Valerie wanted to do things differently. She told herself she was young, didn’t have the funds and needed more experience. Passion said no! So she quite her job, sold everything she owned raising $10,000. With that seed money she started Niyel, a campaigns and advocacy firm based in Dakar, Senegal. It’s been 12 years since she took that leap and we explore the journey so far.
Monica Musonda is CEO & Founder of Java Foods, a Zambian based food processing company. Java Foods first product was “eeZee Instant Noodles”, which has become Zambia’s leading instant noodle brand. Java Foods also manufactures and distributes eeZee Supa Cereal (a fortified instant cereal/porridge).
Her experience working with one of Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs gave her the impetus to start her own business and in 2012, she moved back to Zambia and set up Java Foods. In a country where the landscape is dominated by foreign multinationals, Java Foods is a Zambian business run by a Zambian woman. Monica is one of a few Zambian women involved in manufacturing/agro-processing at a scalable level.
Nichole Yembra is the Founder and Managing Director of The Chrysalis Co which houses The Chrysalis Capital, a $15M African tech fund and The Chrysalis Advisors, a financial, investment, and strategy firm. Previously, she was the Chief Financial Officer for a PE Backed $80M fintech holding company and served as Managing Partner of its investment arm.
The African creative industry includes music, film and fashion and is attracting a lot of attention from investors. My guest, Roberta Annan and I will explore this in the context of her business journey from a pre-med education to a career in development, building and utilizing a solid network to wealth creation. A rich story with a lot of life lessons.
Africa has the highest concentration of female entrepreneurs, accounting for almost a third of all businesses on the continent. It’s safe to say we are a continent of strong women! That said, women continue to face enormous institutional and systematic challenges as well as gender violence. Women seem disadvantaged from the jump.
In addressing these issue, the burden had rested disproportionately on women. What role do men have to play? The ability to shift entitlement and using privilege for good required intentionality. We discuss these in my upcoming podcast interview with Mrs. Ifeoma I. Idigbe.
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