At the heart of every great business is a creative solution to a problem—and those solutions sometimes change the world. To assemble TIME’s first annual list of ‘The 50 Most Genius Companies of 2018’, it asked its global network of editors and correspondents to nominate businesses that are inventing the future. Then we evaluated candidates on key factors, including originality, influence, success and ambition. The result: 50 companies that are driving progress now, and bear watching for what they do next. The Wonderbag, created by Sarah Collins, is one of those companies to make the Top 50 list.
Read more100 LIONESSES: Jennifer Riria recognized with two prestigious awards in Kenya
Dr Jennifer Riria, the founding member of Kenya Women Holding and Kenya Women Finance Trust Microfinance Bank, and the CEO of Echo Network Africa, has been officially recognized for her longstanding impact and contribution to Kenyan society with two awards.
Read more100 LIONESSES: South Africa’s Dorothy van’t Riet selected as the prestigious Spotlight Designer for Decorex 2018
Internationally renowned interior design guru, Dorothy van’t Riet, founder and principal designer at DVR Design & Decor Consultants in South Africa, is to be celebrated with this year’s 2018 Decorex Designer Spotlight feature stand. The timing is perfect given that DVR is celebrating 30 years in the design industry this year. At Decorex, Dorothy will be creating an individual curated living space filled with beauty, style and colour using some of her favourite pieces that evoke a personal sense of joy. Decorex takes place from 8 to 12 August at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Read moreKenya’s Flora Mutahi, Founder and CEO of Melvin Marsh International takes up two influential new global roles
This month saw leading Kenyan woman entrepreneur, Flora Mutahi, founder and ceo of Melvin Marsh International, founder of the popular Melvin’s tea brand, taking up two influential global roles. She has been appointed to the board of the United Nations Global Compact by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres where she will be using the platform to support responsible business practices in Kenya and the continent through the integration of the UN Global Compact in business. She has also stepped down from her Chairperson’s role at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers to take up a new role as Head of the Anti-Counterfeit Agency in the country.
Read moreMo Abudu's EbonyLife TV celebrates 5 years of groundbreaking television broadcasting
Africa's leading Indigenous lifestyle and entertainment brand marks a milestone year and looks ahead to a bright future. EbonyLife TV, Nigeria’s leading television channel proudly announced its fifth anniversary, on July 1. Launched in 2013, this is a significant achievement for the proudly ‘made in Nigeria’ company, which has become a major feature film producer as well.
Read moreFT Podcast with Dorcas Muthoni: “Starting a business young is a bonus” says Kenyan tech pioneer
This week saw Kenyan tech pioneer, Dorcas Muthoni, founder of Open World and creator of Open Business, sharing her thoughts on doing business in Kenya and the general lack of women in the tech sector in Africa as a whole, during a fascinating podcast interview with the Financial Times. Dorcas talked about the exciting new business opportunities in Silicon Savannah and also about how to avoid corruption in a country which has its challenges in the way that business has traditionally been done.
Read more100 LIONESSES: Nkemdilim Begho takes to the stage in Brussels to talk Technology and Job Creation, Growth and Competitiveness in West Africa
This month, Nigerian serial entrepreneur Nkemdilim Begho, founder of specialist IT company FutureSoft and co-founder of children’s accessory brand AlwaysMe by Ann Li, had the honour of speaking in Brussels at a high level European Commission conference. The event, which sought to tackle issues around Job Creation, Growth and Competitiveness in West Africa, attracted 300 high-level representatives from the European Commission, Regional Organisations (ECOWAS and WAEMU), Regional Development Banks, National Authorities at Ministerial level, financial Institutions and private sector stakeholders.
Read more100 LIONESSES: Celebrating the life of a pioneering South African woman entrepreneur who revolutionized the real estate industry
This past week saw the end of an era in South Africa as one of the country’s pioneering women entrepreneurs passed away. Pam Golding, founder and Life President of the Pam Golding Property Group, was an extraordinary example of how to beat gender stereotypes and build a global business and brand from the bottom up. She died on Tuesday at her home Wittebomen in Constantia, Cape Town. She was 89 years old.
Read more100 Lionesses: Flying Doctors Nigeria founder, Dr Ola Brown, honoured with Aviation Most Remarkable Medical Personality Award
In recognition of Flying Doctors Nigeria’s role in saving lives during critical and emergency situations in sub-Sahara Africa, Dr Ola Brown, the company's founder has been bestowed with the prestigious 2017 Aviation Most Remarkable Medical Personality Award by the Nigeria Aviation Awards (NIGAV) held last month.
Read moreMargaret Hirsch honoured with an international award for her work as an impactful social innovator
Margaret Hirsch, co-founder of the Hirsch Group, recently travelled to Mumbai, India to receive a prestigious award as one of the 50 Most Impactful Social Innovators (Globally) at the World Sustainable Development Congress 2018.
Read more100 LIONESSES: Featuring Margaret Hirsch, co-founder of Hirsch's Homestores, a powerhouse of appliance and electronic retailing
Margaret Hirsch has become a leading example to business women in Southern Africa – coming from a humble background, to co-founding and running the multi million rand Appliance and Electronic retail organisation, Hirsch’s. Margaret has been recognised through her efforts in building a successful business, and her determination to give back to the community by, over the last four years, winning a multitude of business awards, including two Lifetime Achievement Awards in business and entrepreneurship.
