Balloon Ventures Reviews 17

I went on as a volunteer to one of their trips with ICS to Kenya. They encouraged us heavily to bring our own laptops it'll be useful for the programme etc.

The first day I landed my laptop was stolen from my the car from the airport when we stopped off for food. For the whole trip I was promised i'd be compensated or some assistance in replacing. To then come home and they tell me they will not be offering any compensation for anything and left me high and dry.

I get it your a charity but I also travelled to do a job, which you asked me to bring my laptop and it was stolen from one of your hired taxi partners. It was more being led on the whole trip which was mostly frustrating.

Balloon is a fantastic company doing wonderful work with young entrepreneurs all over the world. Their unique approach occupies a space between innovative venture capital, consultancy and social enterprise. I had the opportunity to work with Balloon in 2015 and can honestly say that the experience was life changing.

I cannot possibly recommend this company highly enough.

My time in Kenya with Balloon Ventures was probably one of the most life changing experiences in my life thus far. Spending six weeks with inspiring and ambitious people who want to make a difference in this world was worth every second. Being around so many great people in an environment which allows you to discover your entrepreneurial side, make mistakes and learn from your mistakes is a once in a lifetime experience. You’re feeling an itch to step outside of your comfort zone, contribute to the lives of others and want to gain real-world experience in business? You might want to consider joining Balloon Ventures for six weeks – I’d definitely do it again, because it opened up a whole new world to me. The best and most valuable part, however– seeing and feeling the gratefulness and the smiles of the people you cross paths with in Kenya.

A recent 'masters of business' graduate on the same programme as me said he learned more here in 6 weeks, than he had in the previous 4 years.

I can also attest to this - as someone with a non-business background I came back from completing the programme with a huge increase in interest from employers (from 100% rejection rate, to multiple job offers within a couple of months of returning), and big increases in productivity and confidence working in a startup in London.

In addition to this, you are always in an exciting environment, hanging out with amazing people and making a difference.

Balloon Ventures is truly achieving something great by solving multiple problems with its unique solution. Most notably: improving employability of graduates in the UK and improving skills and access to finance of youth in multiple countries around the world.

I would recommend the programme to everyone. I guarantee you will learn something, whilst having fun at the same time.

Taking part in the Balloon Ventures programme was one of the best things I have ever done and has helped me since to find meaningful employment. I have also met some of the best friends in both the UK and abroad that anyone could ask for. This is not voluntourism, being a part of something that delivers high-quality, sustainable development in a pragmatic and realistic manner is something I will always consider one of my greatest achievements. The skills it has given me in cross-cultural working, entrepreneurship and strategy are characteristics I now pride myself on and were a huge contributing factor in me finding full-time work within 2 weeks of returning from Kenya.

If anyone is in doubt, don't be- I promise this will be one of the best things you ever do!

It was with trepidation that I embarked on my Balloon Kenya journey but the six weeks in Nakuru were nothing short of phenomenal. It is probably one of the most complete, wide-ranging experiential programme one could go for.

At the core of its programme, I worked closely with local Kenyans to equip them with business and financial knowledge and help them grow their business. Prior to the trip, I wondered if I had the necessary skills; but my doubts were quickly dismissed after receiving entrepreneurship training by Balloon staff early in the programme to strengthen my knowledge and develop my local expertise. It was such a joy working with the fun and passionate Kenyan businessmen, and it was extremely satisfying to see their businesses grow.

Beyond the core work, we had some time to travel around and trust me, Kenya has incredible sights everyone should visit in person. Getting close to the wildest of the wildlife at Maasai Mara safari park was both surreal and unforgettable; visiting local villages and experiencing local life was also eye-opening.

All in all, I highly recommend this programme as it allowed me to develop my professional skills and at the same time have loads of fun. Not to mention, the friendships I made are still what I cherish most today. Occasionally getting updates from the Kenyans that I worked with, to see the success of their businesses since the programme, always bring incredible satisfaction. Of course, you can't expect it to be a totally smooth-sailing programme as you are expected to be challenged and grow through the experience. But with the supportive Balloon staff with you throughout the trip, rest assured you are in good hands.

I highly recommend this program for anyone who really believes in the power of sustainable development. Working with entrepreneurs in Uganda was a life changing experience (no cliché intended) because through the program I understood myself and my purpose.

The program is 100% hands on and practical. There is a lot of getting stuck in and testing ideas. I am a Geography Student so I had no business skills, but the first week we were all taught the skills- so there really is no excuse. The opportunity to teach business skills to entrepreneurs is one that is amazing because you are part of someone's journey: that seed of knowledge you have helped to plant, grows into a beautiful field and inspires other people once you have gone. You live with a host family, learn from them, share your experiences and become part of the community. There is NO program like this.

Taking part in the Balloon program was a great decision. While in Kenya I worked with a variety of different entrepreneurs and small businesses to help imagine, test and fund these people. The Balloon program allows micro-businesses the opportunity to access business training and financing - supporting business growth organically and sustainably. The experience to work in a developing with Balloon is one I am thankful for. I have no reservations recommending Balloon to anyone interested in international development, entrepreneurship and business.

