“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Zuri Kaloki, 11-year-old Educor student, is the published author of this children’s book Maajabu.
We are grateful for the prayers and financial support that have enabled Talanton to invest in nine high-impact, job-creating businesses in two years and during Covid. These businesses support many thousands of employees, students and farmers, plus provide significant impacts to their families and communities. Job creation and support through Talanton has resulted in numerous good news stories. This Quarterly Briefing will focus on one of them – Educor, an Early Childhood Education (ECE) School System in Kenya now thriving after being closed for nearly a year due to Covid. We are excited to share with you The Educor Story ...
The Educor Story
A 360-DEGREE VIRTUAL REALITY VIDEO SERIES
Zuri Kaloki was an 18-month-old child being raised by her father when she started at Educor. Nine years later, she is a published author, student leader and chess champion. You’ll meet Zuri and learn more about Educor in this video series: The Kenyan government owned public school systems were completely overrun and parents weren’t able to provide their children with a quality education:
To ensure that her own children received a superior education, Prisca Muyodi founded Educor, a school affordable to parents that provided students with a quality, holistic education that included spiritual and social impacts:
Today, hundreds of students are currently enrolled at one of Educor’s five campuses, with two schools at capacity. Don’t miss this 1:30 film trailer. In this video series, you’ll experience the heart-warming Educor story, meet Zuri and Prisca, Educor’s Founder and Owner, learn why chess is mandatory at a very young age, visit the literacy lab and much more. For the full 360-degree experience, click and drag on the video to look around Educor.
The Educor Story
PART ONE
Experience overrun government schools and why one parent created Educor
Learn how Educor became involved with Talanton
Meet Zuri, delightful Educor student, author, student leader, chess champion
The Educor Story
PART TWO
Meet Head Teacher, Ms. Valerie, and learn why her job is important to her
Visit the Literacy Lab and see the many skills learned there
Drive to the Mountain View campus
The Educor Story
PART THREE
Learn why chess is required at a very young age and watch the chess tournament
Visit a hybrid classroom to see students learning on-site and remotely
Meet Educor students’ parents and hear why they love Educor
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Financial Update
Talanton ended 2021 with $16.1MM in committed capital, significantly exceeding our original $12.5MM budget goal and even exceeding our $15MM stretch goal. This additional capital is enabling us to pursue, conduct due diligence and ultimately invest in additional pipeline businesses to support many more lives.
We appreciate Talanton’s repeat and new investors/donors who believe in and support our mission to help “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40).
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Pipeline Opportunities Talanton’s robust demand-pull investment pipeline includes many exciting investment opportunities. We have screened several hundred businesses, closely evaluating more than 70, with many currently in various stages of due diligence. Current top prospects include:
Manufacturer of affordable energy efficient appliances
B2B grower and exporter of fresh horticultural produce
Supplier of covered rollers and print consumables
Aggregator and distributor of grain and produce
We continue to be recognized by investors and clients for our comprehensive due diligence processes and commitment to standards and business parameters. While Covid restrictions impact our rigorous evaluation pace, the additional time has enabled us to focus on those businesses projected to achieve a triple bottom line return – financial, spiritual and social. Additional capital and referral investors/donors will allow us to invest more quickly in values-aligned, growth-stage businesses in our pipeline.
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Other Key Achievements
Dinner in Kenya with Investee Founders Harry Turner and Iris Wen, Talanton Partners, traveled to East Africa in December to visit with portfolio clients and select pipeline businesses in Uganda and Kenya. Here is a picture of Harry and Iris with leaders from Enda, Educor, Kentegra and Moko enjoying a wonderful dinner together.
Announcing New Senior Analyst We are excited to announce that Florent Nduwayezu has joined the Talanton team as a full-time Senior Analyst. Florent lives in Kenya and is currently traveling with Jon Halverson, Talanton Partner, in Rwanda and Kenya to meet with existing clients and top pipeline businesses. We look forward to introducing you to Florent in an upcoming Impact Update.
Hiring New Executive Assistant Michelle Ochieng is moving into the Manager of Investor Relations position full-time to continue to provide outstanding service to our growing number of investors and donors. We are seeking a superstar Executive Assistant to work half-time supporting David Simms and the Talanton team. If you know someone qualified for this role who is inspired to help advance our mission, please share the job description and ask him/her to send their resume and cover note to info@talantonllc.com. The job posting is also available on our LinkedIn page.
Press Release Did you see the press release about Talanton leading $1 million in funding for Enda, Africa’s first running show company? This release caught the attention of numerous media outlets and has been distributed globally, sharing this exciting news and information about Enda and Talanton.
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Talanton's Investment Portfolio
Thanks to your support, Talanton has now invested in nine values-aligned, growth-stage businesses.
Click here to see a larger version of Talanton's Investment Portfolio.
Please contact us to learn how together, we can create jobs and bring Hope to thousands of God’s children in need. We hope that you and your families are healthy and safe. God’s blessings, David and the Talanton Team P.S. Talanton’s next investment cycle closes on March 31. You can join the growing community committed to bringing Hope and transforming lives across East Africa. Please contact us to explore how to use a donor-advised fund to invest, to donate, or if you are a qualified client investor.
Together ... We Can Create Jobs • Bring Hope • Transform Lives