The Tawasul Story

Tawasul was founded by Ernst Vanderpoll in 2002...

Baraka Fellowship

Ernst was mentored for 2 years under Baraka Ventrues' Social Entrepreneurship fellowship program whereby he received pro-bono support in strategic and business planning, branding, marketing, business development, PR, operations, accounting, use of new media (documentaries, online social media, viral marketing). Baraka's role and services during this period:

• Created the brand, messaging, and service portfolio.
• Filled in operational gaps when the program had a shortage of administrators, trainers and other resource requirements.
• Engaged Tawasul locally with government, private sector and charities that placed the program at a national and regional media platform and created a range of funding and business development opportunities.
• Featured regionally as a social entrepreneurship venture and established a basis for long-term growth opportunities.
• Promoted globally within the environmental and educational communities in the US (Filmmakers for conservation, Yale University School of Forestry, MIT Media Labs)