If you want to experience entrepreneurship, development and another culture this is the programme for you. You'll work alongside local entrepreneurs to develop business ideas, test them in the real world, refine them, and see them start to take their place in the local economy.
The training was excellent, and as pairs we were quickly thrown into working with businesses as diverse as fruit juices and second hand jackets. We were also able to get stuck into local life, the entrepreneurs became friends and showed us their homes, their favourite places and laughed at us as we tried their foods!
The programme is challenging. There's a lot to learn, and helping to start one business is hard enough; with five, in a different country, you will be busy! Think you're up for the challenge though? Go! You won't regret it!

I spent 6 weeks on a Balloon Ventures Programme in Nakuru, Kenya. For the first week we took part in a training programme learning key entrepreneurial skills. In the following 5 weeks we were able to put what we had learnt in to practice by working in teams with young local entrepreneurs to get to know them, learn about their businesses and together come up with innovative ideas to develop their businesses. Every day working with Balloon was different and one day you would be working in a remote village out of town advertising and selling products, and the next you would be in the centre of town coming up with ideas and creating plans with entrepreneurs! Being there for 6 weeks, we really got to know the people and understand the culture. We lived with host families and when I came home from a day of work, I felt at home and included in the family. We were encouraged to try local foods, go to local events and truly immerse ourselves in the culture which I loved! At the end of the programme, it was great to see the results of working with entrepreneurs and their happiness when they received loans for their businesses. The only draw back is that the programme is long, it will be demanding, both physically and mentally, and you have to prepared to fully commit yourself to it. But if you are someone who craves an adventure and doing something meaningful, I would recommend doing a programme with Balloon.

I had the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in Kenya a couple of years ago. That summer was and still is the best summer in my life.

I never expected I could be able to get to know another culture so closely in such a short amount of time. And not only that: I was able to help local entrepreneurs to fund and start their own businesses.

Even though you might start thinking that you're there to teach them and learn about them, you'll actually end up learning more FROM them and about YOURSELF.

If you want to get out of your comfort zone to push your limits, learn about Kenyan traditions and about yourself, and immerse yourself in the entrepreneurial culture, this is the best programme you could be part of.

A daily routine in the first week involved a training session between 9 am to 5 pm with a few short breaks in between.
The next 5 weeks involved meeting up with our Balloon Kenya entrepreneurs between week days whilst having weekends off.
My highlight of the trip was the effect i had on people's life. It is an incredible feeling what supporting someone can do for their life. Two people i worked with got funding for their businesses and knowing i am in their prayers everyday is refreshing.
The difficulties was certainly the time period. Some kenyan entrepreneurs were behind on schedule or joined the program late due to their own relevant reasons. It was very difficult refusing to help someone who would not be able to meet the presentation date for funding.
All in all, it was a great experience.

Balloon Ventures offers exceptional programmes for anyone who is feeling adventurous and wants to make a positive impact in developing countries using business. The balloon curriculum is informative and interesting; it prepared me to help create business start-ups and innovate existing ones with small entrepreneurs- something I felt quite unqualified to do before the first week of the in-country training! Balloon's programmes are an amazing opportunity!

Balloon Kenya has a great mentality with using it's expertise in business to combat social issues such as poverty and unemployment. It appeals to a different market of skilled and unskilled people (that I am used to) who may want to make a difference through volunteering. It's hard work but extremely fun and rewarding.
The 6 weeks in Kenya gave me a lot that I could want on a personal level, e.g. having a creative job that helps to improve people's lives, a decent social life, and working and living with many nice people. All very simple things, but things that can be undervalued in everyday life. These three things made the 6 weeks of trying to make a difference, very enjoyable.
On a practical level, it also taught me a lot about being innovative, analysing businesses, being adventurous and creative, and having the tools and confidence to pursue ambitions and ideas.
I highly recommend this organisation.

Balloon Kenya is a great way of empowering people and helping them in an extremely sustainable way. I felt like I was making a real, long-lasting difference to people's lives. The training that I attended in the first week was very useful, interesting and engaging. Throughout the six weeks, I learnt a tremendous amount about entrepreneurship, the start-up world, as well as improved my transferable skills such as team working. I thoroughly enjoyed living in a host home and gaining an insight into the everyday life.
The programme itself has some minor annoyances (regarding the logistics) but overall, it has been a great experience that I would recommend.

I was on the Nakuru August 2015 programme - Balloon's slogan of 'grow businesses change lives' is really true. One of our entrepreneurs owned an orphanage and a school for vulnerable children and needed our help to develop a business so she could sustain the school (she didn't want to charge fees). After working with her for 5 weeks we are pretty confident that we have come up with a solid business plan and our fingers are crossed she gets the loan that she needs. Not sure there is anything more meaningful you could do with a summer!

Balloon Ventures fellowship is an extremely practical, hands-on and innovative programme. You get to develop your interpersonal and transferrable skills whilst also learning about entrepreneurship.
At the same time, you impact lives of local Kenyan entrepreneurs by helping them grow their businesses.
It's a programme that changes lives! I would definitely recommend it!