Carter Crockett summarizes his journey founding Karisimbi Business Partners to provide strategic management support to high-impact businesses in Rwanda. Karisimbi has worked with over 50 clients across many industries, helping them achieve break-even, develop business plans, and impact over 3,500 employees. Their unique long-term partnership approach was necessary to build management capacity among small and mid-sized businesses. While the work was challenging, their impact has grown over time as they gained experience and relationships. Carter recommends others committed long-term work with local teams to transform communities from the ground up.

1. Guiding
Ventures to
Reach New Heights
A View from the Ground
Carter Crockett
Co-Founder and Partner,
Karisimbi Business Partners
TBN Annual Conference
“Business Leadership to Fight Poverty”
May 25, 2012

2. In 25 minutes or less…
“TBN excels at compelling people with
business experience to meaningfully engage in
the developing world”
• Personal objective:
• Present one man’s journey on this path
• Direct the immense capacity in this room
toward a lasting impact among the poor
• Present a case for being transformed by
the effort to transform others

3. My Atypical Career Path…

4. Karisimbi Partners is…
• Carter Crockett, Ph.D.
o Microsoft Marketer ->Entrepreneur ->Management Scholar
o Core Competencies: Strategy; Marketing; Ethics
• Dano Jukanovich
o Westpoint ->Wharton ->AT&T ->Home Construction CEO
o Core Competencies: Operations; Finance
• Greg Urquhart
o Westmont-> Technology Sales ->Microsoft Executive
o Core Competencies: Sales Leadership; HR Development
….and now including four full-time Rwandan, Kenyan
and American employees…. and seeking more

5. Who & What is
Karisimbi Partners?

6. Karisimbi Partners is…
Our VISION…
To alleviate poverty, shape industries and inspire
leaders… one business at a time
Our METHOD…
To establish excellent, effective and sustainable
management capacity for high-impact Rwandan
ventures
Our MOTIVATION…
The love of Christ compels us to use our best where
the need is greatest

7. Karisimbi Partners is…
• A partner for reaching new heights…
o Socially-motivated… but business-minded
o „Serious‟: committed to living and working
alongside Rwandan businesses for years
o Strategic-level (even interim) management
o Dedicated to world-class expertise
o Local, regional and International background
o Practical owner/manager perspective

8. Why
RWANDA?
• Safety & Stability - #1 Business Reformer
• Corruption low
• Common language & culture- Kinyarwanda
• Greatest (un)natural resource: HOPE

9. Rwanda:
HOPE is a Necessity
Rwanda‟s Vision 2020:
”…Some will say that this is too ambitious
and that we are not being realistic when
we set this goal. Others say that it is a dream.
But, what choice does Rwanda have? To
remain in the current situation is simply
unacceptable for the Rwandan people.
Therefore, there is a need to devise and
implement policies as well as mobilize resources
to bring about the necessary transformation to
achieve the Vision.”

10. Why is our Unique
Approach Necessary?
• “Missing Middle”: the engine for stable jobs
and a growing economy is underdeveloped
• Greatest Need: Management Capacity (not $)
Large companies
90 (100+ employees)
Small/mid-sized companies
500 (30-100 employees)
Micro-businesses;
120,000+ mostly informal

11. Experts Predicted Failure
• “It will never work because….”
• Nobody has attempted it before
• You don‟t know Rwanda or their language
• They are content with free NGO or
Development Partner advice
• Their education level is too low
• They only want financial capacity ($$$)
• They aren‟t used to paying advisors
• Even if they say they‟ll pay…they won‟t

12. Karisimbi Partners is…

13. What has been
Achieved for Clients?
• Secured 52 clients in ~27 industry sectors
o Achieved break-even after 1.5 years
(profitable)
o Delivered over 28 Business Plans, Feasibility
Studies or Turnaround Plans
o Long-term advisor & strategic partner for 8
companies
o Identified & placed 4+ Management Executives
o 3,500+ Employees impacted at client companies
o 50,000+ farmer household members impacted

14. Other Achievements
o Retained by the Prime Minister & Ministry of Trade
to create “Turnaround Business Plans” for 16
companies been deemed strategically important
o Engaged by foreign investors to a) find
investments and b) manage the investments after
they‟ve been made
• Placed 10 Harvard MBA students with 4 clients
• Consultants for 6 of the top Holding Companies
o Investments & restructuring worth $3.7 Million+
o Invited to advise the new President of Malawi
on economic policy and private sector development

15. Search for IMPACT
Consumers
Value Chain
Agri-Processors
Farmers

16. How Did we get Here?

17. “It Could Have Failed…”
• If we had come alone (3 families were key)
• If we did not „gel‟ into an a effective team
• If we had come three years prior (e.g. 2006)
• If we had visited periodically or engaged part-time
• If we were not humble, flexible and very patient
• If we had to spend 50%+ of our time fundraising
• If we did not find good friends and initial clients
• If we said “yes” too often
• If we did not rest and accommodate family life
• If any of us had a significant health problem

18. Surprising Discoveries
• Being “out of control” = good for you
o God begins to move when/where we lose steam
• Perfect job = great work with great friends
• Often, Africa gets the „scraps‟ from the West
• With each year, our impact grows
o Deeper insights into real problems & best solutions
o More and deeper relationships (e.g. trust)
o Growing # of opportunities
o Grander scale of interventions
• When „calling‟ becomes a „curse‟…

19. Recommendations
• It takes a team to transform the village (2+ friends)
• Commitment (and sacrifice) is required (2+ years)
• Bring the best you can give
o Plenty of wasted and duplicated resources already here…
good intentions are necessary, but not sufficient
• Best to build from the ground->up
o Beats top->down or outside->in every time
o Bespoke solutions are typically best & always relevant
• At its best, transformation is mutual
o Live and struggle with the people you want to serve
o Working together dispels „donor mentality‟; builds dignity

20. Wrap-up & THANKS
“Further Up and Further In” – C.S. Lewis
• Looking to add experienced business advisors
• Seeking opportunities to own/manage
You: Use business as your opportunity to
transform and be transformed
Q & A time
Contact: carter@karisimbipartners.com