baisikeli ugunduzi
we are looking to hire a full - time sales manager to join the baisikeli ugunduzi team .
central has also invited baisikeli ugunduzi back to talk about how it all develops in the future .
we are baisikeli ugunduzi and we love making innovative bicycle components that transport people out of extreme poverty .
mitchell said, thanks to the all the help and the win, baisikeli ugunduzi has secured additional local funding assistance too .
no. baisikeli ugunduzi is a strong believer in the power of bicycles for those that are looking to improve their lives. bicycle
it' s official. baisikeli ugunduzi and the boda boda sacco of kitale are teaming up for the first day of milele tube sales !
the local news agency, kenya broadcasting agency (kbc), recently interviewed baisikeli ugunduzi and our test rider, titus, in front of the new factory .
in kenya. charles, the boss, the baisikeli ugunduzi cycling team, and the rest of the product testers have been key parts of our team as well .
yesterday, april 6th, was baisikeli ugunduzi' s opening day of sales, which took place at the trans - nzoia boda boda sacco in kitale, kenya .
working with mechanics, bicycle boda boda and cyclists, baisikeli ugunduzi designs products that add value to bicycles, lowers the cost of bicycle ownership and encourage safe riding .
while traditional bicycle tubes cost $ 3 and need to be replaced every few weeks when riding on kenya' s rough terrain, the baisikeli ugunduzi tubes cost just over $ 10 for up to five years of use, and can be financed at 25 cents per day. through strong relationships with kenyan bike taxi unions and bicycle taxi drivers, baisikeli ugunduzi is expanding beyond the bicycle tire to develop more quality, affordable bicycle components. baisikeli ugunduzi targets a 20% rise in incomes for its users .
startup social enterprise baisikeli ugunduzi (“innovative bicycle”) has invented a product to help rid bicyclists of one chronic transportation challenge—the flat tire. their flexible, solid tube lasts for up to five years and can be fitted to any size bicycle. with div stage 1 funding, baisikeli ugunduzi will bring the milele tube to its first test market of kitale, kenya. baisikeli ugunduzi will perform the final round of large - scale testing with kenya’s bicycle taxis, and begin initial production and sales through the local bicycle taxi union and local shops .
are driven by the poorest of those trying to earn a living and those who can only afford the cheapest mode of transportation ride them. these are the people to whom baisikeli ugunduzi is dedicated .
baisikeli ugunduzi will bring the milele tube to its first test market of kitale, kenya. baisikeli ugunduzi will perform the final round of large scale testing with boda boda in kenya and ramp up a joint venture innovation center for collaborative manufacturing, distribution, and design with the trans - nzoia boda boda sacco. the innovation center will allow for the development of future products for working bicycles, and will serve as a regional hub for manufacturing and distribution. more importantly, baisikeli ugunduzi has a novel distribution system, allowing them to introduce new products that add value to rural sub - saharan africa bicycles .
kenya was chosen for its industriousness, the origination of the bicycle taxi, economic robustness, and vibrant culture. but the more we think about it, the more it seems that kenya kind of chose baisikeli ugunduzi .
ms in mechanical engineering, phd student at michigan tech, peace corps agribusiness advisor, 6 + years in africa, developed products for world bicycle relief. loves africa, believes relationships build a company, knows steadfast focus on the baisikeli ugunduzi mission is key .
baisikeli ugunduzi social enterprise (j. gershenson, meem, bu) the d80 conference is a celebration of our efforts to solve issues that confront the world' s poorest 80% . together we are creating a better future. michigan technological university, houghton, michigan urltoken
the milele tube is just baisikeli ugunduzi’s first product. we think it is a great way to enter the market. we have already developed two other products that will be introduced into the kitale market in the future. baisikeli ugunduzi plans to grow by expanding geographically (from kitale to all of sub - saharan africa), by expanding our catalog (we will have a whole suite of products), and by expanding our customer base (from those who earn a living on their bicycles to anyone who rides). our catalog will eventually contain a suite of products that, when all used, will effectively double the income of our customers .
baisikeli ugunduzi (“modern, innovative bicycle”) has a revolutionary product that permanently eliminates the biggest problem with bicycles in the developing world, flat tires. the milele (“forever”) bicycle tube replaces the traditional pneumatic tube with a flexible solid tube that never needs air and never needs to be patched. with div stage 1 funding ,
phd in mechanical engineering, 8 + years r & d; for bicycle industry, professor at michigan tech, $ 10m + in grants, manufacturing consultant, executive with two non - profits. loves bicycles, believes human - centered design is the key to any product, knows baisikeli ugunduzi is the most important thing he will do in his career .