Read moreJoy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana - Sisters weaving for peace and profit
Joy Ndungutse and Janet Nkubana co-founded Gahaya Links Cooperatives shortly after the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994 with a vision to “empower rural communities to become entrepreneurs and earn better incomes to live with dignity among their communities.” Many of the women, like Janet and Joy themselves, were returning refugees or survivors of the genocide. The women started weaving baskets in exchange for food. Initially bringing together about twenty women, the sisters taught them how to weave and how to enhance their weaving skills with new design techniques.
Read more100 LIONESSES: Swaady Martin, stylish purveyor of African luxury tea
Swaady Martin is founder of YSWARA, a rapidly growing African luxury brand. YSWARA creates elegant, high-end products using the continent’s natural resources, all produced by African artisans. The product range centres around exquisite teas sourced from across Africa, Swaady aims to capture a true spirit of African luxury by reviving Africa’s endangered cultural heritage and unique ancestral craftsmanship. YSWARA is sold online and in 8 countries with different direct and indirect retail points.
Read more100 LIONESSES: Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, the shoemaker with a deep social conscience
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is founder and Managing Director of soleRebels, the world's fastest-growing African footwear brand and the only Fair Trade-certified footwear company in the world. Growing up in a poor suburb of Addis Ababa, Bethlehem decided that there was only one way to defeat poverty – use local craftsmanship to make products that can compete in the global marketplace. She decided on footwear and today 70,000 pairs of shoes leave her factory every year. soleRebels has been expanding rapidly and has 18 stores around the world, including in Silicon Valley (USA), Japan, Singapore, Austria, Greece, Spain and Switzerland, along with an aggressive e-commerce marketing strategy. in 2015, Bethlehem launched a new venture, Republic of Leather, offering bespoke, hand crafted Leather wear and accessories; and in 2016 she launched an equally ambitious new coffee venture called Garden of Coffee with the objective of taking Ethiopia's ancient coffee culture to the world.
Read more100 LIONESSES: Jenna Clifford, world-renowned jewellery designer
Jenna Clifford is a world-renowned jewellery designer, known for her unique designs and superlative craftsmanship. Established in 1992, her company has steadily grown its clientele and improved its profile to institute itself as a powerful force in the jewellery industry. Her bold and dramatic designs are sought after by some of the most recognised business icons and celebrities from around the world. Today, Jenna Clifford Designs employs around 60 people, including some of the finest jewellery artisans and craftsmen in South Africa.
Read more100 LIONESSES: Featuring Dorcas Muthoni, a passionate techpreneur transforming lives
Dorcas Muthoni is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Openworld Ltd, a specialist computer software company she established in Kenya when she was just 24 years old. Today, Openworld is a leading e-Government and business software services firm involved in the delivery of some of the most widely used Web and Cloud applications in Africa, such as ARIS, an African Union reporting application used by all 54 member states; and the Performance Management System for the Government of Kenya, automating performance contracting in the public sector.
Read moreDR. JENNIFER RIRIA '100 Lionesses' Profile - Meet the woman who has committed herself to empowering Kenya's women
Dr. Jennifer Riria is the Group CEO of Kenya Women Holding and one of Africa's leading women entrepreneurs who has always been on a mission to transform the lives of women and their families in her native Kenya. She is distinguished microfinance banker, researcher and a leading gender specialist. She has served in many leadership roles for which she has been recognized locally and internationally. In 2013 she was awarded the Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the year, East Africa 2013, and subsequently, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2014, at which point she was admitted to EY’s Global Hall of Fame.
Read more100 LIONESSES: Dr Jennifer Riria, a business leader empowering Kenya's women
Dr. Jennifer Riria is the Group CEO of Kenya Women Holding and one of Africa's leading women entrepreneurs who has always been on a mission to transform the lives of women and their families in her native Kenya. She is distinguished as a microfinance banker and practitioner, researcher and gender specialist. She has served in many leadership roles for which she has been recognized locally and internationally. In 2013 she was awarded the Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the year, East Africa 2013, and subsequently, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2014, at which point she was admitted to EY’s Global Hall of Fame.
Read moreDivine Ndhlukula wins Zimbabwe's private sector leader of the year award
Women dominated the Zimbabwe Institute of Management 2017 Leadership Excellence awards that were presented in Harare this month, with Securico Security Services founder, Divine Ndhlukula, picking up the prestigious Private Sector Leader of the Year award. She received the award for her ongoing contribution to management excellence in the country in the preceding year and for being an example and inspiration for others to emulate.
Read more100 Lionesses: Tabitha Karanja’s Keroche Foundation growing a new generation of young entrepreneurs
Tabitha Karanja, CEO of the groundbreaking Kenyan Keroche Breweries empire, has a vision for the empowerment of a new generation of young entrepreneurs in her country. The Keroche Foundation Young Entrepreneurs Mentorship Program is one of the tangible ways she is fulfilling that vision.
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