Editor’s note: The University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) will recognize several entrepreneurs at its annual Iowa JPEC Honors Celebration on April 8 at the Old Capitol Museum in Iowa City. The event highlights individuals whose work reflects innovation, leadership, and meaningful impact within their communities and industries.

Freedom Mukanga is a man who never seems to run out of promising ideas and always has the drive to pursue them. In recognition of his efforts, Mukanga has been named the recipient of the International Business Entrepreneurship Impact Award from the Institute for International Business (IIB) and the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC). 

This award goes to an alumni of an IIB program who has used their knowledge of entrepreneurship to create deep and lasting impacts in their community.

The scope of Mukanga’s work and collaborations is expansive, bridging innovation, education, and social impact across Zimbabwe. He is the founder and team leader of FreedPer Scientific, a company advancing Africa’s weather and water data systems and supplying state-of-the-art equipment. This idea has grown into a company that is a trusted regional partner for the meteorological community in Southern Africa, surpassing $100,000 in revenue, securing a $1 million partnership with BancABC Zimbabwe, and directly benefitting more than 90,000 people through enhanced forecasting, early warning systems, and STEM education workshops. Mukanga also serves  on the Management Committee of the African Meteorological Society and has leveraged University of Iowa’s business consulting resources to strengthen FreedPer Scientific’s strategy and growth.

Mukanga was a member of the 2022 cohort of the Mandela Washington Fellowship at the University of Iowa, where he made many lasting connections within the University of Iowa and Eastern Iowa communities. During the Fellowship, Mukanga went through the Venture School program for entrepreneurs, which he describes as a transformational experience, later reflecting that it was like being, “given tools, given knowledge to use forever. Look how many doors have opened? How many opportunities? And the impact. It’s priceless.”

Since the 2022 Mandela Washington Fellowship, Mukanga has become certified by the University of Iowa’s Jacobson Institute to use the BizInnovator Startup curriculum to teach entrepreneurship through Hozi Innovator, a youth entrepreneurship hub he co-founded, and has mentored thousands of youth across Zimbabwe. In April 2024, Mukanga collaborated with IIB’s program coordinator on a Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Component that trained more than 50 rural women in entrepreneurship and poultry farming at Madanha Trust, giving them tools to create sustainable livelihoods. 

Looking ahead, Mukanga remains committed to using innovative entrepreneurship as a force for good and continuing to build partnerships that strengthen local communities and connect them to global networks. With each new initiative he starts and every award he earns, Mukanga continues to prove that with vision and perseverance, entrepreneurship can change lives and create lasting impact across Africa and beyond.