a social business is one that has social motives as its bottom line rather than profitability. baisikeli ugunduzi will remain a sustainable business, but we will judge our success by how we impact the lives of people who depend on bicycles. as a social business, we must offer products that allow for higher profits throughout the distribution chain and products that truly change people’s lives .
ben mitchell and wade aitken - palmer won for creating better bicycle components for rural africans who depend on their bicycles for their livelihood. their idea, called baisikeli ugunduzi (swahili for “modern bicycle”), captured a $ 30, 000 first prize and another $ 10, 000 for best social venture, for its sustainability and social impact, among other criteria. the invention is a tube that eliminates flat tires .
baisikeli ugunduzi is focused on delivering professional quality bicycle components to those who have been marginalized by the global bike industry and taken advantage of by cheap products from asia. we work with bicycle taxi drivers, mechanics and retailers to design, produce and distribute products that add value to working bicycles and improve to the livelihoods of bicycle taxi drivers, messengers and those who earn a living on their bicycles in sub - saharan africa .
no. baisikeli ugunduzi is a for profit company. while there are many great non - profits out there, we strongly believe that if we are a venture selling bicycle components, we must introduce products that stand on their own. sustainability has been our focus. we cannot rely on donations to make our products affordable to our customers. the milele tube will pay for itself more than 10 times in the first year of ownership .
” baisikeli ugunduzi’s first product permanently eliminates the biggest problem with bicycles, flat tires, for less than $ 10. the milele tube uses a flexible solid tube and replaces conventional pneumatic tubes. boda boda (bicycle taxis) spend around a quarter of their income fixing flat tires alone! the milele tube eliminates the risk of a flat tire and the burden of costly and frequent tube repairs. this technology lasts several years, never flats, doesn’t need air, can be cut to length for any size wheel, can be reused as tires wear out, and rides like conventional tubes. “
congratulations to 2009 byron fellow ben mitchell, co - founder of baisikeli ugunduzi, who recently placed first in the new venture competition held at central michigan university. mitchell, a phd. student in michigan technical university’s mechanical engineering program, and his business partner, wade aitken - palmer, took home a $ 30, 000 first place prize and an additional $ 10, 000 for best social venture. their start - up (whose name translates into “modern bicycle” in swahili) has developed a bicycle tire tube that eliminates flat tires, and serves the over 5 million people in sub - saharan africa earning a living on their bicycles .
in may, the duo will head off to kenya to launch their first product, the aptly titled milele or “forever” tube, and support this section of the sub - saharan economy, who can spend as much as 10% of their income repairing flat tires. mitchell, who was inspired to start the company during a two year stint in west africa with the peace corp, is launching the venture by partnering with with mechanics and local bicycle taxi unions (known as boda boda), to create the marketplace this summer, and hopes to formally launch this coming august .
© copyright 2018 byron fellowship educational foundation - web design by l. e. yates consulting llc
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml + rdfa 1. 0 / / en
urltoken
engineering next generation bicycle components for developing country consumers | development innovation ventures (div) portfolio | u. s. agency for international development
home » what we do » u. s. global development lab » innovation » development innovation ventures » engineering next generation bicycle components for developing country consumers
getting from a to b in rural sub - saharan africa can be no small feat. where infrastructure is sparse, bicycles can provide a critical alternative to those whose health and prosperity depend on their ability to move. for kenya’s bicycle taxis, they are a direct source of livelihood .
especially in rural areas, the supply of affordable, high - quality bicycles and bicycle components is virtually non - existent. traditional approaches to supplying the demand for bicycles involves giving away donated bicycles that are often incompatible with local replacement parts, selling high - quality bicycles for too high a price, and selling low - price, poor - quality bicycles that require expensive upkeep. as a result, m
any riders rely on poor - quality models that require frequent and expensive maintenance, and spend up to a quarter of their incomes on flat tires alone .
mount pleasant, mi — a saginaw student was part of a team that won $ 10, 000 in central michigan university’s 2012 new venture competition .
the college of business administration on monday awarded $ 60, 000 eight student teams with outstanding business plans. lt. gov. brian calley, state rep. kevin cotter r - mount pleasant, mike finney, michigan economic development corp. , president and chief executive officer and cmu president george e. ross honored the winning teams .
saginaw senior jeff wegner and wolverine lake senior sean armstrong took second in the competition for their movement film studio plan .
winning $ 30, 000 were michigan technological university students ben mitchell and wade aitken - palmer .
