Grace Babirye

Class of 2025-2026

Makerere University, 2022
Computer Science

Capstone Project Abstract:

The Giving Grove is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating urban food insecurity by establishing and maintaining community orchards and food forests. Operating across 16 markets in the U.S., with over 650 community orchards, they offer a sustainable food source while fostering community engagement, environmental stewardship, and educational opportunities. A key challenge for The Giving Grove's program managers is the extensive time and effort involved in manually planning and managing orchard sites, delivering tailored guidance, and compiling detailed reports for stakeholders. This manual burden can limit their capacity to engage directly with communities and leverage the organization's vast, accumulated knowledge efficiently.

To enhance their impactful work, the ESTEEM Capstone project focuses on refining an advanced AI-powered tool designed to optimize decision-making and streamline operations for Giving Grove program managers. The solution aims to provide instant, tailored recommendations, acting as an on-demand mentor to equip managers with accessible expertise for orchard planning and ongoing stewardship. By automating complex tasks and centralizing critical information, the tool will empower program managers to dedicate more time to their communities, ensure greater consistency across the national network, and strengthen reporting capabilities to demonstrate the profound impact of their orchards. The project's goal is to deliver a highly accurate, user-friendly, and secure platform ready to support The Giving Grove's continued growth and mission.

Why did you choose ESTEEM?

ESTEEM is the ideal intersection of my technical expertise, entrepreneurial drive, and passion for social impact. With a background in software engineering and years of experience leading digital product innovation in the fintech space, I was looking for a program that could help me scale that impact through business strategy, innovation, and venture creation. ESTEEM stood out for its hands-on approach, mission-driven community, and opportunity to work on real-world problems through the capstone. It offers the platform I need to sharpen my entrepreneurial mindset and translate ideas into sustainable, high-impact solutions especially for underserved communities.

What do you hope to do after ESTEEM?

After ESTEEM, I hope to lead or build ventures that use technology to solve pressing challenges in education, financial inclusion, and access across the world, with an inclination to expanding their impact across Africa. I care about creating products and systems that open doors for others, just as others have done for me. Whether it’s driving innovation within a forward-thinking organization or launching a startup, my goal is to use product strategy, market insight, and human-centered design to build scalable solutions that create lasting impact.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I to swim for fun.