple across the African continent and
encourage similar initiatives everywhere.
It is our hope that the companies hatched through the Meltwater
program will inspire a future prosperous technology industry in
Africa.

10. Entrepreneurial Program in 3 phases
1. Training 2. Incubation 3. Mentoring
MEST MINC Mentoring
• 2 year full-time paid 1-2 year incubation of Start-up company
traineeship business ideas based on commercially active on
software concept the global market place
• In-house training in
commercial software seed funding and Supported by a mentor
development and Infrastructure provided by program consisting of
entrepreneurship Meltwater world-class executives
and entrepreneurs
• Full paid hostels and Open for qualified graduates
three meals per day of MEST
• Allowance Accra, London, San Francisco

11. Why is Meltwater
doing this?
• Fundamental belief in people – talent is equally distributed across
the world, what differs are the resources and support given to some
and not others
• Giving back – wanting to have an impact beyond the direct
economic effect of our business operations
• Maximizing the impact
• Focus on education/training – “Give a man a fish and you feed
him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
• Influencing future generations – creating positive role models,
who prove that globally competitive software can come from Africa
• Software as a vector for growth – a high-growth space, where
products can be competitive with minimal upfront capital investment
and limited resources

12. Why Ghana?
1. English speaking
2. Good educational system
3. Gov. support of technology
4. Good Infrastructure
5. Politically stable and secure
6. Easily accessible from
US/Europe/Asia

13. MEST Training
• Started in February 2008
• 2-year fully-funded training
• High potential university graduates in Ghana
• Hands-on training in soft. development & entrepreneurship
• Personal development and mentorship
• Trained by international faculty team
• Preparation for incubator application
• Currently Class 2011 and class 2012 is enrolled
• One new class enrolled in August every year

14. The Opening of MEST
11th February 2008

15. Graduation 2010

16. MEST Incubator
• Founded in February 2010
• Provides support & seed funding
• Currently includes 7 companies: Leti Games,
Streemio, Nandi Mobile, Retail Tower, Arto Connect,
Tutamee, Esanoya
• New projects pitching June 2011
• Meltwater Foundation minority equity stake
• Face 3: External mentors Mentorship program

17. MEST Success Stories
• LETI GAMES: Created an iphone app called iWarrior.
Has been heralded as Africa’s first 3D computer game!
• NANDIMOBILE: Created a feedback system via SMS. Was labelled
as “Best Company” at February’s Entrepreneurs conference
LAUNCH in San Francisco!

18. What to expect joining
MEST

19. MEST Values

20. Our values are chosen in order to:
• Help us do our job better
• Help us set expectations to each other
• Guide us in making right decisions in our daily work

21. Generosity

22. Positive Thinking

23. Standards

24. GPS

25. Curriculum

26. The Curriculum
• Software Development
– Internet applications
– Mobile applications
• Entrepreneurship
• Business
• Seminar
• Executive Guest Lecture Series

27. An overview of the
Training Program

28. What to expect living in
Ghana

29. Aluguntuguntu street

36. Teaching Fellowship

37. • Senior Faculty • Professionals recruited
from the USA and
Europe who have
worked on commercial
state-of-the-art software
development
• Teaching Fellows • Fellowships awarded to
gradates of a computer
science, engineering or
business degree at a
reputable international
university

38. Teaching Fellow

39. Teaching Fellowship
• Start date in Ghana: 01 August
• Duration: 1 year
• Meal plan & housing: Offered by MEST
• Health insurance: Offered by MEST
• Stipend: $1000 USD per month
• Travel: 1 paid roundtrip per term

40. What to expect as a
Fellow
• More responsibility than you expected
• Personal and professional challenges
• Long hours
• Unique working/living conditions
• International experience
• To learn and develop as a person

41. Selection Criteria

42. Selection Criteria
• Strong Technical or Business background
• Teaching Potential
• Drive/Stamina
• Team player
• Communication Skills
• Personality & humor
• Intelligence

43. Job profiles

44. General Criteria
An Ideal Candidate’s Qualifications:
• Ability to work in a team, and to deal with ambiguity
• Good verbal and written communication in English; good presentation skills
• Drive and ability to handle hard times
• Intelligence - Social awareness
• Warm, easy to get a long with personality
• Ideally: Worked in Start-Up environment before
• Loves our vison and wants to contribute to the team

45. Job Profile: Technical Teaching Fellow
Your qualification should include (e.g.) :
• Programming proficiency in one of the following languages:
Java, C++, C#, PHP
• Experience with relational databases and SQL
• Knowledge of object-oriented programming and design
• Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field
• Understanding of the entrepreneurship/business and software industry

46. Job Profile: BusinessTeaching Fellow
Your qualification should include (e.g.) :
• Bachelor's degree in business and/or entrepreneurship
• Creativity/brainstorming techniques and business idea generation
• Basic understanding of finance, accounting, marketing and strategy
• Understanding of the entrepreneurship/business and software industry
• Business plan writing and evaluation skills

47. Application Process
The Application Process is as follows:
- APRIL 11th – Applications due through our website:
http://www.meltwater.org/work-with-us/opportunities/
- April 11th – April 24th – Phone interviews
- April 24-30th – Phone conversation with local Teaching Fellow
- Not an interview; used as a chance to ask questions
- Early May – Group interview in Singapore
- Early May – Individual interview for successful candidates
Start Date in Ghana: August 2nd 2011

48. recruitment.asia@meltwater.com
www.meltwater.org
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49. Thank you!