“the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that built our state is just as critical to michigan in the 21st century, ” calley said. “we’re proud of all participants in this exciting competition. we’ll be a stronger, more vibrant state because of them. ”
this marked the first year cmu partnered with mtu because of a $ 25, 000 grant from the michigan initiative for innovation & entrepreneurship .
thirty teams from 71 cities and representing all academic areas participated in the event, where awards ranged from $ 30, 000 to $ 500. business leaders from throughout the state evaluated presentations based on the quality of the idea, strength of the management team and the business plan .
“ (the) competition helps solidify our mission as our faculty and students demonstrate cmu’s and michigan technological university’s commitment to improve the quality of life in michigan by creating a new wave of startup businesses, ” ross said .
use of and / or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our user agreement (updated 5 / 25 / 18) and privacy policy and cookie statement (updated 5 / 25 / 18) .
© 2018 advance local media llc. all rights reserved (about us). the material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of advance local .
community rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site .
echoing green is proud to announce the semi - finalists for the 2013 echoing green and black male achievement fellowships. after reviewing close to 3, 000 submissions, we' ve invited 444 applicants to the next phase of the due diligence process. for more insights into echoing green’s selection criteria, see our post in this week’s harvard business review blog .
it all started with ben and john. ben lives in kitale and runs everything every day. john goes back and forth from michigan and keeps us moving ahead. it’s jackie, who drives the web page, facebook page, marketing, and packaging. it' s also joseph the best mechanic in western kenya. susan and kabole, at new generation cycle mart teach us all about bicycle retail in kenya. geoffrey, our lead product tester, is the hardest working
yes! milele tubes are available at two locations in kitale - the trans - nzoia boda boda sacco near the super loaf factory and at the new generation cycle mart, just down the street .
yes. charles has been using milele tube to haul heavy loads for almost three months without a single flat. he says that his daily income went from 200 shillings (about $ 2. 50) to 300 shillings ($ 3. 50) because of the tubes. isaac, who hauls potatoes from kitale to eldoret (75km), was able to make that trip with no flats. that allowed him to make the round trip in one day for the first time, so he could take another load the next day. most
testers are saving about 40 - 50 shillings a day out of their 200 shilling income .
kitale is a great, friendly, agricultural town situated near one of kenya’s most untrafficked parks, which is home to the elusive cave elephants. come see for yourself !
giving away tubes isn’t a solid business plan. a social business model will allow us to bring products to market at a better than fair price, and still encourage local economies rather than circumvent them .
after testing with boda boda, commuters, and people carrying heavy loads we have designed the milele tube to ride similar to a tire with 65 psi. this is the preferred riding pressure of most cyclists. the tubes work great in both the front and rear tires and have been used to carry loads of over 100 kg .
warning: illegal string offset' field' in databasecondition - > _ _ clone () (line 1895 of / home / baisikel / public _ html / includes / database / query. inc) .
it was a successful day. many of our friends, supporters and plenty of new faces showed up interested in milele tubes .
production has start this week from the comforts of ben & jackie' s kitchen & living room. let' s just say that we' re anxious for the factory to be finished .
training mechanics to correctly install milele tubes is vital to the succuss of bu. we are happy at mechanics' s excitement to work with us and look forward to training many more in the near future .
we' re very anxious as this day has been a long time coming. we' re prepared and couldn' t be more excited .
titus has been a reliable tester and excellent sales man for the milele tubes. on a typical day titus rides nearly 100 km, buying and selling maize to other villages .
thanks to bike rumor for this little write up near the end of our campaign on indiegogo .
there are over 5 million people in sub - saharan africa who scratch out a living with their bicycles. many spend over a day’s wages every other week to fix their bike. it is a market served by low quality, imported goods with no focus on products that add value to their lives .
it' s now easier to browse funding and innovations. this page will soon be automatically redirected to the new site. go to the new site now > >
development innovation ventures (div) is an open innovation fund that sources, tests, and scales breakthrough ideas that address global ...
the status quo in sub - saharan african and much of the developing world is to give out bikes (new or refurbished), sell high quality bikes to ngos at an unsustainable loss, or sell cheap asian - made parts in the cities and watch them trickle to the countryside .
there is no company delivering high - quality, low cost product and services focused on the millions of people in sub - saharan africa who use their bikes to earn a living. customers are extremely frustrated with poor quality, asian - made products that are ill designed for the rough life - cycle of working bicycles in africa. mechanics and store owners are losing income waiting for products to trickle in from large cities .
