At a glance
1 Summary
On Thursday 17 September 2026, SWK Ghana and Aequitas Foundation hosted Pitch Ready, a free 90-minute online workshop on crafting and delivering an elevator pitch. It was the fifth edition of SWK Ghana's programmes and our first workshop with Aequitas Foundation.
Sixty-three people registered over twelve days from four countries, and more than 30 joined the session live on SWK Meet, our online meeting platform. Rev'd Akua Buabema Ofori-Boateng, PhD, facilitated and Ben Brown moderated.
The session taught a six-part structure for a 60-second pitch — hook, who you are, the problem, your solution, the value and the ask — and was designed as practice rather than a lecture, with two rounds built in: drafting a pitch from a template, then delivering it to a partner for feedback before refining it. Network problems and technical issues with the Jitsi app caused some participants to drop out during the session. This report sets out who took part, what was taught, what we learned, and what we will do differently.
2 Why this workshop
About one in five working-age Africans is starting a business (Brookings, 2024), yet capital and networks stay out of reach for many young founders — often not for want of a good idea, but for want of a clear one. Investors lean on credentialed trust, which creates a two-speed ecosystem. One practical lever narrows that gap: the ability to explain what you do, clearly and credibly, in the time it takes to ride an elevator.
The workshop treated the pitch as a skill you practise, not a talent you either have or lack — for founders, agripreneurs, students, community leaders and anyone who has to make someone care, fast.
3 The session
Free, 90 minutes, online on SWK Meet (meet.swkghana.org), open to everyone. Rev'd Akua's session moved from why a pitch matters, through a six-part framework, into two rounds of practice.
Facilitator
Rev'd Akua Buabema Ofori-Boateng, PhD
Anglican priest, engineer, theologian and strategist; Director of Programmes, Anglican Diocese of Accra; founding Executive Director of Aequitas Foundation.
Partner
Aequitas Foundation
A faith-based nonprofit in Accra working towards a fairer world through youth development and skills-building.
Moderator
Ben Brown
SWK Ghana.
What the session covered
- Why the elevator pitch matters. A short, clear summary of who you are and what you offer, for networking events, job interviews, funding and partnership talks, and every “so what do you do?”. Clarity builds trust, a steady pitch shows you know your value, and brevity respects the listener's time.
- Anatomy of a great pitch. Six parts in 60 seconds, set out below.
- Mistakes to avoid and hooks that land. Five common mistakes, four ways to open, and example pitches from an agri-tech founder, a recent graduate and a freelance consultant.
- Exercise 1: craft your pitch. Five minutes alone with a five-part template: who you help, what you help them do, the benefit, how you differ from the alternative, and a call to action.
- Exercise 2: pair up and present. Sixty seconds each, timed by a partner, then one thing that landed and one thing to sharpen.
- Delivery tips and round two. Rewrite the pitch with that feedback and deliver it again to a new partner, aiming for confident and clear rather than perfect.
- Takeaways, next steps and Q&A.
The framework: six parts in 60 seconds
-
Hook
Win attention with the first line.
-
Who you are
Your name and role, briefly.
-
The problem
The gap or need you address.
-
Your solution
What you do about it.
-
The value
Why it matters, or a quick proof point.
-
The ask
The one next step you want.
About 150 words, spoken naturally, fills a minute. Rehearse out loud until it feels familiar rather than memorised.
How partners gave feedback
| Clarity | Could a stranger say back what you do? |
|---|---|
| Hook | Did the opening line earn attention? |
| Structure | Did it move from who you are to the problem, the solution and the ask? |
| Confidence | A steady pace, eye contact and no filler words? |
| Call to action | Was there exactly one clear next step? |
What to remember
For the week after, participants were asked to practise daily, out loud and against a timer, and to try their pitch on three people, noticing which line makes them lean in.
4 Who registered
Registration ran from 6 to 17 September 2026 through the form on swkghana.org/epwwebinar.
Registration opened on 6 September (12 that day), peaked on 8 September (19), and 9 people registered on the day of the session.
| Date | Registrations |
|---|---|
| 6 Sep | 12 |
| 7 Sep | 9 |
| 8 Sep | 19 |
| 9 Sep | 3 |
| 10 Sep | 1 |
| 11 Sep | 2 |
| 12 Sep | 0 |
| 13 Sep | 0 |
| 14 Sep | 3 |
| 15 Sep | 4 |
| 16 Sep | 1 |
| 17 Sep | 9 |
| Age group | Bar | Registrants |
|---|---|---|
| 15–25 | 1422% | |
| 26–35 | 4165% | |
| 36 and above | 813% |
| Channel | Bar | Registrants |
|---|---|---|
| 4876% | ||
| 610% | ||
| A friend | 610% | |
| 23% | ||
| Other | 12% |
| Occupation group | Bar | Registrants |
|---|---|---|
| Working professionals | 2641% | |
| Students & recent graduates | 1321% | |
| Founders, entrepreneurs & traders | 1321% | |
| Educators & advisors | 610% | |
| Farmers & agro-processors | 58% |
Gender, countries and community
Source: the online registration form (65 submissions). One duplicate submission and the facilitator's own registration are excluded, leaving 63 unique registrants. Occupations were entered as free text and grouped by SWK Ghana. Percentages are rounded and may not sum to 100.
5 In the room
More than 30 people joined the session live. Rev'd Akua led the session on camera with slides, Ben Brown moderated, and participants raised hands and used the chat to engage with the facilitator.
6 Challenges and lessons
Connectivity and platform stability
Some participants dropped out because of network problems and technical issues with the Jitsi app. The in-session counter showed 19 people connected around the 30-minute mark, below the 30+ who joined.
- Send a short how-to-join guide and a backup link with the reminder.
- Invite people on weak connections to join with video off.
- Test the platform at the expected audience size before the day.
- Record sessions so anyone who drops out can catch up.
Turning registrations into attendance
Roughly half of registrants joined live, and nine people registered on the day itself.
- Send WhatsApp reminders the day before and an hour before the start.
- Keep registration open until the session begins.
Where people come from
Our WhatsApp community brought in three in every four registrations (76%); LinkedIn and personal referrals each brought one in ten.
- Keep the community at the centre of promotion, and ask partners to share with their own networks.
Reaching more women
Women made up 35% of registrants.
- Plan targeted outreach through women-led groups and partners for future editions.
7 What's next
Our next event is the SWK Ghana Agribusiness Summit 2026 — free and in person on Saturday 7 November 2026 at The GracedLife Leadership Centre, Ashaley Botwe, Accra.
8 Acknowledgements
Thank you to Rev'd Akua Buabema Ofori-Boateng, PhD, for facilitating; to Aequitas Foundation for partnering with us; to Ben Brown for moderating; and to everyone who registered, joined and practised with us. Keep pitching — your idea deserves to be heard.