In May 2020, B2R Scholar, Bienfait Mugenza foundedCongo Dynamique Initiative (CODI),  a non-profit and non-governmental organization committed to empowering youth and women in his home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 

The goal of CODI is to generate a steady flow of accountable leaders, ethical entrepreneurs, and new businesses to increase jobs and wealth and eradicate poverty in the DRC. As an incubator and micro-finance institution, CODI accelerates and systematizes the process of identifying, developing, empowering, and mentoring entrepreneurs in the DRC by

providing them with a range of support, including micro-loans, incubator space, business support services, and networking opportunities. Bienfait will graduate from the University of Rochester this May with a degree in Political Science and plans to return home to work on the growth and sustainability of CODI and identify more societal challenges that may require collective efforts and innovative solutions. 

“One Saturday evening, my dad said to me: ‘In the mental realm of being, things are quite simple. You can be part of the problem or be part of the solution. Assuming you are part of the solution, always do your best and never stand aside to watch.’ So, I try every day to be part of the solution.“