we' ve detected that javascript is disabled in your browser. would you like to proceed to legacy twitter ?
had a great time @ gsvc 2014 and honored to have taken 3rd... great community of great people
beautiful day for the kitale bike race. best of luck to the bu race team! thanks to mabe, local bike shop o
ammad - yunus - fortune - magazine _ n _ 1403458. html? utm _ hp _ ref = impactx
twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. try again or visit twitter status for more information .
you can add location information to your tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third - party applications. you always have the option to delete your tweet location history. learn more
here' s the url for this tweet. copy it to easily share with friends .
by embedding twitter content in your website or app, you are agreeing to the twitter developer agreement and developer policy .
not on twitter? sign up, tune into the things you care about, and get updates as they happen .
this timeline is where you’ll spend most of your time, getting instant updates about what matters to you .
hover over the profile pic and click the following button to unfollow any account .
when you see a tweet you love, tap the heart — it lets the person who wrote it know you shared the love .
the fastest way to share someone else’s tweet with your followers is with a retweet. tap the icon to send it instantly .
add your thoughts about any tweet with a reply. find a topic you’re passionate about, and jump right in .
we are building a new site that will be launching on july 15, 2018. if you need assistance or need to get in touch with us, you can find us at :
michigan technological university students placed first and third in the new venture competition held recently on the campus of central michigan university. the first place team also was named best social venture .
mitchell, a phd student in mechanical engineering, and aitken - palmer, a student in the peace corps master' s international program, have been working on the business idea since last year. mitchell said the inspiration began with his stint in the peace corps a couple of years before that .
thanks to the big win, he is planning a trip to kenya in may to begin with more market testing .
“we are working with bicycle taxi drivers, who can go through many tubes in a month, ” mitchell said. “the tubes will have to be produced in taiwan, as there are no production facilities in kenya. ”
assembling will take place in africa, however, and that will create some jobs .
“our first hire will be a mechanic, ” he said. “and he could do some modifications as well. ”
phil musser, executive director of the keweenaw economic development alliance and mentor to the winning team, was not surprised at their success .
“it was clear from the beginning that they were serious about this business, ” he said. “it was just a matter of them following through with organizational details and financial projections. it was a pleasure to work with them. their work will have a serious social impact, ” musser added .
jim baker, executive director of innovation and industry engagement for michigan tech, was the key liaison between central and tech .
i stepped in when bob mark passed away ,
baker said, referring to the late professor of practice who started the collaboration with central .
john leinonen (program director of the michigan tech enterprise corporation smartzone) and student travis beaulieau were instrumental in keeping the teams moving forward and better prepared for the competition .
when they began, mitchell said, he had some catching up to do on the business side of things, but they did have a more thought - out design and a more developed prototype than most, thanks to their engineering backgrounds .
“some 50 million sub - saharan africans depend on bicycles, ” he said. “as our mission statement says, we work with mechanics and bicycle taxi unions to design, produce and distribute products that add value to working bicycles and improve the livelihoods of bicycle taxi drivers, messengers and others who earn a living on their bicycles. ”
musser said it was a great experience for the six michigan tech teams who traveled to mt. pleasant and advanced past the first round. teams actually began their work on projects in august and met weekly since then. on the tech campus, elevator pitch competition and new business venture competitions helped prepare them for mt. pleasant. a total of thirty teams squared off at central michigan university .
“they did a tremendous job coordinating the whole event, with all the judges and student teams, ” he said. “it was very well orchestrated. ”
the new venture competition is a joint central michigan / michigan tech event. locally, the competition is sponsored by the mtec smartzone, the keweenaw economic development alliance, and the school of business and economics .
runner - up in the finals at central michigan was mvmt media products, an entry of central michigan students sean armstrong and jeff wegner. their business would manage high - quality online video content. they took home $ 10, 000 .
winning third place and $ 5, 000 was picket books, the brainchild of michigan tech students kyle johnston, a biomedical engineering major, and david shull, who is studying computer engineering. in their business, students rent textbooks from each other online, streamlining the process and reducing the costs .
