Founder profile
Blessing Mene
Founder and lead facilitator of FRACAD Fundraising Academy. Founder and CEO of Vetsark. Co-founder of the Cascador Accelerator. Over 12 years helping businesses and nonprofits win grants, equity and loans across Africa, the US and Europe, and 21 international awards and fellowships of his own since 2013.
The story
A founder who has sat on both sides of the table.
Blessing Mene is a fundraising expert and entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience helping businesses and nonprofits secure grants, equity and loans across Africa, the US and Europe. He holds an Executive MBA and a Master’s in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
He founded and leads Vetsark, a Nigerian animal-protein venture in poultry and aquaculture, and co-founded the Cascador Accelerator, where he led investment due diligence on 200+ ventures. That is the funder side: reading, scoring and challenging applications.
As lead facilitator of FRACAD, he teaches CEOs and founders how to build fundable organisations and win grants consistently. He has supported the raising of $51M+ in funding and trained 3,000+ leaders across Nigeria, Africa and the diaspora.
“Funding follows readiness. Always.”Blessing Mene
“After years of working with businesses and nonprofits across Africa, the US, and Europe, I noticed a painful pattern. Most organizations do not fail at winning grants because they lack ideas. They fail because they approach funding before they are ready for it.”
Grand Prize, Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition USA
The award that started a decade of consistent recognition. The same year: EMEA Regional Winner, Global Social Venture Competition California, USA.
Awards and recognition
Every year, since 2013.
21 awards, prizes and fellowships, listed by year as they appear on his resume.
- Livelihood Impact Fund Lab Portfolio Grant Winner
- Best Seed Startup Award, GIZ AfricArena
- Emerald Africa Financing Facility Fund Winner
- McCloskey Grand Prize Winner @ University of Notre Dame
- Katapult Africa Seed Fund Rwanda
- GIZ IRP Investment Readiness Award
- Bayer Foundation Award in Africa
- Goalkeepers: Rebuilder by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Skoll World Forum Emerging Young Leader UK
- Google Impact Challenge Nigeria Public Choice Prize Winner
- Moonshot Fellow by Kravis Social Impact Lab USA
- Gold Prize Winner | Unleash Innovation Labs Denmark
- Ashoka Fellow West Africa
- International Young Laureate USA
- Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Award UK
- Global Good Fund Fellow USA
- Social Entrepreneurs Transforming Africa Uganda
- Unreasonable Institute Global Fellow USA
- African Winner, Indiafrica Business Plan Competition South Africa
- EMEA Regional Winner, Global Social Venture Competition California, USA
- Grand Prize, Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition USA
Proof, not promises
Grants, awards and funding won by our founder and alumni.
Includes awards, grants, fellowships and investment won by Blessing Mene, his organisations (Vetsark, Cascador) and FRACAD alumni (for example Sunday Agbonika’s Mandela Washington Fellowship). Logos belong to their owners and do not imply endorsement of FRACAD.
Ventures
What he has built.
FRACAD
Fundraising Academy · Nigeria and worldwide
Fundraising readiness and grant-winning training for SME owners, nonprofits and social enterprises.
- 3,000+ leaders trained
- $51M+ funding supported
- 200+ alumni
Vetsark
Poultry and aquaculture · Nigeria
An animal-protein venture spanning poultry and aquaculture production, technology-enabled agri-finance and structured farmer partnerships.
- Scaled from 2 to 30 staff
- Secured $2M+ in grant, equity and contract funding from partners including Google, Facebook, FAO, GIZ, Livelihood Impact Fund, Tekedia and Katapult
- Invested in and provided loans to 500+ farms across 14 states
Cascador Accelerator
Nigeria and Pan-Africa
He co-founded a high-impact accelerator supporting 60+ startups across Africa, collectively valued at $400M+.
- Screened 2,000+ applicants
- Led investment due diligence on 200+ ventures
- Co-developed the Cascador Alumni Fund
Speaking and teaching
Topics he covers.
For conferences, accelerators, funders, corporate teams and founder communities.
Gallery
In the room.
Education and programmes
Always learning.
Training and exposure across Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Mozambique, and in the UK, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Malaysia, Switzerland and New Zealand. Has worked in Nigeria and the USA.
Work with Blessing
Speaking, coaching and partnerships.
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