Freedom Mukanga Wins International Entrepreneurship Impact Award

Award Poster Published by The John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center

FreedPer Scientific is proud to announce that our Founder and Team Leader, Freedom Mukanga, has been awarded the 2025 International Entrepreneurship Impact Award by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) at the University of Iowa. The honor will be conferred at the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Honors Ceremony in April at the historic Old Capitol Museum in Iowa City.

Each year, the Institute for International Business recognizes an international alum who has demonstrated outstanding entrepreneurial achievement, leadership, and innovation in ways that create meaningful and lasting community impact. This year, the spotlight turns to Zimbabwe—specifically to the work Freedom has championed in climate technology, entrepreneurship, and rural development.

A Journey Rooted in Innovation and Community

Freedom's entrepreneurial path is grounded in practical solutions that address some of Africa’s most pressing climate and economic challenges. An MBA graduate from the University of Zimbabwe and a 2022 Mandela Washington Fellow at the University of Iowa, he has launched multiple ventures with both social and economic resonance:

• FreedPer Scientific – providing weather and water data infrastructure across Zimbabwe and the region.

• Hozi Innovator – a youth accelerator promoting entrepreneurship and innovation among young people.

• Madanha Trust – a poultry farming enterprise rooted in rural economic empowerment.

Beyond building companies, Freedom has maintained active collaboration with the University of Iowa, including consulting partnerships and a Reciprocal Exchange project that trained more than 50 rural women in poultry farming and entrepreneurship.

Advancing Climate-Tech Infrastructure in Africa

Freedom’s recognition comes at a time when climate-resilience technologies are increasingly critical in Africa. Zimbabwe, like many countries across the continent, continues to face rapidly shifting weather patterns—from severe droughts to intensified storms—making accurate and hyperlocal weather data essential for decision-making.

Through FreedPer Scientific, Freedom is working to expand access to:

• Automatic weather stations

• Water-level monitoring systems

• School-based climate observation programs

• Community-level early-warning systems

These tools provide real-time data to farmers, disaster-management offices, insurers, and educators—helping communities prepare for and mitigate climate risks.

Entrepreneurship as a Driver of Resilience

Freedom’s work exemplifies a new wave of African entrepreneurship: one that blends scientific rigour, local insight, and business innovation. His mission aligns with global trends in climate-smart agriculture, parametric insurance, and early-warning systems—fields that increasingly rely on accurate environmental data.

The award serves not only as recognition of Freedom’s individual achievements but also as validation of FreedPer Scientific’s broader vision: enabling resilience through accessible weather and water intelligence.

Looking Ahead

As Freedom continues expanding FreedPer Scientific’s network and international partnerships, the impact of his work is set to grow across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, and the wider SADC region. This award reinforces the importance of building Africa’s climate-data infrastructure—one station, one school, and one community at a time.

We congratulate Freedom on this remarkable achievement and celebrate the global recognition of the work our team is doing to support climate resilience across the continent.

Read the official University of Iowa announcement here:https://iowajpec.org/news/2025/11/7-individuals-be-recognized-iowa-jpec-awards-event-april