Endeavor selected 17 entrepreneurs leading 11 companies from seven countries at the 81st International Selection Panel (ISP) in Detroit, USA.
Sam Clarke, CEO of Stellenbosch based field sales management software company, Skynamo, was selected to be an Endeavor Entrepreneur at the ISP.
Skynamo provides cloud-based field sales management software and a mobile app used by reps and their managers to improve insights into field sales activity, reduce admin and create coaching opportunities that lead to higher sales.
Since starting in 2012, Skynamo (formerly known as Honeybee) is used by over 5,000 users at 440 companies with teams of reps in the field who regularly visit and service or sell to an existing customer base.
“It was inspiring to bring together truly fantastic entrepreneurial talent and some of the most experienced business leaders from the U.S. and around the world in Detroit, a city that is itself in an exciting period of growth and innovation,” said Endeavor CEO Linda Rottenberg.
Top business leaders and investors from the region and around the world, including Steve Case (Revolution), Donna Dubinsky (Numenta), Shira Goodman (Staples), Jason Green (Emergence Capital), and Chris Zook (Bain & Co.) among others, served as panellists at the event. Panellists were drawn from Endeavor’s extensive network of board members, mentors, and supporters.
At the ISP, which was attended by over 100 entrepreneurs, network members, and partners, panelists interview entrepreneur candidates about their businesses, evaluating them on their potential for high-impact growth, and deliberating on which candidates should be selected to become Endeavor Entrepreneurs.
“Being selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur has been a profoundly rewarding experience for me and my team,” says Sam Clarke, CEO of Skynamo. “The journey started 16 months ago when we failed to get through the local Endeavor selection process on our first attempt. This kick-started a process of reflection, strategic re-orientation and focused action to get our strategy, leadership and business on track for growth and success. Getting through the Local Selection Panel a few months ago, becoming an FNB Business Innovations Awards finalist, and then being selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur last week is the most incredible validation of the work we put in and the direction we chose. I am hugely proud of the business and my team for what we have achieved and look forward to being a contributing member of the Endeavor network.”
The ISP is the culmination of a rigorous multi-step selection process to identify innovative and driven entrepreneurs who are committed to advancing an ecosystem of entrepreneurship.
Once selected, Endeavor Entrepreneurs gain access to comprehensive customised services, including introductions to local and international business mentors and volunteers from Fortune 500 consulting firms who will help them address key needs.
Endeavor Entrepreneurs have had a significant track record of creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, generating billions of dollars in revenues, and building sustainable growth models in their home countries.
Endeavor will host ISPs in 2018 in Buenos Aires (September 5-7), which will be attended by the winner of the 2018 FNB Business Innovation Awards, Athens (October 22-24) and Cape Town (Stellenbosch) (December 11-13).