Itanna is the very first accelerator we got accepted into. Looking back I believe it was a great thing this was our first accelerator. Itanna is not your regular accelerator (well from what my co-founder said – I am not really the expert in the whole accelerator/incubation stuff; Here is a quick 3 minutes read on what an accelerator is if you are like me), choosing to focus more on the Cohort driving their business than packing an overflowing amount of sessions/activities. Itanna runs out of Iganmu and the location is aptly named the “Enterprise Factory.”
Let’s jump right into it:
Mondays – Knights of the round “table”
As the name suggests, there is no head i.e. we all sit as equals. A fortnight session where we all share our challenges, feedback’s or questions (including Itanna core team) and we get advice, answers or clarifications. It really helps because most times the solution to a challenge you are facing might just be in the office next door to you and you may never know till you share.
Tuesdays – For the love of Burgers and Sausages
As the saying goes, “you stand on the shoulders of giants to see farther”; fortnightly we have industry experts some of who have gone (or going) through this same journey as we, come to share their story and experience. Oh, we also have the most amazing Burgers and Sausages!
Wednesdays – Workshops
Weekly we have workshops on varying aspects of our business spanning technology, marketing, HR, legal, marketing, etc. Sadly, we do not have Burgers on Wednesdays, but I guess learning how to run our business better counts for something too.
Thursdays – Close and Personal
On Thursdays, we provide updates on agreed deliverables. We discuss what constraints we might be having and exactly how Itanna can assist in solving it. These sessions are one-on-one between Itanna and the Startup, so it is tailor-made for each Startup.
Notable Event – “I know what it’s like to lose. To feel so desperately that you’re right, yet to fail nonetheless. Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives. Or should I say, I have”
One of my favorite quotes from Thanos in the movie Avengers: Infinity Wars. Since arriving at Itanna we have had just one (1) event – a team bonding event – outside the Enterprise Factory at the Upbeat Event center. Everyone who knows me knows that physical activity is not my strongest suit, so I wasn’t keen on the outing.
I know what it’s like to lose. To feel so desperately that you’re right, yet to fail nonetheless. Dread it. Run from it…
There were 8 activities in total, I passed out after the 1st activity (I know, I need to start visiting the gym) and by the end of the 3rd activity, my team – Team Thanos was rock bottom on the table.
…Destiny still arrives. Or should I say, I have.
At the start of the 4th activity, I was back! We won 4 of the 5 remaining activities and earned our rightful place at the top of the table.
Overall it has been a great couple of weeks for us in the programme, the knowledge we have gleaned are immeasurable and the network we have gained will surely help us in scaling our business. Thank you Itanna and members of this cohort for an amazing journey.