“the prize money will be re - invested in the houghton area, ” shull said. “we are hoping to find students to be a part of a startup to assist in our development work over the summer. we are looking to launch picket books by spring 2013. ”
“over the weekend, i began to realize what makes michigan tech so special, ” he said. “most of our cmu competitors were majors in entrepreneurship or business, while many of the students competing for tech were engineers or majors other than business. i think tech' s emphasis on entrepreneurship while educating a generation of engineers proves tech students can build businesses that will lead the world in innovation and creativity. the investment in competitions like this one are creating tech' s future in the world of business, one student at a time. ”
michigan technological university is a public research university, home to more than 7, 000 students from 54 countries. founded in 1885, the university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and social sciences. our campus in michigan’s upper peninsula overlooks the keweenaw waterway and is just a few miles from lake superior .
michigan technological university is an equal opportunity educational institution / equal opportunity employer, which includes providing equal opportunity for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities .
this site is marked private by its owner. if you would like to view it, you’ll need two things :
permission from the site owner. once you' ve created an account, log in and revisit this screen to request an invite .
michigan tech school of business and economics 4th issue of impact magazine. featured stories include dynamic new faculty, alumni overcoming ...
: all the legal, accounting, and financial tools you need to start and run your company .
manufacturer of bicycle components for people who depend on bicycles in sub - saharan africa. products dramatically impact riders’ safety and income. customers use bicycles to lift young families out of extreme poverty. revenues from sales to large distributors, oems, end users. products on bicycles, motorbikes, and wheelchairs. 4 products on the market, first is an airless inner tube that eliminates flat tires .
with digital technology making it possible to accelerate the fight against poverty, usaid' s center for digital development works to ensure that everyone, even the poorest, has access to digital services. the center also supports the effective use of technology and advanced data analytics across usaid and explores emerging technologies to better understand how they will shape the future of development. to learn more about our work, follow us on
we see a lot of new cycling products on t’interweb – some good, mostly shit / useless / unnecessary / done before / etc. remember: every new product further kills our planet .
however, the following is one product we wholeheartedly support and wish to stock for our customers. (hat - tip to: urltoken )
” there are over 5 million people in sub - saharan africa who scratch out a living with their bicycles. many spend over a day’s wages every other week to fix their bike. it is a market served by low quality, imported goods with no focus on products that add value to their lives. “
jeffrey (one of the test riders) shows off the milele tube for a national news agency .
at re - cycle engineering, we give a s * * t and are trying to encourage repair, reuse and renovation – very much an antithesis to all other shops and the ‘industry’. we would love it if we could provide this solution to our customers .
as a contrast to the milele tube, see this product: urltoken. at face value, it seems like a good idea. on closer examination, one could ask all sorts of questions (how much will it cost once mass - manufacturing is attained? , can mud, stones and snow get clogged inside? , what’s the lateral stiffness? , how does one vary the ‘pressure’ or tension? will tyre manufactures be able to provide various tread surfaces? , can it made to fit my existing wheels? . etc .). apologies to the designers, we can’t see this product making it into the mainstream .
thanks for the great mention recycle! contact us for more information. we begin selling the milele tube in three weeks. as you said, the product is focused on kenya and sub - saharan africa .
privacy & cookies: this site uses cookies. by continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. to find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: cookie policy
baisikeli ugunduzi is a for-profit social business that specializes in bicycle components for the sub-saharan african market . baisikeli ugunduzi means innovative or modern bicycles in swahili . it was founded in the winter of 2011 by ben mitchell , whom holds a ms in mechanical engineering as is currently seeking his phd at michigan technological university and john gershenson , a professor of mechanical engineering at mtu.baisikeli ugunduzi is headquartered in kitale , kenya , africa . it is considered a for-profit social venture , where it develops human-centered products , which seeks to raise the income of boda boda , who rely on the bicycle as a means of livelihood . 
baisikeli ugunduzi is a for-profit social business that specializes in bicycle components for the sub-saharan african market. baisikeli ugunduzi means innovative or modern bicycles in swahili. it was founded in the winter of 2011 by ben mitchell, whom holds a ms in mechanical engineering as is currently seeking his phd at michigan technological university and john gershenson, a professor of mechanical engineering at mtu.baisikeli ugunduzi is headquartered in kitale, kenya, africa. it is considered a for-profit social venture, where it develops human-centered products, which seeks to raise the income of boda boda, who rely on the bicycle as a means of livelihood.
baisikeli ugunduzi is a for-profit social business that specializes in bicycle components for the sub-saharan african market. baisikeli ugunduzi means innovative or modern bicycles in swahili. it was founded in the winter of 2011 by ben mitchell, whom holds a ms in mechanical engineering as is currently seeking his phd at michigan technological university and john gershenson, a professor of mechanical engineering at mtu.baisikeli ugunduzi is headquartered in kitale, kenya, africa. it is considered a for-profit social venture, where it develops human-centered products, which seeks to raise the income of boda boda, who rely on the bicycle as a means of livelihood.