Axelle Nassirou, Class of 2019, was named a semifinalist in the New Venture Competition (NVC). The GW New Venture Competition is the ninth largest collegiate competition in the country and provides GW students, faculty, and alumni with real-world experiences in entrepreneurship.
Originally from Benin, a small West-African country, Ms. Nassirou came to GW Law to pursue an LLM degree after earning a Master in Public and International Law. “I could see injustices while growing up, and the rule of law wasn’t always respected,” she explained. “ I thought of law as a way of achieving change in society and impacting people’s lives.”
Ms. Nassirou competed in the “Social Venture” track of the NVC. The “Social Venture” projects offer a solution to a pressing social or environmental problem that drives change using nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid models. Ms. Nassirou’s project, ACE, or Advancing Career Education, sought to increase access to quality education in Africa. “I think people are really connected with this issue,” she said. “When you are heading for higher education anywhere in the world, it’s not easy. But transcend that context to a place where people physically do not have access to any resources. For instance, someone will go to school and after three years earn a bachelor degree and the degree is worth nothing because they went to a school that was not accredited. Quality education has an impact on people’s lives and also on the country’s development. “I think I found a way to connect people to the things happening out there [in Africa].”
Ms. Nassirou was partnered with friend and fellow West-African Nadia Lee and is mentored by Stephanie Asher, the Associate Director of Programs for the GW Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Ms. Nassirou says that Ms. Lee brought different skills and prospectives to the project while Ms. Asher brought relevant experiences helping international ventures grow and working with former NVC projects.
Ms. Nassirou says her research, analytical, and time management skills learned at law school helped her tremendously in the competition. “Law school builds so many amazing skills in us. The way you approach a problem, the way you spot issues, the way you analyze issues, the way you research - all those things really made a difference in the way I presented my project. You really get exposed to what the world is and you get to hone key skills.”
For students interested in competing in the NVC, she encourages them to submit an idea and to use their GW resources. “We have all the skills necessary. There are so many amazing resources available and people willing to connect with you to build your project. Jump in there and use all the amazing resources GW has.”