Create My Profile
By creating your profile and keeping it updated, you make yourself visible to customers, investors, collaborators and potential business partners. You can edit your profile photo, update your biography and set communications preferences.

Find Members & Chat
Use search tools on the ELISA Portal to find other members, add them as connections and reach out to them to share ideas or collaborate. You can also private chat with other members in the network or post public updates and comments for all members to see on the message board.

Share a Project
Be sure to publish, brand and promote your business, products, projects or ideas by creating a a Project Page. Add photos and keep it current with fresh blog content. This way, you make it easier for people to find you when they are looking for your type of business.

Browse Projects
Discover other businesses, products and ideas when you browse the growing number of ELISA project pages. Connect with founders and build your network of contacts to spark collaboration and drive the expansion of business on the continent.

Luminaries
Learn from and be inspired by luminary articles on successful African entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Bootstrap Briefs
Access self-paced entrepreneurial and leadership content. A new topic is added to the ELISA portal every Tuesday.

Confab Events
Build relationships and grow your network at virtual confab events, featuring inspirational speakers and small group breakout sessions.

Business Summit
During curated activities you'll gain visibility & build lasting relationships while refining the growth strategy for business across Africa.

Join our mission to support the expansion of business in Africa
ELISA exists to counter the perceived challenges of doing business on the continent by providing access to a business network, training and mentorship for the development of products, technologies or services that can enable Africa to thrive. With so many unmet needs, including local development of independent sources of food, power, water, waste management and other utilities, the potential for growth on the continent is limitless. From large businesses to small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) which support supply chains and distribution networks, everyone has a part to play in driving innovation and fueling economic growth in Africa.

frequently asked questions

IS THERE ANY COST TO JOIN ELISA BUSINESS NETWORK?
No, there is no cost to join the ELISA Business Network. Anyone can create a profile and start accessing our business community.

CAN I JOIN ELISA IF I AM NOT AN AFRICAN ENTREPRENEUR?
Members of the ELISA Business Network are from anywhere in the world. You don't have to have a business, but you should be intersted in supporting or learning about business in Africa.

I HAVE NOT YET STARTED TO OPERATE MY BUSINESS, CAN I STILL JOIN THE ELISA BUSINESS NETWORK?
Yes, operating a business is not a requirement for joining ELISA.

HOW LONG WILL I BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE BOOTSTRAP BRIEFS?
Once a Bootstrap Brief has been released it is saved permanently on the ELISA portal. All members of the ELISA Business Network continue to have access to Bootstrap Briefs for as long as you have a profile on the ELISA portal.

WILL I HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING EXTRA TO ACCESS BOOTSTRAP BRIEFS?
There is no extra cost to access any of the content and features on the ELISA portal.

CAN I SHARE THE BOOTSTRAP BRIEFS WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH OR GO TO SCHOOL WITH?
The ELISA portal is designed to be accessed by individual members of the ELISA Business Network. You can invite your friends or colleagues to visit create a profile for themselves on the ELISA portal.

DO THE BOOTSTRAP BRIEFS INCLUDE ANY DOWNLOADABLE MATERIALS?
Yes, some of the Bootstrap Briefs include downloadable documents and tools designed to enhance your ability to learn and retain the knowledge, as well as implement the training.

HOW MUCH CONTENT IS INCLUDED WITH EACH BOOTSTRAP BRIEF?
Bootstrap Briefs vary in length and the content differs, however they're designed to be concise and comprehensive. You should be able to review each topic in less than 10 minutes. 

CAN I REVIEW A BOOTSTRAP BRIEF MORE THAN ONCE?
You can search for and review any of the ELISA Bootstrap Briefs at any time. You can also save topics for future review or return to a topic to see if additional content has been contributed to the topic.