A new book, Reaching Millions with Impact, authored by social entrepreneur Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, has recently been launched in Lagos Nigeria, to serve as a guide to achieving impact on a larger scale in order to better address the major challenges posed by rapid population growth. These challenges include food provision, healthcare, housing, energy, sanitation, and education.
Encouraged by the emergence and early impact of social innovators on the African Continent, but frustrated by the slow pace of large scale change, this book by social entrepreneur Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is focused on filling the knowledge gap for those tackling Africa’s serious social problems. It lays out the required building blocks for achieving scale at impact. By creating clear mission, vision, and values statements and piloting and rolling out business models that are demand-driven, simple, and low-cost, with compelling measurement and evaluation tools that leverage technology. It also explores the steps for attracting and retaining talent and financing and forming strategic partnerships with the private, public and non-profit sectors to foster scaling. Practical case studies provide inspiration for those who seek to become innovators or to be employed by them. Finally, it outlines the crucial steps for key stakeholders to take in order to support the emergence of more social innovators on the African continent, create an enabling environment for the scaling of high-impact initiatives and advance collective efforts to build stronger communities for current and future generations.
This is a practical and inspirational guide for all entrepreneurs and individuals that seek to combine business and social goals and for those in the public, private and non-profit sectors that aim to foster and support these projects. “Reaching Millions with Impact,” also titled – “Social Innovation in Africa: A practical guide for scaling impact” for its international version released by Routledge in the UK has received rave reviews by professors and thought leaders at Harvard, Oxford, and the Brookings Institute.
Author Quotes
As you rise in your profession or industry, leave the door open for other women to enter. Be the first woman president, CEO, leader of an organization, but never the last one.
Ensure that you are mentoring and grooming other women to take over from you. Fight against the stereotype that women do not support other women. Instead be recognized as an individual who supports others.
About the author
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is a serial social entrepreneur based in Nigeria. Ndidi Nwuneli is a serial social entrepreneur based in Lagos Nigeria. She is the founder of LEAP Africa, one of Nigeria's leading nonprofit organizations, the co-founder of AACE Food Processing & Distribution, an indigenous agroprocessing company and a partner at Sahel Capital, an advisory and private equity firm focused on the agribusiness sector in West Africa. She also serves as the director of the African Philanthropy Forum. She has 20 years of experience in international and entrepreneurship development. Ndidi started her career as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, working in their Chicago, New York and Johannesburg Offices. She returned to Nigeria to serve as the pioneer executive director of the FATE Foundation and established LEAP Africa and NIA in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Ndidi holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a BsC with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Ndidi was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and received a National Honor – Member of the Federal Republic from the Nigerian Government. She was listed as one of the 20 Youngest Power African Women by Forbes and honored by the Global Fund for Women. She serves on numerous international and local boards including Nestle Nigeria Plc., Cornerstone Insurance Plc., Nigerian Breweries Plc. and the Royal DSM Plc Sustainability Advisory Board.
Websites: www.leapafrica.org www.aacefoods.com
Why LoA loves it….
Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli has written a highly accessible read for those social entrepreneurs on the African continent interested in creating and importantly scaling high-impact entrepreneurial ventures that can make a real difference in society. This practical guide addresses the numerous challenges facing entrepreneurial enterprises and non-profits that are unique to this continent. Ndidi sets out the steps needed for any social venture to ensure its legitimacy, reputation, financial sustainability and impact on the lives of its clients. --- Melanie Hawken, founder and editor-in-chief of Lionesses of Africa