New York, USA – 24 September 2026 – Team GRAINFINITY of Jospong Group of Companies has emerged as the global winner of the 2026 SDG Innovation Accelerator for Young Professionals pitch, following its presentation at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2026 in New York.
Representing Ghana on the global stage, Team GRAINFINITY, comprising Francis Tutu-Yeboah, Juliet Makafui Gbate and Samuel Mensah, competed alongside fellow Top 5 global teams from China, the United Kingdom, Kenya and Nigeria, ultimately emerging winner of the global pitch.
The achievement marks the culmination of an innovation journey that began in Ghana through the 2026 SDG Innovation Accelerator for Young Professionals, implemented locally by the UN Global Compact Network Ghana.
From Ghana’s Accelerator to the Global Stage
Over several months, the young professionals participated in a series of trainings and four innovation camps designed to support them in identifying sustainability challenges, developing solutions and refining their ideas for implementation.
Team GRAINFINITY subsequently represented Jospong Group of Companies at the 2026 Ghana Local Solutions Showcase, held on 13 August 2026 in Accra, where participating teams presented innovative solutions developed through the Accelerator.
Following the local programme, Team GRAINFINITY achieved a major milestone when it was selected among the Top 5 teams globally, earning the opportunity to present its solution at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit during UN General Assembly week in New York. That selection placed the Ghanaian team alongside innovators from China, Kenya, Nigeria & the United Kingdom, setting the stage for the global pitch.
Weeks later, Team GRAINFINITY transformed its Top 5 recognition into a global victory, emerging as the overall winner of the pitch in New York.
A Proud Moment for Ghana
Team GRAINFINITY’s victory represents a significant milestone for the local edition of the SDG Innovation Accelerator for Young Professionals and demonstrates the potential of young professionals within Ghana’s private sector to develop solutions capable of gaining global recognition.
For the UN Global Compact Network Ghana, the achievement is particularly significant as the team progressed through the locally implemented Accelerator programme before earning its place among the Top 5 global teams and ultimately emerging as the global pitch winner. Their journey also demonstrates the value of investing in young talent and providing employees with opportunities to apply innovation to real sustainability challenges within their companies and communities.
The SDG Innovation Accelerator for Young Professionals is a programme of the United Nations Global Compact designed to empower young professionals from participating companies to collaborate and develop innovative solutions that advance the SDGs while creating value for their organizations.
Through the programme, participants are equipped with tools and methodologies to rethink traditional approaches, identify opportunities and develop practical solutions to sustainability challenges.
From Top 5 to Global Winners
Team GRAINFINITY’s global victory comes only weeks after the team was announced among the Top 5 globally, a milestone that secured their opportunity to represent Ghana at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in New York. What began as an innovation journey within their company and the Ghana Accelerator programme has now culminated in international recognition on one of the UN Global Compact’s global platforms.
The UN Global Compact Network Ghana congratulates Team GRAINFINITY and the Jospong Group of Companies on this outstanding achievement and looks forward to seeing the solution progress beyond the competition and contribute to advancing sustainable development.
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