Rootical is a collaboration between Shona and Fresh Ventures Studio.

We share a common purpose:

Equipping talented entrepreneurs with the tools, skills, networks and capital to build food system shaking businesses.

Meet our team

Ivan Mandela

Founder & Director of Investments, Shona

(LinkedIn)

Hannes Van den Eeckhout

Founder & Director, Rootical

(LinkedIn)

Joachim Ewechu

Founder & CEO, Shona

(LinkedIn)

Isaac Muhofa

Venture Builder

(LinkedIn)

Faridah Nalunkuuma

Talent Manager

(LinkedIn)

Elivis Omoit

Startup Studio Officer

(LinkedIn)

Leading Partners

  • Shona

    Shona provides Business Advisory and Business Training to help SME’s grow revenues and become profitable businesses since 2013. We teamed up with Shona because of our shared urgency to build businesses that matter. They are the expert partner for developing good businesses in Uganda.

    Shona is a key business development services provider in the field of regenerative agriculture in East Africa. Shona’s management has been a de facto co-founder of Root!cal.

  • Fresh Ventures Studio

    Fresh builds new companies that accelerate a circular and regenerative food system. Fresh launched in 2021 to work alongside founders to address the world’s most pressing problems through scalable impact-ventures. Initially their focus is on the European food system.

    Taking the initiative to develop Root!cal with Shona, Hannes joined Fresh Ventures’ structure to jointly implement a context-specific startup studio in Uganda.

Financial Partners

  • The DOEN Foundation

    The DOEN Foundation supports pioneers who are committed to a green, socially-inclusive and creative society. Because of our frontrunner role in testing steward ownership and the start-up studio model in East Africa, DOEN was the first partner to commit to supporting us.

  • Biovision

    Biovision – Foundation for Ecological Development, works towards a healthy planet thanks to sustainable food and ecological development. Biovision provided us with catalytic support and are building the ecosystem and the business case for investing in Agroecology alongside us.

  • The French Embassy in Uganda

    As part of a larger FSPI project to “promote agile methodologies and innovative training to enable decent, sustainable and income-generating employability for Ugandan youth”, The French Embassy in Uganda is the third and decisive funder to power our pilot.

  • Belgian Private Family Foundation

    An anonymous private family foundation from Belgium decided to give us structural funding for the period 2023-2025. Their support gives us financial runway to move from our pilot onto the next stage during this period.

Our global network of Rootical experts

  • Louise Luttikholt

    IFOAM Organics International, former Executive Director

  • Rushongoka Wa-Mpiira

    Nyanza Ecological, Founder & Chief Forest Maker

  • Piloya Innocent

    Ribbo Coffee, Founder and Managing Director

  • Romain Diaz

    Satgana CEO and Climate Tech Impact Investor

  • Fabio Leippert

    Investing in the Agroecological Business Case at Biovision

  • Stayce Nimusiima

    Innovation Programme Manager and Advisor at WFP

  • Daria Urman

    Purpose Economy, Investment Partner in Steward Ownership

  • Khamutima Tumwebaze

    Young Farmer Champions Network, Founding Director

  • Adrien Sicsic

    CEO at La Ruche qui dit Oui! (short food supply chains e-commerce)

  • Elizabeth Withlow

    Regenerative Organic Alliance, Executive Director

  • Frank Aswani

    African Venture Philanthropy Alliance, Executive Director

  • Jonas Malisse

    Co-founder EatMoreTrees, former VP Global Expansion TGTG

  • Christine Gould

    Next gen food entrepreneurship as Founder and CEO at Thought For Food

  • Jyoti Banerjee

    Accelerating systemic change and co-founder at North Star Transition

  • David Amudavi

    Biovision Africa Trust, Director, and ICIPE, Programme Coordinator

  • Gert van Veldhuisen

    BID Capital partners, Co-founder, and Unknown Group, Director Africa

  • Enrico Fantini

    Swiss Entrepreneurship Programme, Global Manager

  • Bart van der Zande

    Fresh Ventures Studio, Founder & Director + Rootical Partner

  • ... And many more Experts!

    We couldn’t ask our entire global network of experts to be featured here